December 26, 2021, one day after Christmas Day, was the 100th anniversary of the death of Miss Alice Whitford (1867-1921), a British missionary who had served in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, for more than 30 years.
After arriving in Shanghai on January 13, 1890, the 23-year-old Alice was sent to a mission station in Wenzhou to replace Grace Ciggie Stott (the wife of Gorge Stott, the first missionary in Wenzhou) to be in charge of a girls’ school operated by the China Inland Mission (CIM) in the city. In this way, she became one of the pioneers of women’s education in Wenzhou in modern times.
After they got married in Shanghai on October 3, 1894, Alice and her husband Mr. Edward Hunt (1861-1922) went to Anqing in Anhui to preach the gospel. In May 1896, the couple returned to Britain for consultations. One and a half years later, they came back to China and were sent to Wenzhou again. Then, they served in the city known as China’s Jerusalem until they returned to their heavenly home.
As the initiator of the Sunday School of CIM in Wenzhou, she served as a supervisor at the girls’ school. She encouraged women to abandon the habit of foot-binding and to participate in the Natural Feet Society in Wenzhou. She established women's bible study classes in Wenzhou, Rui'an, and Pingyang to train female pastors.
She knew that she needed God’s grace and power to help Chinese women get rid of such long-standing corrupt custom, just like quitting opium. Alice said at an anti-foot-binding gathering that a female believer from Pingyang, Zhejiang, was moved by the Holy Spirit and made a prayer with tears, which helped her and other women in the gathering decide to break the bad habit.
The couple often preached in Wenzhou, appealing to the people to abstain from opium and accept the gospel. Besides raising funds to build churches, they opened Bible schools in many districts to train local pastors.
For thirty years, Alice engaged in managing the girls’ school, hosting Sunday worship services, opening literacy classes, and leading bible schools. Unexpectedly, due to long-term service and overwork, she became seriously ill. Several months after the surgery, she suffered a relapse, diagnosed with terminal cancer when she was sent to Shanghai for treatment. Finally, on December 26, 1921, she rested in the arms of the Lord at the age of 54.
After her death, Edward was deeply saddened. Just over a month later, he died of a heart attack at the age of 61.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2021年12月26日，圣诞节之后一天，这一天是魏思忠女宣教士逝世百年纪念日。
1890年1月13日，年仅23岁的英国人魏思忠小姐（1867-1921,Miss AliceWhitford),抵达上海，之后马上被差派往浙江省温州宣教站，接替曹明道负责温州内地会女校——育德女书院，成为近现代温州女性教育先驱之一。1894年10月3日，魏思忠与衡平均牧师（1861-1922,Mr.Hunt Edward)在上海结婚，婚后魏思忠随着衡平均牧师去往安徽安庆宣教，1896年5月夫妇二人举家返回英国述职。1897年10月，夫妇二人返回中国，二人被差派到温州，从此这对夫妇便一直在温州服事，直到归回天家。
魏思忠为温州内地会主日学的发起人，历任育德女书院监督。她在温州府各城乡鼓励妇女们摆脱旧习，放弃裹脚，参加温州天足会；在温州、瑞安、平阳各教会创办妇女查经班，培养女传道人。
她深知，想要让中国妇女们摆脱这样长久传承下来的封建陋习，需要主亲自赐下恩典和能力，如同戒除鸦片烟一样。魏思忠说在一次反对妇女缠足的聚会当中，有一名来自浙江平阳女信徒，在聚会中得到圣灵的感动而流着眼泪祷告，最终不但她自己从缠足的陋习中得到了解放，而且也让很多参加聚会的缠足妇女们受到感动而决心摆脱缠足的陋习。
衡平均、魏思忠夫妇在温州常常巡回布道，并呼吁民众戒除鸦片，接受福音；筹资建堂，开办各区圣经学校，培养本地牧者和传道人。
三十年的时间当中，魏思忠一直管理女校、主持主日崇拜、开办扫盲班、带领圣经学校、创建女勉励会。却不料由于长期服事而劳累过度，魏思忠身染重病，经手术数月以后，旧病复发，后送至上海治疗时，方知已是癌症晚期，最终于1921年12月26日，魏思忠安息主怀，享年五十四岁。
衡牧师于夫人离世后，大感悲恸，仅仅在一个多月后的1922年2月12日，因心脏病突发而猝然辞世，享年六十一岁.
https://www.christiantimes.cn/news/36223/%E9%92%A9%E6%B2%89%7C%E9%AD%8F%E6%80%9D%E5%BF%A0%E5%A5%B3%E5%AE%A3%E6%95%99%E5%A3%AB%E9%80%9D%E4%B8%96%E7%99%BE%E5%B9%B4-%E6%9B%BE%E6%9D%A5%E5%8D%8E%E5%AE%A3%E6%95%99%E4%B8%89%E5%8D%81%E4%BD%99%E5%B9%B4
钩沉| 12.26魏思忠女宣教士逝世百年 曾在温州宣教三十余年
December 26, 2021, one day after Christmas Day, was the 100th anniversary of the death of Miss Alice Whitford (1867-1921), a British missionary who had served in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, for more than 30 years.
After arriving in Shanghai on January 13, 1890, the 23-year-old Alice was sent to a mission station in Wenzhou to replace Grace Ciggie Stott (the wife of Gorge Stott, the first missionary in Wenzhou) to be in charge of a girls’ school operated by the China Inland Mission (CIM) in the city. In this way, she became one of the pioneers of women’s education in Wenzhou in modern times.
After they got married in Shanghai on October 3, 1894, Alice and her husband Mr. Edward Hunt (1861-1922) went to Anqing in Anhui to preach the gospel. In May 1896, the couple returned to Britain for consultations. One and a half years later, they came back to China and were sent to Wenzhou again. Then, they served in the city known as China’s Jerusalem until they returned to their heavenly home.
As the initiator of the Sunday School of CIM in Wenzhou, she served as a supervisor at the girls’ school. She encouraged women to abandon the habit of foot-binding and to participate in the Natural Feet Society in Wenzhou. She established women's bible study classes in Wenzhou, Rui'an, and Pingyang to train female pastors.
She knew that she needed God’s grace and power to help Chinese women get rid of such long-standing corrupt custom, just like quitting opium. Alice said at an anti-foot-binding gathering that a female believer from Pingyang, Zhejiang, was moved by the Holy Spirit and made a prayer with tears, which helped her and other women in the gathering decide to break the bad habit.
The couple often preached in Wenzhou, appealing to the people to abstain from opium and accept the gospel. Besides raising funds to build churches, they opened Bible schools in many districts to train local pastors.
For thirty years, Alice engaged in managing the girls’ school, hosting Sunday worship services, opening literacy classes, and leading bible schools. Unexpectedly, due to long-term service and overwork, she became seriously ill. Several months after the surgery, she suffered a relapse, diagnosed with terminal cancer when she was sent to Shanghai for treatment. Finally, on December 26, 1921, she rested in the arms of the Lord at the age of 54.
After her death, Edward was deeply saddened. Just over a month later, he died of a heart attack at the age of 61.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Review: Centenary of Death of British Missionary Preaching in Wenzhou for 30 Years
