| Notes |
- b 3.4.1895 Adelaide South Australia. Educated at home until 12 years of age then Hobart Ladies' College (5 years), the University of Tasmania, then came to NZ and entered Canterbury University College where she gained her B.A. Degree with 2nd grade honours in English (1917)
Taught for three years at Craighead Girls' School, Timaru.
Presbyterian Women's Training Institute 1920
Dedicated for Mission service in China as an Educational worker 19.8.1920
Fong Ts'uen 1920
Kong Chuen 1922
Initially placed in charge of the Tak Kei Girls' Boarding School at Kong Chuen.
Rep 1926: she has been asked to delay return from furlough, & if unable to go to Kong Chuen, she has been invited to the LMS school in Hong Kong.
Asked by the Kwantung Synod of the Church of Christ in China to become Principal of the Shung Kei Bible Training School for Women Workers.
Shung Kei School, Hong Kong 7.1939 to 3.1940
Sha Tin, New Territories Hong Kong 4.1941;
Interned in Stanley Camp, Hong Kong 25.12.1941.
On release in 1945 returned to NZ, arr 21.2.1946.
Returned to China 14.2.1947.
Shung Kei Bible Training School 1947 - Had responsibility for overall planning and directing, lecturing in Old and New Testaments and Chinese Church history, and sharing in practical training.
Her duties included speaking and preaching in many Churches and villages, Committee responsibilities both in the local Church and in many spheres of the Church's activities, especially of its Women's work.
After all foreign Missionaries were asked to leave China in 1951, Frances was appointed as a Missionary teacher at the Chinese School in Suva, Fiji.
Experience there led her and the Overseas Missions Committee to believe that there was not a continuing responsibility for our Church in that area and the work ceased at the end of 1953.
At the request of the Sixth District Association in Hong Kong, she was appointed to relieve Rev EG Jansen at the Hoh Fuk Tong Training Centre at Castle Peak during his furlough in 1953.
Early in 1954 she again took up the training of women for leadership in the Chinese Church: Castle Peak, New Territories 1954, Principal, Women's Training School; ret 31.12.1960;
"Frances was educated in Australia and moved to NZ with parents in 1914; she completed her university studies at Canterbury University with BA in English. Taught at Craighead Girls School, Timaru. She offered in 1920 for service as Missionaryn China. Following training at PWTI she sailed for China, arriving at Kong Chuen in Sept 1920 and became Principal of Tak Kei Boarding School for Girls. Within a few years she had persuaded the authorities that it was ridiculous for a foreigner to occupy such a position when there were Chinese capable of the task. From then on Miss SK Wong was Principal. This was a view well ahead of its time. Frances then spent the next decade or so in village evangelism and deaconess work.
In 1938 the Kwangtung Synod appointed Frances Principal of Shung Kei Bible Training Institute, training Deaconesses for the whole Synod area. Shortly afterwards the Japanese occupation drove them from Paak Hok Tung in Canton, to become refugees in Hong Kong. In 1941 Frances was interned with other 'enemy aliens' in Stanley Bay Internment Camp, where her gifts as teacher, preacher, counsellor & friend were highly valued.
With peace in 1945, Frances returned to Canton where she was responsible for rebuilding work of training Deaconesses at Shung Kei Bible Training Institute. By Oct 1949 the Communist regime was in control of mainland China and by 1951 was ready to challenge the Christian Church to get rid of foreign support in money and personnel. In order not to embarrass her Chinese friends, Frances left China.
Arrived Hong Kong 23 Mar 1951 and travelling via Australia, returned to NZ, Aug 1951.
So great was her commitment to mission service that she took up work in Suva, teaching for two years in a Chinese School there. Appointed as from Jan 1952. Assistance to the Chinese School in Suva discontinued Dec 1953.
By 1953 the Hong Kong district of the Christian Church in China had regrouped and wanted to get women's training re-established. Frances returned to New Territories and continued training women, as leaders for Chinese Church. She was truly gifted as Teacher and Preacher and fluent in Chinese language, reading and writing, as well as speaking it.
In 1960, after 40 years of service in China, Frances retired and returned to NZ, living in Wellington.
When the APW was inaugurated, her clear vision, cheerful enthusiasm and complete commitment to Jesus Christ enabled her to allay the fears of women throughout the Church that overseas missions would be forgotten. She also spent some time as relieving Principal of the Deaconess College, Dunedin.
"Own Missionary" of Knox Church, Christchurch.
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1895 - 1993 (98 years)
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