What do you think?
Rate this book
10 Women Who Changed the World: Inspiring Female Missionaries Who Fulfilled the Great Commission
10 Women Who Changed the World is seminary president Daniel L. Akin’s powerful tribute to the transformational work done by some truly inspiring female Christian missionaries. With each profile, he journeys into the heart of that gospel servant’s mission-minded story and makes a compelling connection to a similar account from the Bible. By reading each missionary story, and how each woman embodies a certain passage of Scripture, prepare to be challenged and inspired to follow in their footsteps—because intentionally living on mission isn’t something reserved for heroes of the past. It’s something each one of us can pursue in everyday life!
Women featured in this Sarah Hall Boardman Judson (and how she embodies Psalm 138) Eleanor Chesnut (and how she embodies John 13:34–35) Ann Hasseltine Judson (and how she embodies Psalm 142) Harriet Newell (and how she embodies Psalm 116) Darlene Deibler Rose (and how she embodies Psalm 27) Betsey Stockton (and how she embodies 1 Corinthians 7:17–24) Bertha Smith (and how she embodies Galatians 2:20) Charlotte Atlee White Rowe (and how she embodies 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22-23) Yvette Aarons (how she embodies Proverbs 3:5-8) Lilias Trotter (and how she embodies 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
Women featured in this Sarah Hall Boardman Judson (and how she embodies Psalm 138) Eleanor Chesnut (and how she embodies John 13:34–35) Ann Hasseltine Judson (and how she embodies Psalm 142) Harriet Newell (and how she embodies Psalm 116) Darlene Deibler Rose (and how she embodies Psalm 27) Betsey Stockton (and how she embodies 1 Corinthians 7:17–24) Bertha Smith (and how she embodies Galatians 2:20) Charlotte Atlee White Rowe (and how she embodies 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22-23) Yvette Aarons (how she embodies Proverbs 3:5-8) Lilias Trotter (and how she embodies 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
- GenresNonfiction
189 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2024
13 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 11, 2024
{full post: https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/10...}
Who’s the last person you've met who really inspired you?
Someone who opened your eyes to a new perspective, gave you a fresh lens to view life and faith, who challenged you to persevere and follow Christ with your whole heart.
I invite you to come meet a few women.
In 10 Women Who Changed the World, Daniel Akin introduces us to these women, some who may be familiar, like Ann Judson, Betsey Stockton and Lillias Trotter, and to others who might be lesser known, such as Eleanor Chestnut, Yvette Aarons and Bertha Smith.
What makes these women inspirational?
To me, it’s their passion for the gospel, courage to go to the nations with its message and perseverance through suffering with unwavering assurance in their Saviour.
In these biographies, he ties the experiences of these women’s lives with a passage of scripture and how each exemplifies it. I don’t remember reading any biographies set up that way before and found it a very enriching way to consider their lives. These women faced heart wrenching adversity in their pursuit of bringing the gospel to the nations, their calling firm and steadfast in Christ.
If you’re facing challenges in your calling and purpose, these women will demonstrate how to persevere without becoming disheartened.
If you need a little courage to follow Christ in obedience, whether a small step forward or a leap of faith, the lives of these women embody strength given by their confidence in the Saviour.
So, if you enjoy short biographies I’d heartily encourage you to pick this up. You will come away inspired and, hopefully, with a greater desire to support your missionaries and serve the Lord boldly.
*Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review.
Who’s the last person you've met who really inspired you?
Someone who opened your eyes to a new perspective, gave you a fresh lens to view life and faith, who challenged you to persevere and follow Christ with your whole heart.
I invite you to come meet a few women.
In 10 Women Who Changed the World, Daniel Akin introduces us to these women, some who may be familiar, like Ann Judson, Betsey Stockton and Lillias Trotter, and to others who might be lesser known, such as Eleanor Chestnut, Yvette Aarons and Bertha Smith.
What makes these women inspirational?
To me, it’s their passion for the gospel, courage to go to the nations with its message and perseverance through suffering with unwavering assurance in their Saviour.
In these biographies, he ties the experiences of these women’s lives with a passage of scripture and how each exemplifies it. I don’t remember reading any biographies set up that way before and found it a very enriching way to consider their lives. These women faced heart wrenching adversity in their pursuit of bringing the gospel to the nations, their calling firm and steadfast in Christ.
If you’re facing challenges in your calling and purpose, these women will demonstrate how to persevere without becoming disheartened.
If you need a little courage to follow Christ in obedience, whether a small step forward or a leap of faith, the lives of these women embody strength given by their confidence in the Saviour.
So, if you enjoy short biographies I’d heartily encourage you to pick this up. You will come away inspired and, hopefully, with a greater desire to support your missionaries and serve the Lord boldly.
*Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review.
April 10, 2024
I don’t often pick up biographies, but that is something I’m trying to include in my reading diet more. When I saw this one coming up, I was immediately interested. What could be better than bite-sized biographies about women I’ve never heard about before? I love missionary stories, so this sounded like it would be right down my alley…and it was. Oh, was it ever good!
This is the kind of book I love to slow down and savor. I enjoyed the way these ladies’ stories were told—mostly in facts, but with enough description and nuances (and letters! I loved those parts of the stories!) that it brought them to life for me. Their love for God is palpable in these pages, and I found their stories both encouraging and deeply challenging. Some of them faced unimaginably tough times, and the way they kept their faith in God despite their difficulties inspired me.
I also enjoyed the devotional aspect of this book. While the transition from biography to devotional felt a little stilted at times, it did work fairly well, and I appreciated the Biblical truths brought out in this book. It was done in a faith-building way, without dragging down the stories as a whole.
This book quickly became a favorite of mine, and I hope I’ll be able to get a physical copy one day. I’ve also thought of several friends who would likely appreciate getting to read it—it’s a gem! Highly recommended.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
This is the kind of book I love to slow down and savor. I enjoyed the way these ladies’ stories were told—mostly in facts, but with enough description and nuances (and letters! I loved those parts of the stories!) that it brought them to life for me. Their love for God is palpable in these pages, and I found their stories both encouraging and deeply challenging. Some of them faced unimaginably tough times, and the way they kept their faith in God despite their difficulties inspired me.
I also enjoyed the devotional aspect of this book. While the transition from biography to devotional felt a little stilted at times, it did work fairly well, and I appreciated the Biblical truths brought out in this book. It was done in a faith-building way, without dragging down the stories as a whole.
This book quickly became a favorite of mine, and I hope I’ll be able to get a physical copy one day. I’ve also thought of several friends who would likely appreciate getting to read it—it’s a gem! Highly recommended.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
January 15, 2025
10 Women Who Changed the World, along with its companion, 10 Who Changed the World, provide a great overview of lives poured out, for the sake of the gospel being known among the nations. These 10 lives—some well known and others not so familiar—paint a picture of deep-seated calling, commitment, and conviction to their Lord's call unto salvation and on their lives for seeing the name of Jesus spread. Dr. Akin does a faithful job to weave a particular text into the biography of each of their lives and show how each embody that text in the ways that God used them for his namesake. Be inspired and encouraged through these lives how God is calling you to be his beautiful feet across the street and among the nations.
November 4, 2025
I was genuinely encouraged by these women’s stories of faith, perseverance, and deep dependence on Christ. I wish there would have been more time to go in-depth on the various cultural and social aspects at play in each woman’s time. But that’s not the point of the book, and now I want to go learn more.
January 15, 2025
“As I have studied missions and read missionary biographies over my lifetime, I have been amazed and inspired by the large number of women who left home, families, comfort, and safety in obedience to Jesus and his command to go to the nations with his gospel…often their names disappeared in the mist of history.”
Daniel L. Akin dedicates 10 Women Who Changed the World “to all of the wonderful women whose love for Christ and the nations compelled them to go, often at great cost and sacrifice, wherever He led. They are heroes to me and their lives are worthy of honor and imitation.”
My favorite was Bertha Smith, “a 24/7 walking, talking, breathing soul-winner.” Bertha Smith lived the crucified life, namely through her decision to live a single life on the mission field in China. “I had been convinced that it was not the Lord's will for me to marry. Up until my second year in China, I had thought that I would be content to live single. How little did I realize what I was saying when I sang so sincerely, ‘I Surrender All.’
“The Lord gave me a mother heart, the depth of which I had not fathomed, until I saw the difference in the life of a single woman and those who were living with the one whom they had chosen for a partner, and their own precious children. The married missionaries were in the will of the Lord; why could not such a life be the Lord's will for me? But these questions were answered for me in a very real and transforming experience with the Lord…Calling upon a nearby peak to be my witness, I made a covenant with the Lord:
“Lord, I want to enter into an agreement with you today. You called me to China and You gave me grace to follow in coming. I am here to win souls for You. The only thing that will take the place of my own children will be spiritual children. If You will take from my heart this pain, I will be willing to go through with just as much inconvenience, self-denial, and pain to see children born into the family of God, as is necessary for a mother to endure for children to be born in the flesh!”
I praise the Lord for the privilege of being a single woman with the other person's soul-need having first place in my heart.
Daniel L. Akin dedicates 10 Women Who Changed the World “to all of the wonderful women whose love for Christ and the nations compelled them to go, often at great cost and sacrifice, wherever He led. They are heroes to me and their lives are worthy of honor and imitation.”
My favorite was Bertha Smith, “a 24/7 walking, talking, breathing soul-winner.” Bertha Smith lived the crucified life, namely through her decision to live a single life on the mission field in China. “I had been convinced that it was not the Lord's will for me to marry. Up until my second year in China, I had thought that I would be content to live single. How little did I realize what I was saying when I sang so sincerely, ‘I Surrender All.’
“The Lord gave me a mother heart, the depth of which I had not fathomed, until I saw the difference in the life of a single woman and those who were living with the one whom they had chosen for a partner, and their own precious children. The married missionaries were in the will of the Lord; why could not such a life be the Lord's will for me? But these questions were answered for me in a very real and transforming experience with the Lord…Calling upon a nearby peak to be my witness, I made a covenant with the Lord:
“Lord, I want to enter into an agreement with you today. You called me to China and You gave me grace to follow in coming. I am here to win souls for You. The only thing that will take the place of my own children will be spiritual children. If You will take from my heart this pain, I will be willing to go through with just as much inconvenience, self-denial, and pain to see children born into the family of God, as is necessary for a mother to endure for children to be born in the flesh!”
I praise the Lord for the privilege of being a single woman with the other person's soul-need having first place in my heart.
December 30, 2024
This is my new favorite collection of female missionary biographies. Danny Akin takes various passages in Scripture and explores how each of these remarkably ordinary women embody the selected passages. This is such a unique approach to a biography—Akin exposits the verses and weaves the women’s life on the mission field throughout so the reader gets a comprehensive view of God’s truth for their own life as well as encouragement from missional women who are just like them. I appreciate Akin’s diverse selection of missionaries and the cultures they reached—diverse in talent, age, marital status, degree of suffering, ethnicity, socio-economic, and language.
Every believer will be encouraged by these daring and bold women—made so by their deep-seated trust in God, his purpose for their life, and his goodness in their suffering. I love missionary biographies because it makes me pony up—missionaries don’t find themselves the victim of hard circumstances but view all things coming from God’s good hand to make them more like their beloved Savior. These biographies give me hope in Jesus, remind me I am not the first to suffer, exhort me to keep fighting the good fight, convict me to live the life of an evangelist, and continue to grow my heart from the nations. Ultimately, missionary biographies aim to keep Christ the main thing, and we all could use more of that. More of Christ, less of us—and Akin balances perfectly the praises of these women ultimately through the lens of the gospel.
Read this. Be encouraged.
Every believer will be encouraged by these daring and bold women—made so by their deep-seated trust in God, his purpose for their life, and his goodness in their suffering. I love missionary biographies because it makes me pony up—missionaries don’t find themselves the victim of hard circumstances but view all things coming from God’s good hand to make them more like their beloved Savior. These biographies give me hope in Jesus, remind me I am not the first to suffer, exhort me to keep fighting the good fight, convict me to live the life of an evangelist, and continue to grow my heart from the nations. Ultimately, missionary biographies aim to keep Christ the main thing, and we all could use more of that. More of Christ, less of us—and Akin balances perfectly the praises of these women ultimately through the lens of the gospel.
Read this. Be encouraged.
November 24, 2024
Many who look at the title of this book will not recognize a single name of the ten women about whom Daniel Akin writes. This reminds me of the women mentioned in the Bible who supported Jesus and the disciples in their ministry. Little is known of them and their names are rarely or not at all mentioned, yet, the impact of their obedience to travel and support the radical rabbi and his followers is incalculable. This, I believe, is the same with these modern-day Christ-followers.
Few can fathom the cost of their obedience and the lengths they went to to serve the cause of Christ in missions, yet obey they did, and I am grateful for this record of their stories. Akin adds to an embarrassing small number of missionary biographies that remind us of the heritage of faith of those faithful to the call, and I pray that many will pick up his volume for the inspiration and encouragement it provides.
The sacrifice of these women is not only to serve as inspiration for women but for men as well, reminding them the crucial role and impact women have in fulfillment of the Great Commission.
A recommended read.
Few can fathom the cost of their obedience and the lengths they went to to serve the cause of Christ in missions, yet obey they did, and I am grateful for this record of their stories. Akin adds to an embarrassing small number of missionary biographies that remind us of the heritage of faith of those faithful to the call, and I pray that many will pick up his volume for the inspiration and encouragement it provides.
The sacrifice of these women is not only to serve as inspiration for women but for men as well, reminding them the crucial role and impact women have in fulfillment of the Great Commission.
A recommended read.
February 17, 2024
10 Women Who Changed the World delivers exactly what it promises, an informative tribute to ten inspiring female missionaries with relevant connections to scripture passages. I loved learning about the lives of these women who I did not know and looking at them as role models. I appreciated the diversity in this small number of women highlighted with some single and some married, some who died young and some who lived long, both black and white, and even a rare missionary to the deaf. I liked that each woman’s story is interspersed with expositional teaching from scripture though this worked better for me in some chapters than others as at times I lost the connection to the woman and the flipping back and forth felt like it interrupted the flow for me as the reader. Overall, I liked this book and would not hesitate to share it with someone looking for short missionary biographies. I received an advanced copy from B&H Publishing through NetGalley; I am leaving this review voluntarily as my honest opinion. This book is expected to release on April 2, 2024.
February 14, 2025
Certainly, the names were unfamiliar to me as their personal stories, but what stories there were. Simply amazing the sacrifice that was made by all ten women. All were remarkable but I especially was drawn to the story of Darlene Deibler Rose who became a prisoner during World War II and was mistreated terribly for several years, lost her husband, but somehow survived and in passing was able to witness to the other ladies around her and miraculously to the commander in charge of the prison. That Japanese man later became a believer and witnessed to God's mercy and grace to many after the war. Truly incredible as was the other stories. My only contention with the book is that he interjected a Bible study with each testimony or chapter which in a way distracted from their stories. But this truly is a powerful tribute to these female Christian missionaries.
June 15, 2024
I think this book would be a great one to study with a womans Bible study group or in some kind of group setting. It is definitely worth reading! You may recognize some of the names of these inspiring missionaries the author writes about but there are a few you probably have never heard of. That is one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book so much, I learned something! The writing style was good, it did get a bit wordy sometimes but that is just my opinion. I still recommend it and will probably read it again sometime.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.
November 28, 2023
Netgalley Arc
This is such a good book! You will love reading about 10 women that you don't always hear about. You find out what they went through in their life while the author gives you scriptures throughout.
This is such a good book! You will love reading about 10 women that you don't always hear about. You find out what they went through in their life while the author gives you scriptures throughout.
January 10, 2026
It took me so long to finish this lol but I do love how mini bios make each chapter a standalone story. Really encouraging (and also wow I’m glad I don’t live in the 1800s when everyone’s infants died 😭)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews