Three Women, Three Pioneers, Three Heroes

I am continually inspired by those who pioneer bold new ideas in the face of great resistance. I am even more deeply moved when marginalized individuals, rooted in their faith and courage in Christ, stand firm against bigotry, sexism, and racism. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer, and Sojourner Truth each confronted extraordinary challenges in reforming society and expanding its vision of justice and inclusion. Their prophetic witness challenged both civic and ecclesiastical systems—especially the patriarchal structures within the Church—calling it back to its baptismal promise: to respect the dignity of every human being.

As a result of their unwavering courage, the Episcopal Church added these three remarkable women to its liturgical calendar. Their feast day falls on the anniversary of the groundbreaking Women’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, July 19–20, 1848. This moment marked a milestone not only for American democracy but also for Christian witness. It reminds us that the Gospel is radically inclusive—Jesus died for all and offers eternal life to everyone who comes to him. Stanton, Bloomer, and Truth understood this truth and labored within their historical context to secure the natural rights of all people, proclaiming that human dignity flows from being created in the image of God.

These women could have chosen quieter, more comfortable paths. Instead, they pressed forward, determined to shape a Church that truly reflects the Gospel of Jesus Christ—a Church where all are welcomed, all are loved, and all share equally in the grace and eternal life of Christ. In their vision, there was no hierarchy of worth, no exclusion based on gender or race—only the shared inheritance of God’s Kingdom.

Each woman brought a distinct prophetic voice. Sojourner Truth declared that no human being could ever own another, proclaiming that emancipation was a necessary step toward the coming of God’s Kingdom. Elizabeth Cady Stanton challenged doctrines that distorted God’s grace and clergy who failed to support women’s rights, including the right to own property. Amelia Jenks Bloomer believed that churches, schools, and libraries were vital pathways to help others embrace the Kingdom of God. For her, both education and religion were essential tools for liberation.

What united these women was the Gospel itself. It shaped their core values and gave them the strength, courage, and grace to resist the patriarchal structures that denied women and people of color the basic rights others took for granted.

They blazed trails toward freedom—not just political freedom, but spiritual freedom grounded in Christ’s justice. Their lives remind us that Christianity, at its heart, calls us to justice. Worship becomes authentic only when it fuels our response to the salvation we have received in Christ.

If people suffer from lack of freedom, from voter suppression, or from inequitable access to education, then faithful Christian practice requires us to take up the mantle of justice—just as Stanton, Bloomer, and Truth did. We are called to follow in the footsteps of these three pioneers, these three heroes, these three Christians.