Petra Tunheim could have lived an ordinary life. She died on a ship to Singapore, traveling back to the island that she loved - Java - but she was born far from Java in Norway. 

Her childhood was far from extraordinary. She was born to an ordinary couple with already a large family in an ordinary town in Norway, raising sheep and keeping up with her nine brothers and sisters. 

But at 17, her life took one of the many turns that would make it extraordinary and lead to her living on four continents and learning seven languages. 

Guest: Dr. Donny Chrissutianto, Assistant Professor of Historical Studies; Master of Divinity Program Director - Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies

Show Notes

Article | "Petra Tunheim," ESDA - https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=BAWT 

Article | "Women conference presidents: a forgotten history," Adventist Record https://record.adventistchurch.com/2020/12/17/women-conference-presidents-a-forgotten-history/ 

Missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th century often didn't speak the language and didn't know anyone in the new country they were going to, at least at first. Missionary boards typically sent couples like Joseph and Jennie Westphal into the field together so that they would not have to go it alone. 

But this didn’t stop single women missionaries in South America like Lucy Post and Olive Westphal from carrying out their calling of service. They found ways to build support networks of community, friends and other family members so their work was impactful and long-lasting, laying the foundation for medical clinics, hospitals, churches and universities that are still present today. 

Thank you to our guests, Dr. Silvia Sholtus & Pastor Kayla Goodman. 

Special thanks to Ashlee Chisholm from the General Conference Archives for helping us find photos of Jennie Westphal and Lucy Post. 

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This episode mentions Lucy Post, Luisa Post, Frank and Mary Westphal, Joseph and Jennie Westphal, Olive Westphal, River Plate University, Argentina, Brazil and South America.

As women contributed to the cause of the church in the early 20th century, they faced the challenge of juggling professional and domestic tasks, often caring for multiple generations while providing financial for the family, yet were often paid less - even half as much - as their male counterparts. 

Despite working themselves into the ground, women continued to work for the benefit of their church, and Alma McKibbin was one of them. But Alma barely made it out alive. 

Thank you to our guest, Laura Wibberding, Assistant Professor of History and Department Chair, Pacific Union College. 

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This episode discusses Alma McKibbin and Sarah Peck, Jenny Irland, Minnie Sipe, and Alonzo McKibbin. 

Anna Knight always wanted an education. Born in 1874 to a white, defected Confederate soldier and an emancipated slave of mixed heritage, she grew up in a post-Civil War South where education for Black children was severely restricted—or outright banned.

Yet, Anna’s unwavering determination propelled her beyond these barriers. Once denied access to basic schooling, she rose to become a nurse, educator, and administrator, earning recognition as a trailblazing leader among Black Seventh-day Adventists, Black women worldwide, and the entire Seventh-day Adventist community—Black or white, male or female.

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This episode mentions Anna Knight, Newton Knight, and John Harvey Kellogg.

Many women in the Millerite Movement had eagerly hoped for Christ to come on October 22, 1844.  They had dedicated their time, energy and resources to spread the good news of Christ's soon return through print and by mouth. But what happened after Christ didn’t return on October 22, 1844?

Did women return home to be the “angels of the household”?

Or did they play a role in the formation of the churches that came out of the Millerite Movement, shaping the landscape of American Christianity forever?

Guests: Dr. Cindy Tutsch, Author and retired Associate Director of the Ellen White Estate. Dr. Michael Campbell, Director of Archives, Statistics and Research at the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Celeste Ryan Blyden is the Executive Secretary for the Columbia Union. 

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This episode mentions Mary Frances Maxon, Annie Rebekah Smith,  Adelia Patton Van Horn, Minnie Sipe, Sarah Lindsey,  Martha Byington Amadon,  Maude Sisely Boyd,  Ai Araki, and Ellen White.

Women were active participants in the Millerite Movement, a mid-nineteenth century American revival movement. They not only believed Christ was coming soon, they actively disseminated the good news. And if Christ was coming soon, they needed to work together to improve the lives of those around them. This episode explores the lives of little-known Millerite women who were actively involved in the Millerite, temperance, abolition, and suffrage movements and how these activities intersected.

Guest: Dr. Kevin Burton, Director of the Center for Adventist Research. 

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This episode mentions Sojourner Truth, William Miller, Clorinda S. Minor, Emily Clemens Pearson, Olivia Maria Rice, Lucy Maria Hersy Stoddard, Caroline Severance, Charles Fitch, Abigail Folsom, Catherine S. Kilton, and Ellen Harmon White. 

Why study women's history? Why are women's roles in the development of Christianity so often invisible? Historian Dr. Heidi Olson Campbell uncovers why the way history is written and preserved can leave many important stories untold and why telling these stories matters for understanding our past and our future.

Guests: Laura Wibberding, Dr. Lisa Clark Diller, Dr. Ed Allen, Dr. Kevin Burton, Dr. Ella Simmons, Celeste Ryan Blyden.

Show Notes

Book | They Also Served (1940) by Ava Covington

Coming March 7, on this season of They Also Served: Stories of Adventist Women. Join host Heidi Olson Campbell as she explores the untold stories and "unvisited tombs" of women in Adventist history. Premieres March 7, 2025. Subscribe now! 

We've been hard at work on the first season of They Also Served, but we couldn't wait to share. So here's a sneak peek of what you'll hear on They Also Served: Stories of Adventist Women. 

Subscribe now so you don't miss when the first episodes drop in Summer 2024!