Birth: 20-03-1859
Home Calling: 22-12-1942
Native Place : Texas
Country: United States of America
Place of Vision: Brazil
Anne Luther Bagby was an American Baptist Missionary who served in Brazil. Born in a Christian family, she was baptized at eleven and always had a mind for missions. After graduating from the Baylor Female College in 1879, she became a teacher. She got married to William Buck Bagby in 1881, who had a calling for the missionary service. In the same year, the newlywed couple set out as missionaries to Brazil on behalf of the Foreign Mission Board.
They settled down in Bahia, where the prevalence of Catholicism was high. Two years into the mission, the couple established the first Portuguese-speaking Baptist Church. Later, they took the Gospel to Rio de Janeiro in 1884, where they faced strong opposition from the Catholics. No one used to attend the meetings they conducted. So, they just played musical instruments to attract the crowds and then gently preached the truth of the Bible. Gradually, Lord began to add people to the church. They continued to serve there faithfully despite the persecution from the local priests. The more the enemy attacked, the much more was the ministry flourishing. In 1901, the couple moved to Sao Paulo, where they founded churches and schools and organized conventions to advance God’s Kingdom.
Anne was the epitome of the wise woman from the Bible. She raised her children in fear of God, fulfilled the family duties, assisted her husband in the ministry, and ran the largest school in Brazil. She trained the teachers and actively spoke in Women’s missionary conventions. She persevered during the persecutions and the loss of her two children and never complained.
Anne, with her husband, was one of the longest-tenured missionary couples who served in South America. The legacy they left behind was continued by their children as five of their nine children became missionaries to Brazil.
