Mission Heroes

Mary Slessor

“She was one of the most incredible missionary women ever.” That’s all the introduction Mary Slessor needs. Her heart for Calabar, Nigeria, was born while she was just a child, when her mother told her of the dangerous and disorderly country that was in need of God. Not only did she want to donate whatever money she could find to the mission work in Calabar, she dreamed of going there herself.

She came from Aberdeen, Scotland and was born the second of seven children in 1848. She was a tomboy with lots of attitude and spunk. She even called herself a “reckless lassie”, but she was also a very driven girl. Although she was forced to provide for her family by working in a sweatshop at just eleven years old because of her alcoholic father, she went to school every chance she had. She managed to learn about geography, how to read, write, sew, knit, work math problems and more.

One day an old widow scared Mary and some of her friends by telling them that “…if ye dinna repent ‘n’ believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, your soul will burn in the lowin’, blazin’ fire forever and ever”. Although she didn’t understand everything yet, she knew she needed the protection and guidance of the Lord. Mary became a Christian and from then on her life truly began to change. Even at a young age she taught other needy kids in the slums about her new friend in the Lord. She was never a traditional 19th century Christian because she had a mischievous character and was always stirring up controversy wherever she went. By acting as tough as any gangster, she stood up to bullies and used brave and reckless methods to convince all sorts of people to listen to her teach about Christ’s love.

When Mary found out that missionary David Livingstone had died in Africa, she immediately knew what she had to do. She sent a letter to the Foreign Mission Board of the Scottish Presbyterian Church asking if they would send her to Calabar as a teacher and missionary. When she turned 27 they agreed to send her and the next fall she sailed out to Nigeria.

The Nigerians were polytheistic and made human sacrifices to the many wooden and stone gods they believed in. She was appalled by the fact that a person was deemed guilty or not guilty of something by whether or not a god saved him from a particular torture-such as having boiling oil poured on their hands. Mary didn’t waver for a second and jumped right in and intervened in any situation possible. Once she saw a man pouring hot oil on a small boy and she took a ladle full of the boiling oil, chased him down, and proved to him that he must be guilty, too! Although the people laughed, this was just the beginning of all they’d see from Miss Mary Slessor.

Continuing with her uncommon approach to ministry, she refused to wear any corsets, veils, light clothing or hats like other missionary women. Her co-missionaries were appalled by the way she went about interacting with the natives. She became known for rescuing women who were falsely accused of witchcraft, girls whose lives were offered as sacrifices or slaves and unwanted twin babies. The people of Calabar believed that one twin was good and the other was evil, and since no once could tell which one was which, they always dumped both of the babies, along with the mother. In the process, Mary ended up adopting many twins and created quite a large family. This savage land was where God called Mary, and it became her mission field for the next 39 years.

Mary ventured as far out in the most remote, isolated and obscure places as the mission board would allow her to go. She constantly mediated between tribes to bring peace and end feuds and wars. The chiefs of many tribes knew of her wisdom and would ask her to come and help them in times of fighting. She was so well known that everyone called her “Ma” and the “White Queen of Calabar”. In 1891 the Consul of the Niger Coast Protectorate made Mary his vice-consul (judge) over Okoyong. She made huge advancements among the Nigerians by slowly teaching them that life is precious. During her time in Calabar she founded hospitals, schools and churches all over the region.

The peoples of this West Africa region were blown away by the message that this white woman brought to them. She didn’t teach a message of fear, destruction and evil, but instead one of hope, life and love. After going to many great lengths traveling across treacherous lands to care for a dying chief Mary had this to say: “I have come to you because I love and worship Jesus Christ, the Great Physician and Savior, the Son of the Father God who made all things. I want you to know this Father and to receive the eternal life which Jesus offers to all those with contrite and believing hearts. To know Jesus means to love Him, and with His love in our hearts we love everybody. Eternal life means peace and joy in this world and a wonderful home in the next world. My heart longs for you to believe in Jesus, to walk in His paths, and to know the blessings of eternal life through Him.”

There are many amazing stories about Mary Slessor’s life and the ministry she had in Calabar and many are unbelievable. She chased off a hippopotamus with her umbrella and a cooking pot and rescued one of her orphan babies from the mouth of a leopard by stabbing it with a flaming torch. She bravely prayed, “Lord, the task is impossible for me but not for Thee. Lead the way and I will follow.”

She overcame enormous obstacles, including mastering the Efik language, which she ended up speaking better than even some Nigerians. One night she heard some warriors about to attack a village and once she caught up with them she insisted that they not follow through with their attack. She threw herself in the middle of the battle and told them, “I have come to help you settle this matter peaceably and justly. There is no need to shed many lives.” It turned out that the chief leading this attack was the same chief she had helped nurse back to health many years earlier. He agreed to let her speak with their enemies and bring peace between them without anymore bloodshed.

Bold, fearless, courageous and gutsy all describe Mary Slessor. She gained her strength through Christ and constantly repeated, “God and one are always a majority.” In a Calabar government hospital at the age of 67, Mary passed away on January 13, 1915.1