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Other Women Ministers from the Past
The fact that she was licensed as a minister for over a decade by the Iowa Conference
indicates that Mrs. Hawkins made an active contribution to the work of the denomination in her own right. Emma Hawkins and Minnie Sype (chapter 2) both served as
licensed ministers for several years at the same time in the Iowa Conference.
Brot her Hawkins wrote to the Iowa Workers’ Bulletin, “The other night as Mrs.
Hawkins spoke, he [a “well-to-do farmer”] was so moved that tears rolled down his
cheek. He arose at the close of the meeting and declared his intention of keeping the
Sabbath.” (From G. R. Hawkins, “Wapello,” Iowa Workers’ Bulletin, July 30, 1907).
Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins held successful evangelistic meetings together. The Keokuk
Church doubled in membership while they ministered there. (From “Keokuk,” Iows
Workers’ Bulletin (April 16, 1907): 163.) Mr. Hawkins was soon ordained.
After ministering in Iowa, the Hawkinses evangelized in Nebraska, Colorado, and
Illinois. They raised up a large church in Danville, Illinois. Later they moved to Georgia.
As Mrs. Hawkins was busily preparing for the junior division at camp meeting as well
as for a series to instruct mothers, she was struck by a truck while crossing the street;
she died instantly. This sudden closing of her ministry came as a shock to her friends,
family, and associates. They mourned Emma Hawkins personally and also deplored the
loss to the denomination. (From obituary, Mrs. Emma Florence Hawkins, Advent Review
and Sabbath Herald (September 16, 1926): 22.)
Sarepta Irish (Mrs. S. M. I.) Henry: 1839-1900
Licensed as a minister 1898-1899

As a child Sarepta Irish traveled through the frontier Illinois Territory with her loving
and wise father, a pioneer Methodist minister. He taught her as she rode beside him in
the wagon, using the Bible as the textbook whether the topic was religion, reading, or
mathematics. In her late teens Sarepta attended Rock River Seminary. She was a
committed Christian from childhood.
At the age of 22 she became Mrs. James Henry. When her husband died eight years
later, Sarepta was left with three children between the ages of two and seven to raise.
She managed this responsibility admirably, relying on God’s promises as she worked
diligently to support herself and her family.
Believing she was called to temperance work, Mrs. Henry advanced from a humble
beginning to become national evangelist for the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
Then illness gradually reduced this active woman to a complete invalid by 1895. The
next year she recuperated at the Adventist-operated Battle Creek Sanitarium in
Michigan. While there she accepted the Seventh-day Adventist teachings and, late in
1896, joined the church. During earnest prayer not long thereafter, she experienced
healing. This enabled Mrs. Henry to resume her WCTU work.
Sarepta Henry instituted a Women’s Ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. It was the first organized effort in the church to train parents and to aid them in
meeting their particular problems. To assist her in her preaching and organizational

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