During Women's History Month we want to remind you of the impact women have made on the development of the Seventh-Day Adventist church in seven short reflections.
Mrs. Sarepta Myrenda Irish Henry was a powerful evangelist and had the gift of administration. As an evangelist for the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, she often spoke to large crowds that were moved and many became believers. Her strenuous work came at the expense of her health, so she came to Battle Creek for treatment, where she accepted the Adventist faith. After her baptism, she spoke to 2,500 people in the Battle Creek Tabernacle. Oliver Willard, editor of the Chicago Post, said after an appearance at Northwestern University that her speech was "one of the most beautiful word paintings" he had ever heard.
Mrs. Henry was also worried about the condition of the women in the Adventist community. She realized that they needed instruction and encouragement. Many lived in poor conditions and had many children. Encouraged by her correspondence with Ellen White, Mrs. Henry initiated a ministry for women at the General Conference, and in 1898 she was issued a ministerial license. She wrote many articles for the Review and Herald, in which she had a special weekly column.
In a letter to Sister Henry, Ellen White, who lived in Australia at the time, wrote: "I would be very much pleased could I be seated by your side and converse with you in regard to the incidents of our experience. I have an earnest desire to meet you. … Across the broad waters of the Pacific, we can clasp hands in faith and sweet fellowship. I rejoice with you in every opportunity you have of reaching the people.” (Letter 9, 1898, p. 1. To Mrs. S. M. I. Henry, January 2, 1898)
Ellen White encouraged Sister Henry to continue her work for the good of women inside and outside the church and not to part with the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union just because she had become an Adventist. Ellen White never had a chance to meet Sister Henry in person, but they were joined in mutual affection and understanding of their respective roles. The correspondence between the two persisted until the death of Sister Henry in January 1900. What she did in the short time before her sudden death is astonishing.
This is an extract from the Book Tired of Waiting – Women in Church and Society by Hannele Ottschofski, available on amzn.to/3HSyP3e