Christian history tends to spotlight the same few women—Mother Teresa, maybe a passing mention of Amy Carmichael—while countless others who shaped faith and culture get left in the shadows. Some were too radical. Some made the wrong (read: powerful male leaders) uncomfortable. And some were just too ahead of their time.
But these women? They didn’t wait for permission. They preached, led, advocated and completely reshaped what it meant to follow Jesus. Here are five Christian women from the last 125 years who deserve way more recognition.
1. Corrie Ten Boom – The Woman Who Risked It All to Save Lives
Corrie ten Boom’s faith wasn’t just words—it was action. Born in 1892 in the Netherlands, she and her family hid Jewish refugees in their home during World War II. Eventually, they were caught and sent to concentration camps. Corrie survived. Her father and sister did not.
After the war, instead of retreating into bitterness, she dedicated her life to preaching forgiveness and reconciliation. She even forgave the Nazi guard who had tormented her in the camps. Her story, immortalized in The Hiding Place, continues to inspire people to live out their faith in radical, self-sacrificial ways.
2. Fannie Lou Hamer – The Civil Rights Icon Who Preached Justice as a Gospel Issue
Fannie Lou Hamer was done with a Christianity that only cared about heaven and ignored injustice on earth.
Born in 1917, she was a sharecropper’s daughter in Mississippi who became one of the fiercest voices in the Civil Rights Movement. Her faith wasn’t just personal—it was political. She co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, fought for Black voting rights, and stared down white supremacists while refusing to back down.
One of her most famous moments? Testifying before Congress in 1964 about the brutality she faced for trying to vote. President Lyndon B. Johnson literally interrupted her speech with a press conference because he was terrified of how powerful her words were. (Spoiler: it backfired.)
Hamer saw no divide between faith and activism. She famously said, “Christianity is being concerned about others. If you’re not concerned about others, you’re not practicing Christianity.”
3. Kathryn Kuhlman – The Woman Who Made Miracles Mainstream
Kathryn Kuhlman was healing people before megachurch pastors were buying private jets.
Born in 1907, she was a fiery evangelist known for her faith-healing ministry that drew massive crowds in the mid-20th century. At a time when women in ministry were still controversial (not that much has changed, honestly), Kuhlman traveled the country holding healing services where people claimed to be miraculously cured.
Of course, the skeptics came for her—people accused her of being dramatic, manipulative, even fraudulent. But unlike many televangelists of her era, she never focused on money or personal gain. She was all about faith, the Holy Spirit, and making room for the miraculous.
Her influence can still be seen today in Pentecostal and charismatic movements, and her teachings on the Holy Spirit continue to shape how people understand spiritual gifts.
4. Aimee Semple McPherson – The Celebrity Preacher Who Made Church a Spectacle
Before there was televangelism, there was Aimee Semple McPherson—an early 20th-century evangelist who understood that faith had to be felt.
Born in 1890, McPherson was a Pentecostal preacher who founded the Foursquare Church and became one of the first celebrity Christians. But she didn’t just preach—she performed. Her sermons included elaborate stage productions, complete with costumes, sound effects, and even live animals. She packed out venues like the Hollywood Bowl, attracting thousands of people to her services.
But she was also deeply involved in social justice, opening one of the first large-scale church-run food banks during the Great Depression and advocating for racial integration in churches.
Oh, and did I mention she faked her own kidnapping? In 1926, she mysteriously disappeared for five weeks and later claimed she had been abducted. The press was obsessed with the scandal, and to this day, no one really knows what happened.
5. Fanny Crosby – The Hymn Writer Who Gave the Church Its Soundtrack
Fanny Crosby might not have preached from the pulpit, but her impact on the church is undeniable. Born in 1820 and blind from infancy, Crosby went on to write over 8,000 hymns—many of which are still sung today, including Blessed Assurance, To God Be the Glory, and Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.
Despite her physical limitations, she refused to let anything hinder her faith or her creativity. She was also deeply involved in social work, spending much of her life helping the poor in New York City missions. Her hymns were a theological force, shaping generations of Christian worship with messages of hope, grace, and devotion.
Even though she wrote under multiple pseudonyms (because publishers thought people wouldn’t want to buy so many hymns from the same woman), her legacy is unmatched. If you’ve ever attended a traditional church service, chances are you’ve sung a Crosby hymn without even realizing it.
Why Their Stories Matter
These women were pioneers, leaders and visionaries who helped shape modern faith and culture. Their contributions—whether through activism, music, ministry or social work—continue to impact churches, communities and individual believers today. Learning their stories isn’t just about honoring the past; it’s about understanding how faith has always been about action, courage and pushing boundaries.