Woman of the Century/May C Jones

MAY C. JONES. JONES, Mrs. May C., Baptist minister, born in Sutton, N. H. 5th November, 1842. She was the daughter of an English physician. Her mother was a descendant of the Scotch Covenanters, and her fearless, outspoken defense of the truth proclaims her a fit representative of such an ancestry. At the age of thirteen Miss Jones began to teach school, which occupation she followed until her marriage. In 1867 she moved with her husband to the Pacific coast, spending over ten years in California. In 1880 she removed to Seattle, Wash., where she preached her first sermon in August of the same year, since which time she has been engaged in the gospel ministry. She was licensed to preach by the First Baptist Church of Seattle, and acted as supply in the absence of the regular pastor. Afterward the council, with representatives of other churches composing the Baptist Association of Puget Sound and British Columbia, ordained her on 9th July, 1882, and she became the permanent pastor of the First Baptist Church of Seattle. She has rare gifts as an evangelist and has been very successful as a pastor. Her last pastorate was with the First Baptist Church of Spokane, the second largest church in the State of Washington. That position she held four years, baptizing and performing the marriage ceremony and such other duties as devolve upon the pastor of a large and rapidly growing church. On 1st January, 1892, she resigned the charge to devote herself to the care of her invalid husband, who has since died. At the present time she is engaged in evangelistic work, accompanied by her talented daughter, a sweet singer, in which work they are much sought after and are very successful. Mrs. Jones is the founder of Grace Seminary, a flourishing school in the city of Ontralia, Wash. She has organized several churches and erected two houses of worship. She has a flexible voice of marvelous power and sweetness. She speaks rapidly and fluently, with a style peculiar to herself. Added to these gifts is a deep undercurrent of spiritual life.