Jonette O'Kelley Miller

Laura Rodríguez was born on October 3, 1903, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. She was raised Catholic and accepted Christ after a visiting missionary witnessed to her.

Laura became a dynamic woman of God who was known for her strong prayer life. She served faithfully as a pastor, missionary and intercessor. But she was also an entrepreneur, a songwriter, a poet, a wife and a mother.

In 1946 Laura, along with her husband, Natividad Rodríguez, migrated to New York City with their five children. Tragedy struck, and by the end of the following year, her husband and oldest daughter had died.

More than 87 years ago, Lillian Krager planted a seed that continues to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. A young German woman, Lillian was a member of a Pentecostal church located in the heart of Manhattan. When she heard that two young African American women had received Jesus Christ but were denied church membership because of their ethnicity, she volunteered to go to their homes and lead a Bible study.

In January 1916 Mother Krager, as she later came to be known, held the first of many Monday night Bible studies in the home of Sister C. Glover. Lillian's desire to share God's Word cost her dearly.

She was ostracized by her family, and her fiance broke off their engagement. But eventually her efforts gave birth to one of the most dynamic churches in Harlem today.

Nancy Gardner was an African American woman, born free in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on September 15, 1799. She was known for her devout heart and lived an adventurous life in service to the Lord.

However, Nancy's life was not void of trials. Her mother was widowed three times. Nancy's father, her mother's second husband, died when she was just 3 months old.

Following her third husband's death, Nancy's mother, then responsible for eight children, suffered a nervous breakdown. Nancy was 8 when the family's three older children were put to work to earn their room and board. She and her brother George committed themselves to caring for their mother and their younger siblings.

Mary Slessor was a study in contrasts: shy, afraid to speak in public and lacking a formal education; yet a fearless evangelist at home and abroad. She was born on Dec. 2, 1848, the second of seven children, in Gilcomston, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Mary gave her heart to the Lord at a young age after hearing a fire-and-brimstone message preached by an older lady in her neighborhood. Because she had started working at the age of 11, she had only a rudimentary education. However, her hunger for God's Word and her mother's loving encouragement prompted her to snatch moments to read her Bible.

Mary's father was an alcoholic. His addiction caused the family to fall on extremely hard times and eventually led to his death. This, plus the premature death of her oldest brother, made Mary the family's main provider.

Nineteenth Century Revivalist

One day while milking a cow, Zilpha saw Jesus walking toward her. He appeared to say, "Thy prayer is accepted; I own thy name." Zilpha first thought she was seeing things; but when the cow looked in the same direction, bent its front legs and lowered its head to the ground, she knew the Lord had come to answer her prayer.

Zilpha was born free to religious parents in Pennsylvania around 1790. Her mother died when she was 12 years old, and her father sent her to live with a Quaker family. He died a year and a half later.

Julia A.J. Foote was the fourth child born to devout Christian parents in Schenectady, New York, in 1823. When she was 10, her parents, who were former slaves, sent her to live with and work for a wealthy white couple.

This couple acted as Julia's patrons and enrolled her in an integrated country school, where she received a basic education. In 1836 she rejoined her family.

At age 15, Julia accepted Jesus as her Savior and joined an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church. Although she was filled with the joy that accompanied her conversion, Julia felt defeated in her Christian life.

A preachin' woman of the ame church

During a time in America's history when it was considered unseemly for a woman to speak in public and blacks were thought not to have souls, Jarena Lee stands as a spiritual and social pioneer. Lee was born to a free African-American family in Cape May, New Jersey, on Feb. 11, 1783. At age 7, she was sent to work for a family located about 60 miles from her birthplace.

While living with this family, Lee experienced a dramatic conversion at the age of 21. But after having received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, she often battled with thoughts of suicide and doubted her salvation.