Betsey Stockton
Betsey Stockton, Betsey Stockton was born into slavery in Princeton, New Jersey around 1798. She was given as a domestic slave to the family of Rev. Ashbel Green who was the President of the College of New Jersey (Princeton University).
Biography:
Birth: ~1798
Death: 1865
Native Place: New Jersey
Country: United States
Place of Vision: Hawaiian Islands
However, she found favor in the eyes of Rev. Ashbel who taught her to read and allowed her to attend evening classes at the college. In 1815, Betsey came to the knowledge of Christ in one of the revival meetings on the campus.
She accepted Christ and was baptized at Princeton’s First Presbyterian Church.
Betsey’s strong conviction of God’s calling to take the Gospel to those who had not heard it shaped her prayers and eventually the rest of her life.
Betsey Stockton ministry in Hawaiian islands
As she grew in faith, she desired to go to Africa to serve the Lord as a missionary. But through the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, she found an opportunity to serve in Hawaii along with the family of Charles S. Stewart. In 1823 she reached Hawaii and quickly learned the native language.
She set up a school for the common people and taught them History, English, Latin, and Algebra. She believed that education preceded religious training as it is necessary to understand the Bible. Her passion for to serve God provided the much-needed base for evangelism and discipleship in that region.
During her ministry, Betsey faced challenges of racism. Nonetheless, she contributed to the mission endeavor through domestic help for the Stewarts and through teaching the Hawaiian natives. She also trained the native teachers who took over from her upon her sudden departure to America. Later, she started schools for native Americans in Philadelphia and Grape Island, Canada.
Along with her education work, she was also instrumental in establishing African American Presbyterian Church in Princeton in 1848. Betsey, a woman of gentle Christian spirit stayed faithful to her convictions until her home calling in 1865.
Beloved, does your work create a platform for evangelism and discipleship?
Take away from the article
“Lord, help me to build a great platform for the gospel ministry. Amen!”
Word of Prayer
