Hannah Whitall Smith Correspondence: Amanda Smith

Amanda Berry Smith (Jan. 23, 1837-Feb. 24, 1915) was born into slavery in Long Green, Maryland. Her father was an incredibly hard worker who earned money after completing his daily work in order to purchase his freedom and that of his wife and thirteen children. The family then settled in Pennsylvania, where Amanda’s parents taught her to read and write at home. Amanda eventually went to work as a servant and washerwoman for a white family. Smith was married twice, but lost both husbands early, one being killed in the Civil War, and four of her five children dying before she was 32 years old.

To help with her grief she turned to the African Methodist Episcopal Church and became known for her singing voice and her teaching. She dressed simply and was widely received in religious camp meetings and revivals. She was heard by both white and African-American audiences and would ultimately become known as “God’s image carved in ebony.”

With her growing fame in Methodist and Holiness circles, Smith was invited to Europe where she attended the Broadlands Conference of the Mount Temples and also continued preaching in England for two years. From there she travelled to India where she taught for 18 months, and then she journeyed to Africa where she spent eight years in Liberia and West Africa. She returned to the United States and continued her ministry, while also writing an influential autobiography. Rev. Charles Mason, the founder of the Church of God in Christ, the largest African-American Pentecostal denomination in the U.S., credited this book for teaching him the doctrine of sanctification.

In 1899, Amanda Smith founded the Amanda Smith Orphanage and Industrial Home for Abandoned and Destitute Colored Children near Chicago. Due to fire and financial problems it closed in 1917, two years after Amanda Smith passed away in Sebring, Florida.

While there is no letter in the collection from Amanda Smith, she relates her encounter with Robert Pearsall Smith and Hannah Whitall Smith in her autobiography. While she doesn’t explicitly say, Hannah’s influence may also explain Amanda Smith’s gracious welcome to the Broadlands Conference by the Mount Temples on her later trip to Europe in 1879. Amanda Smith writes,

Again it was in 1870 or 1871, when my dear friend, Mrs. Hannah Whitehall Smith, was holding those marvelous Bible readings in Germantown and Philadelphia that God blessed so wonderfully. I had often heard them spoken of, and read of them, and thought how I would like to go; but then I did not know whether they would allow colored persons to go. The Lord would often send me around among white people where there was a good meeting going on, that I might learn more perfectly some lesson from His Word.
One day I was on my way to West Philadelphia when Mr. Robert Pearson Smith, who had been off in California, doing some evangelistic work, I believe, and had got home just a few days before, got on the car, and after he had sat down a little while he looked over and recognized me. He came and said, “I think this is Amanda Smith?” I said, “Yes.” He took a seat by me, and did not have any fear or embarrassment from my being a colored woman. How real, and kind, and true he was. He said, “Amanda Smith, has thee attended any of the meetings that my wife, Hannah, has been holding?”

“No,” I said, “I have thought I would like so much to go, but I did not know if they would allow colored persons to go.”

“Oh, yes, Amanda,” he said, “there would be no objection to thee going, and I think thee would enjoy the meeting very much. God has wonderfully blessed Hannah, and scores of ladies of rank have been led to consecrate themselves to the Lord, and have realized great blessing. She will hold a meeting at 1018 Arch street, on Friday. Thee must go.”

I thanked him very kindly, and told him I would do so.

“Now,” I thought to myself, “the Lord has answered my prayer and opened the way for me, and no doubt He has some blessed lesson to teach me from His Word; for Mrs. Smith is such a wonderful Bible teacher.”
So I looked forward to Friday with great delight. When the day came I got ready and went, prayerfully. But somehow I seemed to have a little trembling come over me as I neared the corner of Tenth and Arch streets; and I said to myself, “I wonder what is going to happen: my heart has become so sad all in a moment.”

Then I began to pray more earnestly that the Lord would help me and lead me. Sometimes these feelings of sadness, thought unexplainable, are the omen of a great blessing from God; at another time they may indicate disappointment and sadness, so that in either case God permits them, and prepares the heart by prayer to receive the blessing, or to endure the sorrow or disappointment. Praise His name for this.

Just when I was about to turn the corner, I saw two ladies coming. I knew them, and they were on the way to the meeting. I thought, “I will let them pass, and I will follow on close behind, and go in just when they are fairly in.” I always try to avoid anything like pushing myself, or going where I was not wanted. And then I knew how sensititve many white people are about a colored person, so I always kept back. I don’t think that anybody can ever say that Amanda Smith pushed herself in where she was not wanted. I was something like the groundhog; when he sees his shadow he goes in; I always could see my shadow far enough ahead to keep out of the way. But I thought as Mr. Pearson Smith had so kindly told me that it would be all right for me to go to this meeting, that I would not be intruding; no, certainly not. When these ladies got up to me, they stopped, and spoke to me very kindly; they said, “Well, Amanda Smith, how doe thee do? Is thee going to the meeting?”

“Yes,” I said, “I have heard and read a good deal about the meeting, and I thought I would go to-day.”

I saw they looked a little nervous or queer, so I said to them, “I met Mr. Pearson Smith the other day, and he told me to go; there would be no objection, and the meetings were very wonderful in blessing, and he thought I would enjoy them.”

“Well, Amanda,” one of the ladies said, “the meeting will be very full to-day, and there will be a great many very wealthy ladies in from Germantown, and West Philadelphia, and Walnut Hills, and the meetings are especially for this class, and I think thee had better not go to-day; some other day would be better for thee.” And then they politely bowed, and went on. I never said a word. I was dumbfounded; and there I stood. I thought, “How is this? I have been praying about this meeting ever since I saw Mr. Smith, and I have been expecting a real feast to my soul to-day, and now these ladies feel it won’t do for me to go, because I am a colored woman, and so many of the wealthy ladies will be there. They don’t know but that the Lord may have sent a message to some of them through me.” So I said, “I will linger about till I know the meeting is well begun, then I will go and stand at the door.”

Now I felt in my heart it was right to do this instead of going back home. I did so. “And after all it may be I may hear the word the Lord has for me; for He meant something by my coming.” So I slipped in quietly and stood at the door; there were a number of others standing up. Just as Mrs. Smith was in the midst of her good Bible address, sure enough the Lord had a message for me, and I got a great blessing as I stood at the door. Praise the Lord!

And now, the change is, instead of Amanda Smith, the colored washwoman’s presence having a bad effect on a meeting where ladies of wealth and rank are gathered to pray and sing His blessing, they think a failure more possible if the same Amanda Smith, the colored woman, cannot be present. This is all the Lord’s doings, and marvelous in our eyes.

At the close of this meeting as the ladies were passing out, one and another came to me and spoke to me, and shook hands; “Why, this is Amanda Smith.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, here is Amanda Smith; why didn’t you sing?” And another, “Oh I have heard of you.” And another, “Oh, I wish you had sung such a piece.” And another, “Why didn’t you speak?” And another, “I have heard you sing such a piece at Ocean Grove at such a time, or at Round Lake.” I was glad of this, for I thought, “After all, I have not spoiled the spirit of the meeting.”

But then, I was not so well known then, and many people were shy of me, and are yet. But I belong to Royalty, and am well acquainted with the King of Kings, and am better known and better understood among the great family above than I am on earth. But I thank God the time is coming, and we “Shall know each other better when the mists have rolled away.” Hallelujah! Amen.

(An Autobiography: The Story of the Lord’s Dealings with Mrs. Amanda Smith the Colored Evangelist, by Mrs. Amanda Smith, 1893, pages 196-198)