Spurgeon's Greatest Evangelist
Mrs Lavinia Strickland Bartlett (1806-1875)
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The streets of London were at a standstill.
Thousands crowded the streets to say goodbye to a dearly loved teacher. The Metropolitan Tabernacle was too full to hold the mourners.
Charles Spurgeon the following Sunday said this:
“I have this day lost from my side one of the most faithful fervent, and efficient of my helpers, and the Church has lost one of her most useful members.”
Who was this faithful helper?
Mrs. Lavinia Strickland Bartlett.
Who was Lavinia? And what made her such a valued fellow servant of the great Charles Spurgeon?
Frequently, in history women’s stories remain untold. But such was her fame that Lavinia’s story was recorded by her son Edward H. Bartlett. It’s hard to find today but in this article I will give a quick overview of her life.
So set aside a few minutes to read a brief summary of her amazing story and what we can learn from her life.
The Story of Mrs. Lavinia Bartlett
The Praying Girl
Even at an early age, Lavinia showed the heart of an evangelist.
She read hymns to her her younger brothers before bed.
In her teens, she taught the "preaching, praying class" at Sunday school.
She even set up a school for girls
But in her town, she was best known as "the praying girl".
Their local parson failed to care for his flock. So for a time, a dissenting deacon “Pattern Wade” was called to death beds to support those in need.
However, eventually Pattern Wade was called home. He was soon replaced by Lavinia. Her son describes how she prayed with "harlots, poachers, burglars and prizefighters...at all hours of the day and night." She walked miles and miles to visit those in need.
One story demonstrates her character. In the town was a horse breaker, the father of one of the members of her Sunday School. He was opposed to Christianity and boasted that he’d entered church twice in his life: when his mother took him to be Christened and when his wife took him to be married.
On his death bed, he refused to see any clergyman, even shouting them out of the house. A butcher friend encouraged him to see "the praying girl".
Lavinia arrived and gave "a simple appeal to the love of Christ". Amazingly, the man was soon in tears. He trusted Jesus and was soon ushered into eternal life.
The Praying Mother
After marriage, ill-health stalled her ministry. She struggled with heart problems and was often sat in the vestry during church because of her inability to get through a service.
But as a result of this, the “praying girl” became the "praying mother". She devoted herself to her sons. Their father died when the boys were teenagers but she took upon herself to raise them in the Lord.
As her sons grew up, her eldest son attended C.H. Spurgeon's church. But her rebellious son George refused to attend.
Lavinia, begged him with tears to go. When he agreed, she was unable to attend the service. Nevertheless, she spent the whole time wrestling in prayer for her son. He returned home having trusted Jesus.
The boys soon became members of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, with their mother too. This soon became the location of Lavinia's most famous ministry.
The World’s Biggest Sunday School Class
Lavinia was eventually asked to serve in the Sunday School. Despite her ill health she accepted. She was put with the eldest girls.
The numbers in the class swelled and soon a handful of souls were saved. But Lavinia wasn’t satisfied. Rather she prayed for God to do greater work.
The class became one of the primary evangelistic ministries of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. The numbers at it's height are staggering:
Around 700 attended in the last 12 years.
900+ women became members at the Metropolitan Tabernacle beside many others joining different churches
Her son believed it was the biggest Sunday School class in the world
Much like her famous pastor, Lavinia was earnest in her appeals for souls to be saved. Here is one example:
"Come to Him as you are—guilty, lost, and ruined... Will you go, my sisters? You are unsaved, unsaved. Oh, what will you do? what will you do? I have wept over you with a heart full of sorrow—go to Him, I —go to Him, I entreat you."
As well as seeing souls saved, Lavinia saw to it that young women matured in the faith. She was particularly keen to grow more praying girls:
"Let your prayers abound. Be more earnest than ever at the throne of grace. I do thank God I have some wrestling sisters here who besiege the throne continually, and who bring down blessings upon our heads."
The elders of the Metropolitan Tabernacle were encouraged by the work. They would occasionally visit to see the work and were encouraged by her ministry. As a result, the elders often entrusted young women specifically to her care. For example in a note to her about an inquiring woman:
"Please talk with this young sister, who has, I hope, the root of the matter, but is a babe, indeed, and needs a little of your motherly care.”
Her desires weren’t limited to the class. Close to her heart was the pastors’ college. She raised huge sums for the work and took interest in individuals. One student she wrote to regularly as "My own dear boy". She took a great interest in him for his years of study.
Her renown spread: She was a woman in constant demand. Pastors from the US praised her for her importance to Spurgeon's church. Women from across the world wrote to her for advice in their own endeavours. Even in semi-retirement, men begged her to speak to women at their churches.
A Fitting End
Eventually, Lavinia’s ill health caught up with her. On her deathbed, her son heard her praying for her students "Lord, save, save her now." She went to be with the Lord on Monday 2nd August 1875. Her funeral was attended by thousands.
At the Tabernacle the Sunday after her death, Spurgeon gave a fitting summary to this incredible life:
"we cannot but sorrow this day, for the Lord has taken away a sister, a true servant of the Church, a consecrated woman, whom He honoured above many, and to whom He gave many crowns of rejoicing; and we cannot but sorrow all the more.... because so loving a mother in Israel has fallen asleep, so useful a life has come to a close, and so earnest a voice is hushed in silence. I have this day lost from my side one of the most faithful fervent, and efficient of my helpers,"
The Secret of Her Success
After her death, her son received an earnest letter sent to his mother asking what the secret to her success was. Was it her Bible study? A method she used? A course of study? Great power oratory?
Her son explains in his biography that the answer was:
"The only secret of her success was her implicit trust in the promises of God, and the earnest loving words she uttered when pleading with sinners in the strength of the living God of Jacob"
May God raise up many women of similar earnestness in our churches today.