by Stephanie Conkright
Eight Women in the Underground Church and Their Stories of Costly Faith
Several years ago, The Voice of the Martyrs gifted me the book Hearts of Fire. Unlike many books that I read and then pass on, I have kept this book and read it more than once. I have also loaned it with the request that it be returned because I will likely read it again.
Hearts of Fire is a challenging and inspiring account of eight women living out their faith in the underground church. These women are spread across the world from Indonesia to Romania. Some are missionaries who were called to preach the gospel far from their countries of origin. Some were women who came to faith in their home countries through extraordinary circumstances. Some are single, some married, and some barely adults. Some were born into Christian communities while others were former Muslims or Buddhists. Some were beaten and some imprisoned. Some were rejected or abused by their own families. Some lost their husbands and children to martyrdom. But the common thread with all these women is their faithfulness to Christ in the face of suffering and persecution.
If you ever use the book site Goodreads, you will know that some reviews are prefaced with a spoiler alert warning. I don’t want to spoil your experience of this book by sharing details, but I want to pique your interest by drawing your attention to the introduction. In reference to how they selected the women to include in the book it states, “We also wanted to present examples of women who had not only faced times of personal suffering but who had also displayed leadership qualities in ministry.”
This is not a book about simply enduring, it is a book about humble women who rose to the occasion to lead and encourage others because they, like Esther, were, “called to such a time as this.” This is especially significant in countries where women are often seen as inferior members of society who have little voice and even less influence.
I hope, like me, you find these stories inspire and challenge you to pray for the unreached and the persecuted church. To pray especially for women, whose circumstances often make access to the gospel especially hard. And to pray for yourself that you will be open and ready for the Lord to use you in whatever circumstance he calls you to. Maybe we won’t be called to endure the kind of suffering these women experienced, but none of us know when we might be, “called to such a time as this.” May this book encourage us to be ready!
Stephanie Conkright is wife to Garth and mother to Laura. She left her native England more than 30 years ago, has lived in four countries, and has had at least as many different careers. She enjoys hiking, reading, and reminiscing about her time in different cultures over a proper cup of tea. At Calvary, she is a member of the Women’s Ministry team.