Kathleen Mallory's delightful appearance and consecrated character earned
her the nickname
"The Sweetheart
of Alabama Baptists"
Many Alabama Baptists
of all ages look to her as a prime example of selfless devotion to Christian missions.
Kathleen Mallory's prayer life and devotion to God were most evident in her everyday life
and in her work. She prayed and led others to pray long and hard before undertaking any
new project or making any decision. She was quick to give God the glory and to lead out in
offering prayers of thanksgiving after gifts were received for missions, projects were
completed, or tasks were accomplished. She thought of prayer as a Christian's deepest joy
and the highest form of Christian service. Kathleen Mallory wrote that
"substance and self" are all a Christian has to give and that these gifts should
be "fragrant with self-denial."
Biographical Look at Kathleen
Mallory
Born January 24, 1879 near Selma,
Alabama.
Became a Christian at age 10.
Studied at Woman's College (later
called Goucher) in Baltimore, Maryland.
Became engaged to Janney Lupton
while he was a medical student. After he became a doctor and a few months before their
wedding date, he died of tuberculosis.
Felt she was too bossy for the
classroom, but found solace and purpose working in missions education at First Baptist
Church of Selma and in her local Baptist association.
Felt God calling her to missions
after reading a letter from a missionary in China.
Became corresponding
secretary-treasurer of Alabama Woman's Missionary Union (WMU)
in 1909.
Became executive secretary of
Woman's Missionary Union, SBC in 1912 and served for 36 years.
Traveled by horse and buggy, by
car, by train, and by ship as she promoted and supported
missions worldwide.
Lived frugally and sold the
souvenirs of her travels so she could give more financially to missions.
Honored by Alabama Woman's
Missionary Union in 1948 when members voted to name their state missions offering the
Kathleen Mallory Mission Offering.
Retired from Woman's Missionary
Union, SBC in September 1948 at age 69.
Died June 17, 1954 and was buried
in Live Oak Cemetery in Selma.
"The election of Miss Kathleen Mallory of Selma
(Alabama) as corresponding secretary-treasurer of (Alabama Woman's Missionary Union) in
1909 was of great significance. It meant the beginning of a career of Christian leadership
unexcelled in all the history of Southern Baptist women."
- A. Hamilton Reid, Baptists in Alabama (Montgomery: Paragon Press, 1967), page 186.
God has provided a valuable avenue of service for Alabama Baptists statewide through
generous gifts to the Kathleen Mallory Mission Offering. Alabama Woman's Missionary
Union's rapidly growing ministries have been strengthened through the annual offering,
resulting in numerous adults and children coming to Jesus Christ and answering the call of
God to full-time
missions service.
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