GIRL EVANGELIST’S REMARKABLE CAREER

Shannon News, 9 July 1929, Page 1

GIRL EVANGELIST’S REMARKABLE CAREER

VISIT TO AUSTRALIA,

A great audience in Melbourne on Sunday listened with intense interest to a sermon in Wesley Church by a bright-eyed, dark-haired girl of 23 years —Sister Lda Wombwcll, nn evangelist who has come to Australia for three years 'at the invitation of the Methodist Church, tier subject was ‘‘England as I knew It." She is to conduct regular services in Australia, as she had clone for the last six years in the English Midlands. There, during the winter months, she lias been in the habit, of speaking at three services on Sunday and at one every night of th> week.

Sister Ida is a remarkable figure, a.rhat record alone would indicate, ami the story of how she became an evange l.st is an interesting one. "When 1 was 1(5 .1 was converted,'” she said on arrival 'at Melbourne. "Until then 1 had thought.of going.on the stage. ! I.ad studied elocution and I loved re citing and I was often called upon tlute at church and charity affairs ir

'■■rut (inghaui. Then, when I, was con verted'"'l knew that I' would have t» [.vouch. My family was amused and .’.aid they expected" that idea to las! !bout a fortnight.. _ "Then came the goose fair, which in a big event • in 'Nottingham, and otir church arranged a social, at which 1 incited. When I had finished the minister said that I ought to be a preach er. 110 did not know that I wanted to be one, but my best friend went to him afterwards and told him, so lie gave me a week-night meeting to speak at. Evidently he was pleased with that, for the next thing he did was to ask meta preach to -a Sunday congregation of 2000. When I did that it got iuto the newspapers and from then on I have never been without commissions to preach." I'n her spare time Sister Ida studies and studies hard. She deprecates emotionalism in evangelistic work and says that she tries to preach the gospel with logic and common sense. If first impressions count for anything Sister Ida is going to make her three years in Australia extremely profitable for her Church—that is, of course, from a spiritual point of view. She is not seeking wealth.