King's Business - 1961-03

A Saint

M iss Alexander, I Corinthians 15:58

ence, Miss Alexander presented the Lord and made clear the claims of Christ to these young lives. This I know personally, for I came from a religiously Catholic back­ ground as a High School senior to one of her Euodia Bible Classes. This dear lady, a Bible Woman from BIOLA, brought me to grips with the Word of God and the Word of Salvation. She was not distressed about my church— her ministry was to teach the Word. This she did. Later, as many of her High School graduates did, I joined the group in going to BIOLA to re­ ceive training for Christian service. In her last record book I noted the carefulness of her follow-through. One significant note read “ Barbara going to BIOLA”— To some of us this might mean just the end of our contact with the many Barbaras in our life, but not so with Emily J. Alexander. Her friend­ ship followed with faithfulness. She would arrange scholarships. This I know, for she did it for me. Then after B i o 1a the Barbaras might go on to UCLA, to nurses train­ ing, and to graduate studies. There would always be a gift—a new Bible —a token of friendship followed with faithfulness. This I know, for she did it for me. After training whether the Barbaras went on to the Foreign Mission fields of the world or remained on the Homeside in His service, there con­ tinued the vital friendship expressed with every token of encouragement. That is why we are here today. This I know, for she did it for me. All the Barbaras would join me today in rising up and calling our dear faithful friend blessed, even as the Word says “Her children arise up, and call her blessed.”

. . H er children arise up, and call her blessed . . .” Proverbs 31:28a D u r in g h e r lifetime we asked God’s blessing upon her — in her death we rise up and offer our tribute to her upon whom we know God has looked with favor. On behalf of the thousands of Euodia girls whose lives have been touched by Emily J. Alexander, I rise up today and call her blessed. She has been a spiritual mother to literally thousands of High School girls throughout the past 35 years. Today I am privileged to represent these girls (many of whom are now mature women). Hundreds of them have been brought to the Saviour through her ministry. They have gone on into Christian service, and if the roll were called today they would be answering from Alaska, Africa, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, La Mirada, Los Angeles, and many other places. Miss Alexander’s roll books were made accessible to me. She has kept systematic records of the girls in her Euodia Clubs, Bible Classes for High School girls. She listed each girl’s full name, telephone number, address, Church affiliation, who brought her, and the date she came. Her most re­ cent records for one school year—1951 — included the names of 372 girls from six schols — Belmont, Jefferson, Fremont, John Adams, Polytechnic, and LaFayette. Their church backgrounds included many churches, such as the Church of the Open Door, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Independent, Pente­ costal, Lutheran, Apostolic Faith, Mormons, Catholic, and Jewish. These schools represented a cross- section not only of faiths, but also of nationalities. Showing no prefer­

A Life of Dedication W h e n G od c a l l e d Miss Emily J. Alexander home on January 12, 1961, He took one of his choice servants. She was bom in London, England, eighty-six years ago. At an early age she accepted Christ as her Saviour. Nursing became her pro­ fession. In 1915 Miss Alexander came to America and to Southern California. Mr. Lyman Stewart, Dr. T. C. Hor­ ton, and Miss Ethel Lee were all to play an important part in her life. With Miss Lee a precious, lifelong friendship was developed. After five years of nursing, Miss Alexander entered the Bible Institute in 1920. Graduating in 1923, she be­ came a Bible Woman teaching Euo­ dia Clubs. Upon retiring from ac­ tive Euodia Club work, she found other ways of serving. To finance her many projects, she developed a “ coat hanger industry” in her room crochet­ ing coverings for hundreds of hangers. Selling these, she raised many dollars for her beloved Biola. Just as her loved friend, Miss Lee, is honored on the Biola Campus by the Ethel Lee Memorial Bible Hall, Miss Alexander’s many friends are eager to honor her with a comparable Bible Hall, the Emily Alexander Bible Hall — part of the Missions-Alumni Unit—so that these friends may be united in memory as they were in service.* •Contributions toward this building may be sent to Biola College marked “The Alexander Memorial.”

THE KING'S BUSINESS

14

Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker