ABSTRACT
As a young woman, Elsie had become involved in almost every aspect of the work of Islington Chapel. Her mother had been elected to serve as the church secretary in 1929, initially to work with the SUHYLRXVRIÀFHKROGHU DQG IURP LQ5REHUW 6KHSKHUG·VÀUVW year as minister there, as secretary in her own right. At that time the QXPEHURIZRPHQKROGLQJVXFKDQRIÀFHLQ&RQJUHJDWLRQDOFKXUFKHV in this country was very low – only nine women, including Annie &KDPEHUODLQZHUHOLVWHGLQDVFKXUFKVHFUHWDULHVLQWKH/RQGRQ Congregational Union, out of a total of 251 churches. In that same \HDURQO\ZRPHQZHUH UHFRUGHGDV FKXUFK VHFUHWDULHV LQ WKH Congregational Union of England and Wales as a whole, out of a WRWDORIDSSUR[LPDWHO\FKXUFKHV1 Strengthening the family link, (OVLH·VEURWKHU6LGQH\DQGKLVZLIHZHUHWKHVHFUHWDU\DQGWUHDVXUHU of the missionary work at the chapel. It was at this time that Robert Shepherd, having detected in her the gifts and the required toughness of mind, urged Elsie to consider the ministry as a calling. She seems to have responded quickly for he was soon teaching her and others the rudiments of Old Testament Hebrew and encouraging her to make initial enquiries about ministerial training.
