The New Lottie Moon Story

by Catherine B. Allen

Lottie Moon is a legend among Southern Baptist. A missionary to North China between 1873 and 1912 is a shining example of the Great Commission: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Genres: Biography, Christian, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1980

Reviews

[Hannah Beth (Hannah's Book Cafe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelf for years I found this biography to be fairly engaging and informative. I loved hearing about all that Miss Moon went through to serve Christ in China. I also liked how the author included the fact that when she went over there, she was full of different prejudices, and when she came home, she no longer had those and tried to make other people understand that the Chinese were people, just like them. She seemed like quite a spitfire and I'm sure she was loved by almost everyone who met her. God bless her and the work she did and the work she still inspires others to do.

[Amy T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have owned this book for as long as I can remember. It was probably given to me in relation to GA's or Acteens. Anyway, if I had read it before I don't remember. It is excellent, and I might write more about it later.

[Taylor Drury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not even a third of the way through and I AM HOOKED.

Once you make it past necessary childhood background and get into the work of the Spirit moving powerfully through Lottie Moon- it becomes hard to rest the book down. The only reason I didn't finish it in one sitting is because I had to leave for work, haha!

[Bethany DuVal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so much more than a sugar-coated memorial to a beloved icon. We get the heroism of Lottie Moon, yes—the extreme sacrifices, the physical stress she took on, her generosity, her campaign to raise up more missionaries, fighting foot-binding customs, and ultimately dying of starvation because in the midst of a famine, she gave her food to starving locals. We see how she loved the Chinese people and encouraged the same love in others.

But we also see the dark sides of missions:

- A missionary who took financial advantage of local; another who shut down his wife’s successful boys’ school because he couldn’t handle his success; a split in the North China team of missionaries

- Lottie having to fight for SBC missionaries to have furloughs rather than just working until they died. In the midst of this fight, we see many missionaries dying or going home after having nervous breakdowns. Lottie Moon’s own sister went to the field before her but ultimately went home after developing health issues that could have been prevented had the SBC provided better care.

- Chinese men begging Lottie to teach them Scripture and her having to turn them down because of rules against women preaching. We also see Lottie eventually skirting those rules for the sake of the Gospel.

- The fact that people didn’t want single women to be missionaries in the first place.

- And that at the end of her life, despite all she’d done for God, Lottie still felt guilty for not having done enough. And that her sister, having ruined her health for the Lord, also felt the same about her own life.

I have heard that there is a grittier Lottie Moon biography, but this one is pretty darn gritty!

It takes a real look at the wonderful things God can do through us, but also the unnecessary hardships we create in the meantime.

And it is a good reminder that the missionaries you know are experiencing more than the roses and sunshine they share in their newsletters. If you can, be a safe place for them to share the hardships and conflicts.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have only had a limited practice as a Southern Baptist in the late 1960's, I have always been touched by the Lottie Moon story. I decided while working on a project at the UU library to read one of several biographies that were there. I chose this one by Catherine Allen. It is truly an amazing story, and one Southern Baptists should not let be lost to the denomination. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am glad I read it.

The sadness of squabbling missionaries and the indifference at home to foreign missionaries were two things that challenged me.

[Jennie Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written. The life story of a tiny-force-of-a-woman who felt led to take the Gospel to China in a time when opportunities like this were not available to single women. She poured her heart and soul, and ultimately her very life, into sharing Jesus with the Chinese. One of the best biographies I've read.

[Stephen Guthrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife and I are naming our daughter after Lottie. So having known about her already I wanted to read this book. To be honest, the first 100ish pages were pretty hard to read. It jumped around a lot. The last 150 we’re great. Gave so much insight into her life and work in China. What a wonderful woman she was!

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever heard of, or given money to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, you should read this biography of a brave and faithful lady. 40 years spent in China as a missionary. You also get some Chinese history she lived through, including the Boxer Rebellion.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, inspirational yet sobering read.

[Theresa Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good inspiring!

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too many people only know this woman's name because of its popping up at Christmas time in Baptist churches. Yet this is the story of a committed, opinionated, driven woman who went in search of a life's mission and embodied the idea of "losing your life to save it." What this book communicates is the beautiful misery of her life, and the ability she had of not staying silent, shaming people who should have known better into never forgetting her and her mission, which should have been their mission as well, and should be those of her readers. What surprised me most was the personal anguish she endured - a man's companionship which she obviously denied herself, and possibly for spiritual reasons, and the loss of her sister in a very dark way. This story deserves to be told, and is told well here.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing story about an incredible woman. Charlotte Moon was a missionary to China with the Southern Baptist Church from 1873-1912. She was one of the first single women sent out by the SBC, she pioneered many mission strategies that the Church now takes for granted, and she was one of the people "of whom the world was not worthy" (Heb. 11:38). The only reason I'm giving the book four stars instead of five is because the writing is a little stilted at times, but absolutely worth the read!

[Stacey Gish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A life's journey about my hero! It's a bit long-winded in some areas in her history, but gets more readable when Lottie lands in China and begins working with the people there.

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christian woman should read this life-changing book.

[James Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. A joy to read and eye-opening. Lottie Moon was an amazing missionary.