From the earliest days of the Adventist movement women preached, taught, cared for the sick, shared the gospel and founded both churches and institutions around the world. Their names are often less familiar than those of the men they worked alongside, but their contributions were no less important in shaping the growing Church.
Sarah Lindsey (nee Hallock)
Born 1832; died 1914
Sarah was one of the earliest Adventist women preachers. ESDA credits her as the first Adventist woman to receive a conference-issued ministerial licence in 1869.
Phebe Helen Rankin Druillard
Born 1845; died 1937
Known as Nellie, she was an early American administrator, treasurer and missionary. She helped establish Adventist institutions such as the Madison and Riverside Sanitariums, as well as their Schools of Nursing.
Maud Sisley Boyd
Born 1851; died 1937
Maud was a Bible teacher, editor, compositor, Bible worker, school matron and missionary to Europe, Africa and Australia. She was the Church’s first woman sent into foreign mission service by the Adventist Church’s Foreign Mission Board.
Loretta Viola Robinson (nee Farnsworth)
Born 1857; died 1933
Loretta is credited as the first known Adventist Bible worker. She served as a city mission worker, evangelist, missionary to South Africa and Australia, chaplain and religion teacher.
Euphemia Edie
Born 1862; died 1951
A missionary, educator, Bible worker and evangelist, Sister Edie was one of the pioneer Adventist missionaries in Africa who did “soul-winning work among the women and in the schoolroom”.
Sarah Elizabeth Peck
Born 1868; died 1968
Sarah pioneered in the education space, helping establish schools in the US, South Africa and Australia, writing curriculums for the many Adventist schools. She served in Adventist mission for almost 80 years as a teacher, ministry partner to Ellen White, writer, lecturer and mentor.
Rachel Knight
Born 1874; died 1972
Known as Anna, she was an African-American missionary, nurse, teacher, Bible worker and church administrator who pioneered Adventist work among Black communities in the American South.
Adelia Parlince Van Horn (nee Patten)
Born 1839; died 1922
Adelia was the first woman to serve as a General Conference officer, becoming GC treasurer in 1871. She was also an editor and assistant to Ellen White.
Sarah Jane Thayer
Born 1853; died 1940
Better known as Jennie, she was a second-generation Adventist pioneer who worked in publishing and church administration and became the first editor of the Atlantic Union Gleaner.
Georgia Anna Burgess (nee Burrus)
Born 1866; died 1948
The first Adventist missionary to India and the first single female Adventist missionary to a non-Christian country. At a time when people hesitated to learn foreign languages, Georgia showed the way learning Bengali and Hindustani.
The information on these women was gathered from the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists (ESDA). Each of their biographies are worth a read.
October is Adventist Heritage Month. To learn more, visit heritage.adventistchurch.com.
