Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch was delighted and privileged to speak in a debate in Parliament recently to celebrate the life of the Christian Missionary, Mary Slessor, as the country gets ready to celebrate international women’s day on March 8th.

Mr Thompson said, It was an honour to speak in the debate on Mary Slessor who is an inspiration to Christians and women alike.

During her time in Nigeria, Mary saved hundreds of lives, stopped human sacrifices and severe punishments, and even the outbreak of tribal war.

Her unwavering belief in God and her determination to make the lives of the people of Nigeria better mean her name has been written into history.

She will be rightly celebrated in Dundee and all over the world in this the centenary year of her death and on international women’s day on the 8th of March”.

Note:

Dave’s speech delivered in Parliament on 3rd March (2015) below:

Motion S4M-12191, in the name of Jenny Marra, on celebrating Mary Slessor on international women’s day.

Speech: Dave Thompson (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP):

“I thank Jenny Marra for securing this important debate on the life of an amazing Christian woman. I highlighted Mary Slessor’s Christianity in my amendment, which I thank Jenny Marra for acknowledging.

Mary Slessor was a hard-working mill girl from Dundee who, as Jenny Marra said, became a Christian missionary in Calabar in Nigeria. She is an inspiration. Calabar was an area where no European had set foot before and, despite several bouts of illness and constant danger, Mary lived with the tribes and learned their language and traditions. She adopted many Nigerian children, and in particular twins who had been left to die. She was an astonishing woman, and it is only right that on international women’s day in 2015 we celebrate her contribution to the world.

Mary was renowned for being an industrious woman who grew up in an environment of slum housing, poor pay and short life expectancy. She started her working life early, while she was still at school, in the toil of the jute mills, which were unsafe, noisy and unhealthy. By the age of 14 she was working 10 hours a day as a skilled weaver. She was one of seven children who were born to a loving mother but a cruel father, Robert Slessor, who regularly assaulted his wife after heavy drinking sessions. Mary’s mother, despite her hard life, remained a strictly pious woman. She encouraged young Mary to attend church, and Mary became a fully committed Christian.

As Mary’s enthusiasm continued to grow, the whole family listened with interest to the progress of the Christian missionaries abroad. It soon became Mary’s dream—some might say her calling—to become one of them. She immersed herself in the Bible and thrust herself into learning all that she could. She was particularly spurred on by the efforts of fellow Christian David Livingstone. She taught Bible class in the Queen Street mission, conducted prayer meetings and helped the poorest and most underprivileged children. She attended Wishart Memorial church in the Cowgate, which sat above a pub and earned the local nickname “Heaven and Hell”.

Mary dedicated herself to Jesus and to her education, spending every moment expanding her knowledge, and of course she prayed for guidance, which came. When David Livingstone died in 1874, published beside his obituary was a piece of his writing that seemed to address Mary alone. It read:

“I direct you to Africa ... to carry out the work that I have begun ... I leave it to you”.

It was the calling that Mary had been waiting for. Despite the dangers, she applied to the foreign missionary board of the Scottish United Presbyterian Church. Her application was accepted, for service at the Hope Waddell mission in Calabar. So it was that, on 5 August 1876, at the age of 28 and dressed in sober attire—every inch a Victorian lady missionary—she set sail from Southampton on the SS Ethiopia, destination Africa.

During her time in Nigeria, Mary saved hundreds of lives, as has been said. She stopped sacrifices and severe punishments. She stopped the murder of twins and the outbreak of tribal war. Her unwavering belief in God, her bravery and her determination meant that she was greatly respected among the tribes.

Mary died in 1915, aged 67, with great mourning among those to whom she had dedicated her whole life. Since her death, she has become a worldwide inspiration for Christians and women alike, and it is great that her life will be celebrated in Dundee and elsewhere this year. However, we must not forget that she was first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ”.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=9811