You have likely heard of the “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon. He ministered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London during the second half of the nineteenth century. It’s less likely that you’ve heard of Lavinia Bartlett. She was a longstanding member and women’s ministry leader at the Tabernacle. Spurgeon held Bartlett in the highest esteem, and she became a prominent co-laborer with him in the largest church in Victorian England. Her ministry bore much fruit, and her labors profoundly shaped thousands of women at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Though Lavinia Bartlett died over 150 years ago, pastors and churches today can learn a great deal from her, particularly as they consider how to organize women’s ministry in the life of the church.
Who Was Lavinia Bartlett?
Bartlett was born in the village of Preston-Candover, west of London, in 1806. Growing up, she regularly heard the gospel at a Nonconformist chapel. By God’s grace, Bartlett came to faith at an early age. Even as a girl, she was known as an eager evangelist and prayer warrior. She began teaching a women’s Sunday school at a young age. After marrying and moving to London, Lavinia heard Charles Spurgeon preach for the first time
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
