This article is part of a series in honour of Black History Month.
Early Life
What kind of woman would think of becoming a missionary to Congo at age fifty-six? Maria Fearing would! Born into slavery in Alabama in 1838, she served as a house servant to William and Amanda Winston. From her mistress, she learned the Presbyterian catechism, Bible stories, and tales of missionaries in Africa. The latter left a lasting impression upon her.
Life Following Emancipation
Maria gained her freedom at age twenty-seven, shortly after the end of the American Civil War. She learned to read in her thirties, studied at Talladega College to become a teacher, and taught in rural schools in Calhoun County. She eventually saved enough money to purchase her own home. This was a rare feat for any woman in her era, and even more so for a black one.
Missionary Calling
In 1891, Maria heard William Shepherd speak. An African American Presbyterian missionary to Congo, he sought volunteers to return to the continent to minister alongside him. Maria applied to the mission board, which rejected her due to her advanced age. The tenacious woman remained undeterred. She sold her home to finance her journey. Her only other support came from a $100 pledge from the women of the Congregational Church of Talladega. She boarded a ship from New York en route to Congo. Along with Shepherd and three other African American missionaries, Maria travelled 1900 kilometres inland. After two months, they finally arrived at a mission station in Luebo.
Overseas Service
Maria gave herself to the task of learning the Baluba-Lulua language. Soon, she was aiding in Bible translation. After two years in Congo, she was officially recognized as a missionary and began receiving a salary. Her crowning achievement was founding the Pantops Home for Girls. Through this home, she educated, discipled, and cared for girls in need. Among them were not only orphans, but also enslaved girls, for whom she bartered salt and tools for their freedom. Her students nicknamed her “Mama wa Mputu” (mother from far away), thus demonstrating their love and appreciation for her.
Maria laboured for over twenty years in Jesus’ name before returning to Alabama in 1915 for health reasons. In 1918, the Southern Presbyterian Church bestowed upon her the Loving Cup for her extraordinary work. At age seventy-eight, she was not yet ready to retire and taught at a church school in Selma. She died in 1937 at age ninety-nine, leaving a legacy of love, leadership, and liberation in service to the least of these.
You can learn more about Maria Fearing and other black women of faith in Jasmin Holmes Carved in Ebony: Lessons from the Black Women Who Shape Us. And you can teach your children about her through the kids’ book Maria Fearing: The Girl Who Dreamed of Distant Lands by K.A. Ellis.
