Charlotte Digges Moon was born in 1840 to a wealthy and elite family of Albemarle county Virginia. She was born third in a family that would eventually come to have seven children.[1] Her childhood home was the Viewmont estate, a tobacco plantation within proximity to three presidential estates, Monticello, Montpelier, and Ashlawn.[2] Lottie’s maternal uncle had once purchased the Monticello estate, former home of Thomas Jefferson, in order to preserve it.[3]

The Moon household thrived on income from its vast land holdings that had been accumulated and developed since the middle of the eighteenth century. Lottie’s father was estimated to have had land holdings in the neighborhood of fifteen-hundred acres.[4] As a plantation in the pre-Civil War era, many of their cash crops like tobacco were processed by slave labor.[5]

During her younger years the commonwealth of Virginia was divided in religious turmoil. The Presbyterians and Baptists were divided on the issue of infant baptism. Lottie’s father, Edward Moon, who was a Presbyterian, became a Baptist when he was stirred to religious conviction while reading a pamphlet on pedo-baptism given to him by his presbyter.[6]  Catharine Allen notes that Lottie’s father became quite a devout Baptist in his leanings, “He became a deacon and a clerk, led in the establishment of a Sunday school, and often represented his church at Baptist association meetings”[7]

Lottie’s mother, Anna Moon, was also a staunch Baptist, even after Lottie’s father passed away.  Sullivan writes that Anna Moon was such a strong supporter of the Baptist church that she “housed the local minister in her home when there was no steady pastor available… she was instrumental in building a Baptist church in Scottsville…until a church was built, she lead regular Sunday church services in her home for neighbors, children, and slaves.”[8]

Other denominational issues would also plague the Moon household. Lottie’s maternal uncle, James Barclay warned Lottie’s mother and grandmother to stay away from revival services that came to nearby Scottsdale because of their Campbellite leanings. However, he later attended the services along with his wife and they found themselves joining with a new denomination called the “Disciples.” He would become an elder and builder of the church in Scottsdale. He would also serve as the Disicples first missionary.[9]

However, the dedication of her parents to the Baptist denomination and Christian faith did not seem to rub off on Lottie or the other Moon Children.  Catherine Allen writes, “Despite the parents’ best efforts, the acrimony of religious dispute left a bad impression on the children. They developed real hostility toward Christian matters and stayed home from church whenever possible.”[10] In the fall of 1852, Edward Moon grew sick and seemingly was within sight of death. He lamented to his pastor and friends within the hearing of his children that he was grieved that his two oldest children were grown and yet unconverted. Allen states, “The children gathered at bedside showed no remorse at this emotional plea.”[11]

Edward moon was cured of his sickness and in 1852 set off on a journey to buy cotton in New Orleans. On the way, however, the steamer caught fire forcing the passengers to flee. Edwards stayed behind struggling to pull a large piece of leather luggage that contained the funds he needed to make his purchases.[12] In the middle of his struggle he was struck with what is assumed to be a heart attack or stroke and died shortly thereafter on the bank of the Mississippi. The date was January 26, 1853 and young Lottie Moon “entered the critical teen years” without a father.[13]

(Stay tuned for More Tomorrow)

Recently I have been researching and writing about Lottie Moon the famous Southern Baptist Missionary. I thought I would share some thoughts here this week. I will be posting once a day over the next five days (Monday – Friday) on the life and times of Lottie Moon. For those of you who may not know about Lottie Moon and her mission legacy, here is a brief introduction:

The name, Lottie Moon, is one familiar to most rank and file Southern Baptists church members.  Lottie Moon was a single female missionary commissioned by the Southern Baptist who served in China at the turn of the twentieth century.  Annually the Southern Baptist Convention receives a Christmas offering in her name to support the ongoing work of the International Missions Board. This offering is responsible for funding well over fifty percent of the work of the IMB and is estimated to be the largest offering of its kind.

While the offering is in and of itself noteworthy, the woman who inspired the offering is nothing short of amazing. Some have speculated that she is the closest thing that Southern Baptist’s have to a saint. Catherine B. Allen writes about the legacy of Miss Moon:

Like many other missionaries, Lottie Moon left a legacy that paved the way for succeeding generations. But unlike any other missionary, Miss Moon left a legacy that largely paid the way for the growth of the largest missionary force of any evangelical or Protestant denomination.[1]

Albert Mohler in a lecture series at Southern Seminary in 2008 noted, “It is one of the happiest things about an investigation of the life and missions legacy of Lottie Moon: The more you know, the more you come to understand that this woman represents far more than meets the eye, far more than the Southern Baptist memory can contain.”[2] Even at the time of her death, the Southern Baptist Missions Journal commented that she was, “The best man among our missionaries.”[3] Praise for Lottie Moon is not limited to those within the Southern Baptist denomination. Recently scholars have begun looking at Moons legacy from a feminist perspective and praise Moon for her bold spirit in blazing new trails for women, in a society domineered by men.