Birth: 01-05-1816
Home Calling: 09-08-1864
Native Place: Shelburne, Massachusetts
Country: United States of America
Place of Vision: Iran
When the people of Urmia in Persia were asked, “What kind of person is Fidelia Fisk?”, the most common answer to be heard was, “she was like Jesus!” Such was the testimony of Fidelia Fisk, one of the first unmarried woman missionaries from America to serve in Persia.
As an intellectually gifted and devout child, Fidelia showed interest in spiritual things at an early age. She accepted Christ at the age of seventeen. After her graduation in 1842 from Mount Holyoke Seminary, she worked as a teacher and was known for bringing her pupils to Christ. Influenced by the work of her missionary uncle, Pliny Fisk, she accepted the invitation of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) and went to Persia in 1843.
Persia was a difficult place to live for Christians, especially women. The local culture thought that its a disgrace for girls to be educated, and parents did not wish their daughters to go to school. However, Fidelia labored hard to change the social norms of women in Persia. She wisely fought against early marriages and educational neglect. With the help of kind people, she eventually could build a boarding school for girls. Gradually, the Persian communities realized the need for their daughters to be educated, and the school grew.
During her 15 years of service, Fidelia was a mother to her students and led approximately two-thirds of her students to become Christians. During school vacations, she visited former pupils in their homes and held women’s meetings. She also nursed the sick and extended her missionary work to the countryside and among mountain tribes. Her ministry led many dangerous men, including Kurdish chiefs, to Christ.
But Fidelia was worn out because of several years of hard work. She returned to Massachusetts due to ill health in 1858. Failing to recover strength, Fidelia went to be with the Lord in 1864. Devasted by her death, a grieving Persian girl wrote to ABCFM, “Is there another Miss Fisk in your country?”
