A Fruitful Life: The Missionary Labors of Stephen Paxson by Belle Paxson Drury
Missionary Stephen Paxson (1808–1881) worked for The American Sunday-School Union and spread Christianity by organizing over 1300 Sunday-schools on the American frontier. Remarkably, he overcame the huge obstacles of poverty, stammering speech, a lame body, and no formal education. The many anecdotes of unusual events can only be attributed to God's blessing. This biographical edition includes an introduction, contents and testimonies.
"That we desire to express our high appreciation of his life and work, believing that the grandeur of Christian labor in establishing 1,300 Sunday-schools and the gathering of 80,000 souls into the same is without parallel in the history of individual effort, and his example must stand as a great incentive to all Christians to personal endeavor in our Redeemer's kingdom."—The Congregational Sunday-School Superintendent's Union of Boston (1882).
Paperback, 132 pages. ISBN 9781935626183
Kindle version available $2.95.
Belle Paxson Drury was the daughter of Stephen Paxson. She was educated at Monticello Seminary, Godfrey, Illinois, and then graduated from Methodist Female College, Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1863. Remaining at college, she became a teacher. She married Charles J. Drury in 1867 and had two children. She wrote various articles about nature, gardening and religion.
Introduction by Constans Liberty Goodell (1830–1886) was born in Calias, Vermont. He attended The University of Vermont and Andover Theological Seminary. He was pastor at Congregational Church in New Britain, Connecticut; then pastor at Pilgrim Congregational Church in St. Louis, Missouri, for 14 years where Stephen Paxson attended church.