The Calling of Emily Evans

Women of the West #1

by Janette Oke

She feels God nudging her toward ministry, but what options are there for a young single woman?

Emily Evans has a hard time getting herself to class on time, much less figuring out God's will for her life. Then, to her surprise, she feels that God is calling her into full-time Christian service. She expects the Lord will also provide her with a companion to share her life and ministry, but Emily does not want to marry any of the available young men. She squares her shoulders and decides she will accept the task of opening a new church in a pioneer community--alone.

When Emily arrives at her new assignment, she is disappointed to find the church building in disrepair. After many days of hard work fixing it up, she announces her first service and is once again disappointed, this time in the size of her congregation. Is her faith strong enough to stand against the local doubters and myriad challenges that will test her calling?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Historical Romance

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Janette Oke is a Canadian author known for her inspirational fiction, often set in a pioneer era and focused on female protagonists. Her debut novel, Love Comes Softly (1979), became the foundation for a successful series, followed by over 75 other novels. The first book in her Canadian West series, When Calls the Heart (1983), inspired the popular television series of the same name.
Born in Champion, Alberta, to farmers Fred and Amy (née Ruggles) Steeves during the Great Depression, Oke went on to graduate from Mountain View Bible College in Didsbury, Alberta, where she met her future husband, Edward Oke, who later became the president of the college. The couple has four children, including a daughter who has collaborated with Janette on several books.
A committed Evangelical Christian, Oke has authored numerous works exploring themes of faith. She has received various accolades for her contributions to Christian fiction, including the 1992 President's Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and the 1999 CBA Life Impact Award.

Reviews

[Madisyn Carlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would rate this book a five star if not for the serious act of ignoring something the Bible states is not acceptable. But more on that in a paragraph or so.

First, the characters themselves are fine. Not my favorite Oke book, but still endearing in their own ways. The plot also had potential. And, of course, Oke does quite well at weaving together a story. You definitely feel like you're in the same time and location as the characters.

Now, onto my complaint. I know, I know. The back cover copy states Miss Emily Evans intends to begin a church. I went into this book wary of what that meant. Did it mean she was helping begin a church? Was she reaching out to the female populace? Maybe teaching Sunday School?

Unfortunately, it was more than that.


Emily does indeed begin a church, as in she is the preacher. She teaches men. That just doesn't sit well with me, and the Bible is explicitly clear this is not okay. See 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Before anyone makes a comment, this doesn't mean I think women should be terrified little mice afraid of sneezing during a sermon. That's utter balderdash. What I'm saying is Emily explicitly preaches sermons to men. If she knows the Bible so well, she'd realize this is quite opposite of what is to occur. Women are not to be preachers, they are not to teach men. Period. At all. For this reason, this book is a two star.


It seems I've been writing several low-star reviews lately, which I dislike doing. But I cannot say nothing about a book that so clearly goes against the Bible. It is unfortunate this occurred. Ms. Oke is a talented author, but in The Calling of Emily Evans the theology seriously strayed. Because of that, I cannot recommend this book.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star. This story is about a woman minister and claims that women can be ministers. Also had a scene where Emily has to wash a dead man.

[SarieBerrie]

DNF page 43
Ugh…my heart is heavy. I love Janette Oke but this story is about a woman preacher and I feel that this is not biblical.

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always try to read a classic series by Janette Oke each year. This year I have chosen Women of the west. There are twelve books in this series so it should take me a year to finish Women of the West. I love the way the author shares her faith and beliefs in her books. Our heroine in book one, The Calling of Emily Evans tells a story about how unmarried women in the early 1900s would venture out, after Bible college, to small towns and set up a church in the communities. There were not enough men who answered the call into ministry to fill those positions. Women Deaconness or preachers as they were called went to the communities and started up churches, made visitations around the area, taught Sunday School and preached the Sunday service. They were not allowed to marry a couple or preach a funeral or baptize anyone. Only a man preacher could do that. These ladies only income was what the people put in the collection plate each Sunday. Often they would go hungry because they couldn't afford to buy groceries. They would stay at the church until a male minister could be found to fill the pulpit.
In The Calling of Emily Evans readers get to walk with her as she answers God's call on her life. We get to read about and learn about an important part of early missions around 1905 which is the time frame of this story. The story is told in such a way that readers are transported back in time as though they were there themselves. I found this book to be a learning experience . I might also point out that this series says the West and when they say that it means Western Canada. Alberta Canada. But I would imagine that it might have been the same type of ministry here in the U.S. also. I cringed inside when I read about women travelling alone on country roads and making visitations never knowing who might answer her knock. These women relied solely on God for their protection .
I recommend this book to readers of Christian Fiction. This would make a very good book for family reading.
I've had this book stored in my Kindle Cloud for more years than I'd like to admit. My review is voluntarily submitted and I'm more than happy to do so. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure that I would like this book. After all, I think that the Bible is very clear that women should not teach or have authority over men as a general principle. However, I also understand there are examples in the Bible of women doing the work of men when the men weren't obeying God.

I enjoyed this book because it was about a girl following God when it wasn't easy. It was based on women in history had been in the same position. I like that it is made clear that if men had been doing there job and answering God's call, women wouldn't have had to do the job.

I enjoyed this story, even if I didn't agree with everything in it.

[Larisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Oke writes & draws in her readers. God has truly gifted her. I felt like Emily and I could be dear friends as I too have often responded at times too quickly in reply and after :) hoped I could take a word or two back.

Like Emily I can testify!!! To our Ever Faithful Father, God's Faithfulness & Provision. God ALWAYS supplies ALL our needs according to His riches & glory. HE doesn't always supply like we would have thought or sometimes even like, but HE supplies!!

[Millie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janette Oke is my kind of people. I had heard good things, and after watching Loves Enduring Promise, or whatever the series of movies is called, and then When Calls the Heart on Netflix (season 2 out in a couple weeks!), I set out to finally read and was not disappointed. I could really relate to the desire and call to serve, and I am inspired to be a more faithful, humble servant of God.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit the whole thing of Emily Evans being called to preach really threw me off on this book. Not everything is unlikable in this book, but it probably would be the last Janette Oke book I'd recommend to anyone.

[Paige]

I didn't like this one at all; mainly for the complete disregard for Scripture... just because something 'hasn't been done' (female leadership in the church) doesn't mean it is right or should be achieved.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't really like this one because it has a woman in the position of a preacher.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The reason I didn't like this book is that I disagree with the fact that Emily is a pastor. This is unbiblical, no matter how few men there are who are willing to fill those shoes.

[Ellie Sorota · Rating 2 out of 5]

Janette Oke, the matron of Chic Religious Lit (did you know there was such a genre?) guided many of my young girl daydreams. Her stories typically feature a strong-willed woman who finds herself thrust into a challenging frontier (usually out west), locked in a Jacobian nelson with God. In The Calling of Emily Evans, Janette introduces a young woman with a weak constitution and a passion for God's church. With the westward expansion, there's a plethora of towns and a scarcity of men, so the Mennonite Brethren of Canada send women to plant churches in territories that still need them. This quick read follows Emily Evans through the hardships of leaving home, planting a church, sharing her faith with others, and of course, the difficulty of being a female pastor. In the end, an obvious bow appears and a local man (who happens to be handsome and close to Emily's age) feels led to be a pastor as well, hinting that she will now get to be the supportive pastor's wife.
Devouring these kinds of stories as a girl I dreampt of leaving home, heading West and living an Emily Evans kind of life. What seemed the most compelling to me, of course, were the three chapters of cleaning and organizing the old pool hall as she converted it to a church. What fun! What intrigue? Who wouldn't want to follow in those footsteps? Re-reading this book as an adult was a sweet step into the past for me. I'd quite forgotten about many of those daydreams, and here I am - low and behold - living out West and elbow deep in organizing at my local church.
Though a bit of a fluffy read as an adult, these books area a great value to any young Christian girl that is a dreamer. Janette Oke does a wonderful job of reviving simple convictions that appeal to young readers. Perhaps the most valuable thread in this story for adults is the truth of Emily's predicament. There are simply not enough people willing to work at the church to meet the church's needs. It is a sacrifice: Emily goes hungry many nights because the offering is too meager to buy food, she is judged at first meeting because of her religious occupation, she has little help as it is assumed that only a pastor should pastor a church. Being a part of a smaller church today, I see this firsthand. Many people volunteer here and there, but there are always needs, chores, burdens that still need to be met, finished, lifted. How fortunate we are today to have enough churches to look for one that really feels like home. Often we wait for a Cinderella moment, lifting a finger here and there, but mainly waiting to see how well the shoe fits us, not how well we can fit the shoe. The Calling of Emily Evans is a great reminder how heavy a church can be when there are only a few who take ownership. May all churches may find what Emily's fictional church did, a few more shoulders to lift the heavy weight heavenward.

[Lora Armendariz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!! This is such a beautiful story and so unique. A woman listens to God's call that she serve as a minister during a time and place and history where women in the church was not common at all. She sets up a church in a farming community and God is with her through her struggles and as she falls in love.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many other reviewers I have very conservative views about women serving as ministers so I went into this book with those concerns but ended up really enjoying the story. I felt that Emily served more as a missionary than a minister and I really enjoyed her journey. I like any book where someone has to make a nice home out of reduced circumstances, and there was a lot of overhaul done to the church and parsonage. I really liked Emily‘s character, her heart for the townspeople and her desire to do the Lord’s work. I also liked that this wasn’t heavy on the romance plot. It was a good story I look forward to reading again.

Two complaints: as with all of Janette Oke’s stories, I wish she would give you an idea of the year it was set. This started out with characters using horses and buggies and the train for long distances, and then suddenly some people had automobiles. So I have no idea when this was supposed to be set.

And I was really bothered by Mrs. Travis’s attitude towards her husband – she forgave him and loved him with Christ’s love, so it was okay for her to stay with him while he continued to beat her regularly and unremorsefully?? Forgiveness does not mean a lack of boundaries or acceptance of dangerous (deadly) behavior. As the story continued, I was sure she was going to be killed, and was very glad that she and her children were not.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I liked how Emily was determined to follow God's call on her life, even when it would have been far easier to give up. I appreciated the southern-ish Alberta setting (though, near as I can tell, the only city mentioned in the book that actually exists is Calgary) with which I'm somewhat familiar.
All in all, reading a Janette Oke book feels like a hug from a good friend. Her books were my first introduction into Christian fiction back when I was a young teenager.
3.5 stars

[Kari Trumbo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a huge fan of Janette Oke anyway, because of her sugary sweet, perfect characters and ultra-basic story lines. This one had me bored from page one. I should have just deleted it from my kindle, but I liked the idea behind the story, a woman setting up a teaching church until a "proper" minister felt called to be there.

Too much of what you are expected to just swallow as fact, just can't be. The father was COMPLETELY unbelievable, that a father who was so worried about his daughter being alone would just abandon her, without so much as a telegram, is preposterous. To fall "in love" after meeting someone a total of three times, and the first time not liking them very much, is also rather unbelievable. I won't give away others, just in case you do read it.

The book is basically not complete, I thought my kindle was broken, I kept trying to turn the page at the end because the ending was just there... you already knew what was going to happen full chapters ahead of the end, so you expect for something more. She also leaves many open questions just dangling and worst of all, usually she continues all the "open" stuff with a follow up book, which this one does not have.

Obviously, people who particularly like Janette's writing style like this book, or she would have have so many 5 star reviews, I was hard pressed to give her two. One of the stars was because I did not have to pay for the book. Read Love Comes Softly instead, same character, virtually same story, same challenges, slightly more satisfying end.

[LeeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily, the young woman in this novel, was too sensitive for my taste. She cried often (tears brimmed, filled, or spilled down her cheeks) despite the silly circumstances. If she had a back bone, I would have enjoyed the story much more. I enjoyed the time period (1900s) as well as the setting out West on open farmland. Priorities at that time were so different. Families stuck together, as well as communities, to survive the times. Food wasn't readily available, and an over abundance of materialistic junk was not sought after. They focused on each other and their relationship with God. Contrary to my generation, women and men had gender roles that were so important in keeping the ship afloat and those roles were honorable. More than once during this novel, I had an urge to go buy a pattern to sew my Easter dress!

[Samara · Rating 2 out of 5]

3/10

The book in itself was okay, albeit sort of boring. But my main problem with this book is that Emily is a preacher, as in she teaches sermons to men. According to 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34 women are not to preach to men. Therefore it's low rating. Also in one scene a woman makes Emily wash her dead husband for burial. Um, what? No way would that be proper or allowed in that time period. It totally creeped me out.

[Allison C · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I have read some of Janette Oke's books (all of the Love Comes Softly series), and never had occasion to disagree with the theology, this one was different. Emily is a preacher, who starts her own church, which I definitely disapprove.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Emily Evans has a hard time getting herself to class on time, much less figuring out God's will for her life. Then, to her surprise, she feels that God is calling her into full-time Christian service. She expects the Lord will also provide her with a companion to share her life and ministry, but Emily does not want to marry any of the available young men. She squares her shoulders and decides she will accept the task of opening a new church in a pioneer community--alone.

When Emily arrives at her new assignment, she is disappointed to find the church building in disrepair. After many days of hard work fixing it up, she announces her first service and is once again disappointed, this time in the size of her congregation. Is her faith strong enough to stand against the local doubters and myriad challenges that will test her calling?

REVIEW: I read this series many years ago but somehow missed this first book. I am so glad I received it as a Kindle freebie, as it was wonderful to once again immerse myself in Janette Oke's sweet, faith filled historical romances. Janette Oke was the first Christian author I read many, many years ago when I first discovered Christian fiction. Her books are filled with honesty, truth and God's word in the midst of a wonderful story that is filled with true-to-life characters. Her books are inspirational in that her characters have their doubts, question their faith, but always find the answers in God's word. She writes in a similar style as Grace Livingston HIll both of whom laid great foundations for Christian writers who would follow. This book is an easy to read, highly enjoyable historical Christian romance.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "I'm afraid this Policy (salvation) is all or nothing, Mr. John. It's not insurance--it's assurance."

"That doesn't mean God didn't answer our prayer,....He didn't answer in the way we wanted--the way we prayed. But we can't see the future. He can. He answered in the way He knew best."

[Cecelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Janette Oake book. After Emily Evans is finished with her Bible school training, she feels called to start a church. As a young woman, her options are limited – how can a female be chosen to start a church. The church committee sends Emily to a remote town to start her church – alone. I thought the premise of this story was extremely interesting – it’s a historical story, yet, there’s a woman leading a church. I loved seeing Emily trying to fit into the small town life, attempting to share the gospel with the town’s inhabitants. This story also shows how the people in Emily’s town struggle with their faith. There’s a battered wife who struggles to raise her children and another woman who is raising her children alone. I loved reading about Emily leading her small church, writing her sermons each Saturday, sharing her faith in God. I also loved her title – Emily was known as a deaconess. I’d never heard that term until I read this story. - See more at: http://ceceliadowdy.com/blog/2014/02/...

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story of faith and trust in a loving God, what being a channel of His love can do in the lives you touch, and how the blessings always come back tenfold, usually in ways you wouldn't have thought.

I always turn to Janette Oke's books for a lovely escape - she never disappoints.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book loved it to the end but the end was abrupt and I was trying to turn the page when I realized had reached the end. I want more of the life of Emily Evans but what was there was really good.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Emily's spirit and determination to follow God's will for her life. I read this book for the first time about 15 years ago. Over the years I have read and reread all of Janette Oke's books and The Calling of Emily Evans is still one of my favorites of the Women of the West series.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable historical novel.

[Kami Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oke’s books are always sweet. I found it interesting that although this was set in a time period when the roles for women were restricted to household, children, and supporting those who lead, some of the issues Emily faced in her calling to plant a church are still issues in the church today. Emily very willingly accepted conditions upon her calling. She could visit others, share the gospel, teach on Sunday and preach in the pulpit. She was a church planter. But she was not allowed to bury, marry, baptize in water or serve communion. One hundred years ago Rolland Allen went to battle with pen and ink to remedy such restrictions - not necessarily for women, but for the uneducated; the everyday obedient follower of Jesus. Fear and control were the source of limitations the mission’s organizations placed on new disciples. But Allen saw how the Church would never multiply or grow unless mission workers would entrust the great commission to everyone disciple.

What would have happened if the characters in the story had experienced communion at Emily’s hands? Or after Emily had washed and prepared the body of a lost woman’s husband, what if she didn’t have to make her wait until the clergy men arrived to bury him? There is so much gospel shared in life moments. I’m glad Jeanette Oke wrote this story if only to remind us we haven’t come that far since 1920.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book, that's very enjoyable! I learned more about how churches were started in the west during those early years, and about the young men and women God called to start them. They surely had to have a calling or they never would have been able to stay with it long term, especially the women. As this book was mainly about a young woman, we get to see what they went through, and it's quite an eye opener. I really liked that she showed the reason that God called these young ladies - because many men weren't answering their call! I hope I'll be able to read the rest of the series one day.

[Don Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful Story of Dedication

Off that this is considered a YA entry. The depth of Me Old's research is stunning in its depth...but then again, one has only to read other entries of hers to appreciate that this is the norm. Her lead, Emily Evans, is a fresh-faced youngster (19-ish?) Who dedicates her life to her Lord. Oke offers up the young lady in an utterly non-preachy manner. Emily's response to her call rings true to this cousin of a minister.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book in general, but as stated by others I was thrown off by her being a “preacher.”

[Whitney Frasier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janette Oke does no wrong. I love all her books. They are all sweet and uplifting. This one may ruffle some feathers because Emily is called to be a pastor. I know people disagree on whether women should be pastors. BUT this book is based on true accounts of a time in Canadian History when The Mission Church couldn’t get enough men to answer the call to preach. So, women went instead. I think the thought was that it’s better a woman preach the gospel than no one preaching it. I can get behind that.

Great story. Loved Emily! 5/5 recommend