The Single Missionary Woman (Part 2): Roberta Edwards (1960-2015)

     One of the great female missionaries of the 20th century was Sarah Andrews, who devoted the last two-thirds of her life to God’s work in Japan <see Part 1>. The year before a stroke ended Sarah’s distinguished missionary service, a baby girl was born in the USA who was destined to become one of the great female missionaries of the 21st century.

There’s a Call Comes Ringing

     Roberta was the only daughter of Robert (Bob) and Laura Edwards. Raised in a military family, she was smart, disciplined, and determined. She was a homecoming queen, a college graduate, a department store manger, and a homeowner. By the world’s standards Roberta was a successful young woman. She also had a heart for Christ and his cause.

     She married Robert Aldate and left her comfortable life in North Carolina to serve the Lord in Robert’s homeland of Haiti in 1995. Roberta learned the language and adapted to the culture of one of the least developed nations in the world, where four out of five people live in abject poverty. For about six years the Aldates were an effective missionary team, teaching the gospel, ministering to the Haitian people, and helping the church grow.

For Such is the Kingdom of Heaven

     One day a desperate Haitian mother left her two baby boys outside the Adalte’s home in the hopes that the starving infants would be cared for. Not long thereafter Robert, who had been unfaithful to his marriage vows, abandoned his family responsibilities, leaving Roberta to care for the children alone. Church support ended. But Roberta refused to leave.

     Jesse Robertson knew of Roberta’s plight, and he managed to secure $100 per month support for her. Destitute children continued to be brought to Roberta’s house and placed in her care. The Estes church of Christ in Henderson, TN took oversight of this work in 2003, and with a facility provided by Manna Global Ministries, the SonLight Children’s Home in Port-au-Prince was secured.

     At least 31 children have been taken into the Home, and the oldest (Widlord Thomas, now 29) figures that some 50 to 60 children have passed through at various times. Christian Woman magazine featured Roberta on the cover of the January/ February 2010 issue, and in the feature article Debbie Bumbalough observes: “Roberta looks at every child as a gift from God. Her home is filled with those who not only have found food and security but also have found the true meaning of being loved and being able to return that love to others. Each of Roberta’s children has come to her with a past life of shame, regret, hurt, abuse or loss. Roberta has restored their self-worth and the support of a loving family atmosphere” <Link>.

Woman of Hope

     Roberta has homeschooled the children and taught daily Bible lessons. They have grown their own crops on the small property, raised egg-laying hens, and initiated a variety of business ventures to supplement their income. They have worshiped and worked with the Santo church of Christ, as well as assisting nearby congregations. They have translated Bible study materials. The boys have been trained to serve as interpreters for visiting preachers, while Roberta and the girls have likewise assisted visiting lady teachers.

     In addition to her “adopted” kids, Roberta has also provided two meals a day, five days a week, for around 160 neighborhood children through her nutrition center, in operation since 1997. This work was originally overseen by the Amory, MS church of Christ and later taken over by the Estes congregation. Moreover, Roberta has administered funds to enable these kids to attend school, which is a very big deal. Due to the expense of supplies and uniforms, fewer than 15 percent of Haitian children aged 6 to 11 are enrolled in public school. Consequently the country’s illiteracy rate is an estimated 52 percent.

     Roberta has organized ladies classes, mentored interns, and coordinated several short-term mission and medical teams each year that have served the poor and up to 15 congregations at a time. The people of Haiti have suffered from numerous natural disasters, and Roberta has always been available to help facilitate relief efforts from North American churches. One of Roberta’s kids was killed in the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, and despite significant property damage, Roberta’s home became a center for aid distribution that helped save thousands of lives. Since then Roberta’s work expanded to other development projects to help the poverty-stricken community. In 2011 she was named “Woman of Hope” at the annual Women of Hope conference in Nashville, TN.

O Death, Where is Your Victory?

     On the evening of October 10, 2015, the day after a 29-member medical mission team had arrived from the States, the unthinkable happened. Roberta was stopped by armed gunmen and shot to death, while her 4-year-0ld foster son JoJo was abducted. Although the case is still under investigation, JoJo has reportedly been found alive and well, and two suspects are in custody.

     More than a thousand people attended Roberta’s funeral in Haiti, and two more memorial services were held in the United States: one in Henderson, TN and the other in Wilmington, NC. At the Oct. 29th service in Henderson, Jesse Robertson read a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, aptly describing Roberta’s life: “My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends – It gives a lovely light.”

     Although Roberta’s candle is no longer burning, its radiant light continues to shine in the multitudes of lives she has impacted. Through her devoted ministry and lasting influence, the God she faithfully served for over five decades has provided love to the unloved and hope to the hopeless. Roberta’s work will carry on in Haiti thanks to the commitment of the Estes church and numerous other supporters, Widlord Thomas and his new bride Karen, the Haitian Christians, and the children Roberta molded and cherished. She is painfully missed. Thank God for the heavenly rest.

--Kevin L. Moore

Works Consulted:

Bumbalough, Debbie. “Roberta Edwards–Saving Lost Children in Haiti,” Christian Woman 26 (Jan./Feb. 2010): 12.

Estes church website, <Link>.

Thomas, Widlord. Sermon preached to the Estes church of Christ, 15 Nov. 2015.
Tryggestad, Erik. “Roberta Edwards named ‘Woman of Hope’,” The Christian Chronicle (7 Feb. 2011) <Link>.

Some of the many tributes:

Paula Harrington, “Why you need to know about Roberta Edwards,” Marshall County Daily (12 Oct. 2015), <Link>.

Colton Scott, “In Honor of Roberta Edwards,” Apologetics Press Blog (16 Oct. 2015), <Link>.

Larry Waymire, “A Tribute to Roberta Edwards,” Facebook (13 Nov. 15), <Link>.

Related Posts: Part 1: Sarah Andrews, Part 3: Joy Allen, Woman's Service in the Church

Related articles: Erik Tryggestad's Christians honor slain missionary

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What about pre-christian boys leading worship?

     Many congregations give opportunities to young boys (who have not yet obeyed the gospel in baptism) to read or recite scriptures and to lead prayers and songs in front of the assembled church. Is this biblical? Does this set a dangerous precedent for non-christian adults or others who are not scripturally qualified to exercise leadership in the church?

     Male leadership and leadership training are certainly biblical concepts (Mark 3:14; Luke 11:1-4; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 2 Timothy 2:2; etc.). Thus preparing boys to be future leaders does not fit into the same category as opening doors to non-christian adults or female leaders. While we respect divinely ordained gender roles, we must also appreciate that culpability and innocence before God distinguishes boys from non-christian men. Prior to reaching the age of accountability,¹ a child is not guilty of sin or separated from God and is thus spiritually safe.²

     It is my judgment that the practice of pre-christian boys leading in worship activities does not set a “dangerous precedent” but rather a biblical precedent of training future church leaders (cf. 1 Samuel 2:11, 18; Proverbs 22:6; Ecclesiastes 12:1; 1 Timothy 4:12 and 2 Timothy 3:14-15).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Seeing that individuals develop and mature at varying rates, a specific age is not biblically prescribed. Nevertheless, a state of innocence prior to reaching a point at which one is accountable before God is clearly assumed in scripture: Deuteronomy 1:39; Numbers 8:2-3; 10:28; 14:29-31; Isaiah 7:15-16; John 9:21, 23; cf. Ezekiel 18:20; 28:15; Ecclesiastes 7:29; 1 John 3:4; 1 Corinthians 13:11; Luke 2:40-52.

     ² On the spiritual security of young children, see Deuteronomy 1:39; Matthew 18:1-5; 19:13-14; Mark 9:33-37; 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 14:20.

Related Posts: Are Humans Totally Depraved from Birth?, Train Up a Child 

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To be scripturally qualified as an elder in the Lord’s church, must a man’s children all be faithful Christians?

     The relevant passages are the following: 1 Timothy 3:4-5, “one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?).” Titus 1:6, “… having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination” (NKJV).

     All would agree that the IDEAL scenario is for each qualified elder to have a plurality of children who are all faithful Christians. Unfortunately, the fallible world in which we live has always challenged and complicated what is ideal, and the Bible does not specifically address every conceivable situation with which we are confronted. This necessarily requires judgment calls for each unique case in light of general biblical principles. Here are some real-life dilemmas.

Multiple Children?

     What about a man who has only one child? Could he qualify to serve as an elder? While some would disagree, I believe he could. Genesis 21:7 states, “[Sarah] also said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age’.” Here the plural “children” simply means one or more and applies to a single child. If an audience were asked, “Raise your hand if you have children,” surely the single-child parents would be expected to raise their hands. Note the following passages where the plural “children” clearly does not discount the parent of a lone child: Matt. 7:11; Luke 14:26; 20:28-31; 1 Cor. 7:14; 2 Cor. 12:14; Eph. 6:1, 4; 1 Thess. 2:7, 11; 1 Tim. 3:12; 5:4, 10, 14; Titus 2:4.

     Some would argue that a man with multiple children is more qualified to deal with differing personalities and inter-personal conflicts than a man with only one child. But this is a subjective perception rather than a biblical mandate. One could reason that a man with ten children is more qualified than a man with only two children, but obviously the two-child man is not biblically disqualified. While perhaps less than ideal, I don’t view a man with only one child as biblically disqualified to serve as an elder.

Faithful Children?

     What, then, does “faithful” mean in Titus 1:6? In light of the parallel description in 1 Timothy 3:4, a case can be made for “not unruly” in society and “compliant” while under the father’s direct influence. However, this interpretation is based on ambiguity and mere possibility rather than certainty. The more natural meaning, and surely the more solid position, is with reference to being faithful to the Lord.

     If a man has multiple children, therefore, must they all be faithful Christians? What if a father has ten children, nine of whom have obeyed the gospel and the other has not yet reached the age of accountability? It seems to me that this man has proven himself as “one who rules his house well” and would be scripturally qualified. What if he has ten adult children, nine of whom are faithful in the church and one is rebellious and unfaithful? Seeing that he no longer has direct control or immediate authority over his sons and daughters who have grown up and left home, he has still proven himself as a capable leader and can’t realistically be held accountable for the rebellious one who has resisted his direction. To suggest otherwise would be to impugn the Lord himself (cf. Psalm 107:6-11; Isaiah 1:2).

     Those of us who were raised by godly parents and are faithful in the church are testimonies to the way it’s supposed to be. Irrespective of how insubordinate we may or may not have been in the past, we exemplify receptive, moldable, compliant souls, as do our own faithful children. But this does not address the godly parents whose counsel is persistently rejected by the defiant son or daughter, not to mention any number of unseen variables beyond parental control.

     Now here’s where it gets tricky. What percentage of one’s children must be faithful in order for him to be scripturally qualified to serve as an elder? It is reasonably clear to me that if none of his children is faithful, he is not scripturally qualified. But what about 90% (as in the above hypothetical case)? While not ideal, I am not prepared to say that such a man is disqualified (assuming he meets all other criteria). What about 80%? 50%? 33%? 10%? Again, the Bible does not offer a specific, definitive answer to every conceivable, real-life predicament. Therefore, based on common sense, mature reasoning, general biblical principles, and knowledge of each unique situation, judgment calls have to be made.

Conclusion

     The only dogmatic statement I can make (and am compelled to make) is that a man should not serve as an elder if none of his children is faithful to the Lord. When multiple children are involved, the lower the percentage the more circumspect we ought to be. If I were to err, it would be on the side of caution.

     Consciences must not be violated. Unnecessary conflict should be averted. Commitment to doctrinal purity and the spiritual health of the church ought to supersede personalities, preferences, feelings, and opinions. For “if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1 Timothy 3:5).

--Kevin L. Moore

Related Posts: Train up a child 

Related articles: Michael Whitworth’s He Must Have Faithful Children, Jerrie Barber's Unfaithful Children and Elders 

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