Births:1718
Home Calling: 1780
Homeland : Antigua
Place of Vision: Caribbean Islands; Germany; Ghana
Known as the ‘Mother of Modern Missions,’ Rebecca Protten was once a slave whom God used mightily in different parts of the world for His Glory. When she was just six years old, she was abducted from Antigua and was sold as a slave to a plantation owner in St. Thomas islands. At her master’s house, she learned Christian ethics. At the age of twelve, she was freed after her master’s death.
Although she was baptized to be a Christian, she was not interested in Church activities in her youth until the Moravian missionaries arrived in St. Thomas. These missionaries were not cruel, unlike other white men. She joined their ministry and now wanted to become a missionary herself.
Rebecca became an important part of missionary ministry in St. Thomas. She walked several miles daily through the hills to reach the slave communities and taught Gospel, especially to the women. She not only tended to their bodily wounds but also to their hearts. She was fluent in Dutch, German, and Creole languages and conducted Bible studies for the locals. Many were brought to Christ’s feet and Rebecca became a role model to the women of the Island. Alarmed by her impact on the slaves, and afraid of slaves’ rebellion, the owners got her arrested for false charges of burglary and blasphemy. She was brought to the court seven times, and each time she utilized the opportunity to testify Christ.
After her release from prison, the authorities forced her to leave St. Thomas. So, she went to Herrnhut, Germany, the then headquarters of the Moravian church where she led the women’s ministry. Later in 1765, she moved with her husband to Accra in Ghana. There the couple taught at a Dutch missionary school and established several mission stations along the Gold Coast. Although her body couldn’t get acclimatized to the African weather, she continued to serve God in sickness and pain until she died in 1780.
