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Called By God
Her new territory included Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the
western parts of Florida and Tennessee. Not a person to linger at headquarters, Miss
Knight traveled extensively among the churches and schools of her large field. “To take
care of the work of all three of her departments, working among the churches and the
schools, necessitated her living on the train and out of suitcases a great deal of the
time,” Elder Singleton recalled later; “however, by thorough planning of her work she
was able to give very effective leadership.” (Taken from Harold R. Singleton, “Vanguard of
Torchbearers,” The North American Informant (March-April, 1968), 2.)
She ordinarily stayed from two days to a week in each place, using the time judiciously.
In the area of lay ministry she organized bands for home missionary work and conducted
weekend institutes.
The way Anna Knight integrated her labor with that of the local conference officials
is impressive. Upon completing her tour of a field, she would always report to the local
leadership—in person if possible; if not, in writing. By closely cooperating with many
leaders and with God, she generated impressive results.
In 1932 the Southeastern and Southern unions were combined to become the present
Southern Union Conference. Miss Anna Knight was asked to be the assistant secretary
for the educational, young people’s missionary volunteer, and home missionary departments of the colored department of the newly-formed Southern Union Conference.
To carry three departments for the black people of the entire South was a tremendous
–challenge. But because of her long and demanding preparation, she was not threatened
by the weight of her ever-growing responsibilities. Long before, she had learned to lean
on the Lord.
Education was extremely important in Anna Knight’s values. The number of schools
existing during her leadership exceeded what has been accomplished before or since.
(From H. D. Singleton in a telephone conversation with the writer, December 6, 1988.)
As a speaker, Anna Knight was known for a powerful style of delivery. She could take
a text and from it develop a forceful message. People would come to hear what she had
to say. They trusted her to be forthright with them; she usually would “tell it like it is.”
As for her stories of India, they held people spellbound.
Much of Anna Knight’s work was public, but she also took a great interest in individuals. One young man whom she took under her wing, encouraged, and helped to get an
internship, later became well known as Elder H. D. Singleton of the General Conference.
Miss Knight, knowing she had a much greater opportunity than the young man to get
around and meet people, even looked out for a wife for Pastor Singleton. Pleased with
his mentor’s recommendation, the pastor invited the chosen young woman to teach
school in his district. They married, and the Singletons blessed Miss Knight’s matchmaking as they pursued the Lord’s work together.
When the organizational structure of the church in the South was changed in 1945
to create black conferences, the colored department at the union level, in which Anna
Knight had worked for 13 years, was automatically terminated. Although she was

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