Jack Voelkel
Amanda Smith: International Evangelist, Onetime Slave (part 1)
Jack Voelkel
Foundations: Thankless Ministry; Overcoming Obstacles (part 1)
The desperate African American woman stood by the side of her sick infant son. She was exhausted from hard work and watching day and night with little food to sustain her body. She was struggling with the Lord, wanting to say, “Thy will be done” from the heart, which she considered to be more than “all burnt offerings and sacrifice.
She later wrote:
As dear little Willie ... the brightest and most promising of all [my] five children lay dying, I wanted to say it, and then resolved that I would neither eat nor drink until I could from my heart say, “The will of the Lord be done.” It took me from Thursday till Friday afternoon about three P.M. before I got the victory. While I was alone pleading with God … all at once my heart seemed to sink into a deep quiet ... Oh, how sweet it was; it seemed to me I could taste it, it was sweet as honey…' And I said, 'Lord, Your will is so sweet, I only want Your will....' Then the joy sprang up in my heart ... About two o'clock the next morning, little Willie fell asleep in Jesus, in my arms. I washed the little body and laid it out myself ….(Christian History).
Afterward Amanda collapsed and was scarcely able to dress to go out and make funeral arrangements. Friends refused to help. Her separated husband, father of the dead lad, excused himself as sick. In this crisis, a Christian lady, a virtual stranger, heard of the death and gave Amanda the $20 the funeral would cost. Amanda saw this as evidence of God's faithfulness.
Amanda’s Obstacles
This experience puts in bold relief elements in the life of Amanda Smith, an unlikely but dynamic servant of the Lord who was invited to minister, often to large groups, not only in the U.S. but also in the British Isles, India, and Africa. Her work is all the more remarkable when one reviews the obstacles that stood in her way.
Amanda was born a slave in 1837, years before the Emancipation Proclamation. Her father, a gifted man and devoted to his family, set himself the task of working all he could, sometimes up to 20 hours a day, to secure resources first to purchase his own freedom, and then the freedom of his wife and five children, including Amanda.
She was never able to receive formal education. She was allowed to attend a school for white children for only three months, where a few black youngsters were permitted to study. She and her brother had to walk five and a half miles each day in going and returning, and the attention they received there was only such as the teacher gave them when the white children had received their full lessons.
She married twice. Her first husband, who was often drunk, was killed in the Civil War; her second claimed he was a deacon to win her, but proved to be indifferent and irresponsible. She was forced to support herself as best she could, usually by taking in washing. For years she lived on the ragged edge of survival, struggling to pay her rent and provide the essentials of food and clothing for herself and her children. However, she faced her hard life with resolution, courage, and – increasingly – with faith.
Several times in her autobiography she comments on the difficulties she encountered being African American.
It is often said to me, "How nicely you get on, Mrs. Smith; everybody seems to treat you so kindly, and you always seem to get on so well." "Yes; that is what you think," I said; "but I have much more to contend with than you may think." Then they said; "Oh, well, but no one would treat you unkindly." Then I said: "But if you want to know and understand properly what Amanda Smith has to contend with, just turn black and go about as I do, and you will come to a different conclusion." And I think some people would understand the quintessence of sanctifying grace if they could be black about twenty-four hours (p. 117).
She sometimes found her self the object of joking and criticism, especially from white young people in a white church. She found being black inconvenient when she traveled and hotels were closed to her because of her race. However, she had some reflective thoughts later on in life regarding this subject. When a white person asked her how she felt about being black, she replied with characteristic honesty:
I said to her, “As the Lord lives, I would rather be black and fully saved than to be white and not saved; I was bad enough, black as I am, and I would have been ten times worse if I had been white…" Yes, thank God, I am satisfied with my color. I am glad I had no choice in it, for if I had, I am sure I would not have been satisfied; for when I was a young girl I was passionately fond of pea-green, and if choice had been left to me I would have chosen to be green, and I am sure God's color is the best and most substantial (p. 117).
Later on she was to see some black men in Egypt. Her comments about them are revealing and represented a healing experience for her.
Many of them were fine looking men, black as silk and straight as arrows, well developed, and independent as kings. They moved about and did the business intelligently, and with promptness and ease. They didn't know what it was to crouch to any man. I felt proud that I belonged to that race when I saw such nobility in ebony. Then I thought of the passage in the Old Testament history: "Princes shall come out of Egypt.” Then I remembered it was the birthplace of Moses, and the hiding place of the infant Jesus from the cruelty of Herod, the king. And out of all the world round it pleased God to bestow this great honor on the black race, which ought to be held in everlasting remembrance. And I prefer being black, if for no other reason than to share this great honor with my race (p. 295).
And she concludes, many years later, “I find that human nature is the same in black men, even in Africa, as in white men in America. It is the same old story everywhere. "None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good” (p. 438).
She also found that being a woman was a source of negative reactions from many church leaders who quoted Paul’s admonition “I suffer not a woman to teach in the church.” However, she was warmly invited by church leaders and had a sense of personal call, as we shall see, and God put the seal on her call by giving her much fruit.
Amanda’s Resources
Amanda stresses the unique role in her life of her God fearing, prayerful grandmother, who led Amanda’s mother to the Lord, prayed for the conversion of their mistress, asked the Lord to keep Amanda and her brother from being given as a dowry when the mistress’ children were married, and pled with God that one day her grandchildren would be free. All of these prayers were answered. In this humble but spiritually powerful context, Amanda learned of God and longed to have her own experience of conversion.
She struggled with faith, believing in God and the Gospel, but tempted by the Devil to doubt her faith because she had no evidence.
"Evidence, evidence, what is that?" Then I thought, I wonder if that is not what the old people used to call the witness of the Spirit. "Well," I said, "I won't sing, I won't pray until I get the witness." So I began and I held this point; God helped me to hold this point. I said, "Lord I believe Thou hast converted my soul, but the Devil says I have no evidence. Now Lord give me the evidence," and I prayed a whole week. Every now and then the joy would spring up in my heart, the burden was all gone, I had no sadness, I could not cry as I had before, and I did not understand it and so I kept on pleading, "Lord, I believe Thou hast converted me, but give me the evidence, so clear and definite that the Devil will never trouble me on that line again."
Praise the Lord, He did, and though I have passed through many sorrows, many trials, Satan has buffeted me, but never from that day have I had a question in regard to my conversion. God helped me and He settled it once for all. O what an anchor it has been at time of storm. Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Ye shall know if ye follow on to know the Lord. Amen. Amen (p. 44).
Her spiritual life grew as she responded to the Lord in common, ordinary tasks. “I found out that it was not necessary to be a nun or be isolated away off in some deep retirement to have communion with Jesus; but, though your hands are employed in doing your daily business, it is no bar to the soul's communion with Jesus” (p. 103).
Part 2 (coming March 27): Amanda Smith, International Evangelist.
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