Eleanor Crisp (1856-1923) was converted at 12 years old in London. She was the only one of her family saved. In her youth she developed rheumatism to such a degree that she became a helpless cripple. At times she was not even be able to turn the pages of her Bible. A lady came and spoke to her concerning God’s healing power, and it prompted her to study the Bible concerning God’s will to heal. At her request a minister came and anointed her with oil which resulted in her healing. This left her with an unmovable faith in Christ as a Healer. However, it was not until she was 40 years of age that she experienced the Baptism in the Spirit. She had such a reputation for a life of prayer that she would receive as many as 200 letters per week.
When the first Pentecostal Missionary Training Home opened for Women in London in January 1910 they asked Mrs Crisp if she would take responsibility for running it. She was to train young women who had received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and who felt the call of God to the foreign Mission field. Two maps hung in the School: one was a world map that filled a whole wall and the other a map of India. These helped in instruction as well as intercession. A considerable amount of time daily was given to intercessory prayer for the nations.
By 1914 five of these young ladies were ready to leave for China. Mrs Crisp in her message at their commissioning service likened them to the 5 wise virgins, and as the five fingers of a hand, if yielded to God they would be God’s hand reaching out into China. The greatest thing she had taught them was the place of prayer. She believed that the Pentecostal blessing would give them power to pray in a way that otherwise would not be possible. In this secret place of prayer with God they could overcome every obstacle that would face them and nothing would be impossible unto them.
In her eyes the true mark of the Pentecostal people was that they had built the whole centre of their lives upon Christ alone. The greatest blessing, even before that of the fullness of the Spirit was to be in Christ. Mrs Crisp is remembered for her loving way of ministering; her uncompromising stance for truth and her great grasp of the Scriptures. She was a faithful lady who could be trusted in all things and relied upon in every situation.
Taken and condensed from Pentecostal Pioneers Remembered by Keith Malcomson
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