Highfield A Time to Heal: Missionary Nurses in Churches of Christ, Southeastern Nigeria (1953-1967)

Martha Farrar Highfield’s history, “A Time to Heal, Missionary Nurses in Churches of Christ Southeastern Nigeria,” is so well written, that it was hard for me to put it down. Perhaps, part of my keen interest in her story is based on the fact that we are both children of American evangelists in Nigeria. I was with my parents in the Eastern Region from 1956-1958 and in Lagos from 1960-1962. She was there as a child from 1963 to 1967. The names and places she mentions are familiar to me, being a part of my childhood.Highfield gives a brief summary of the beginning of the work of known churches of Christ in Nigeria in the early 1950’s and describes early “backdoor” nursing care provided by the wives of early American evangelists. In the early 1960’s there was a growing desire, especially on the part of Rees Bryant, to provide better medical care from churches of Christ. Highfield gave a brief but fair summary of the controversy over whether medical care should be part of the work of churches. She emphasized the love and respect that those on different sides of the issue maintained for each other in Nigeria. I wish the same fairness and love had also characterized that controversy in the States.The backbone of the book tells of the sacrifices of a number of individuals, especially her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Henry Farrar, to build and maintain the Nigerian Christian Hospital. Their idealism, sacrificial spirit and perseverance were evident as they battled with the Nigerian bureaucracy, disease (her father suffered from hepatitis) tribal politics, funding problems, and living challenges to reach their dream. Highfield’s writing is especially personal and moving when writing of the lives of the two nurses who provided most of the medical help to Farrar: Nancy Petty and Iris Hayes.Highfield’s story ends with the tragic Biafran war that began in 1967 and the resulting death of up to three million Nigerians in the Eastern Region, primarily of starvation. Her family, her father in particular, escaped that disaster by the skin of their teeth!I love the well-researched book and recommend it. The timeline and index, essential for this type of volume, are helpful.In a few short exchanges with Martha Highfield and in reading her book, I have come to respect her, just as my dad says that he highly respected her parents. I can see that she inherited their sacrificial spirit. However, I should mention that we have two completely different perspectives of “church” or “the Church of Christ,” which she abbreviates, “COC.” Biblically, the church of Christ is simply all the saved people in the world. Only God knows who is in this body because only he knows to whom he will extend his mercy. Though I recognize the influence of various figures of religious history in my life, I suppose I’m still “naïve” enough to simply want to identify with the church in the biblical senses, the body of saved. However, Highfield’s use of the term “COC” reflects the institutional concept of church. I think that she and many others see it as a network of congregations along with its parachurch organizations that comes from the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. It competes with other networks (Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, etc.) for converts. It has its “COC” preachers,” “COC” hospitals, “COC” doctrine, etc. If there is any spiritual advantage in simply identifying with God’s body of saved people (a non denominational view of church), then the institutional concept and the terminology that accompanies it, erodes it, especially in the long term.I pointed this out to Highfield and she acknowledged my point and agreed in principle with it. Her position was that she was just trying to use the abbreviation “COC” as a kind of shorthand that those interested in religious history would understand.I admire Mother Teresa, Albert Schweitzer and others who have sacrificed for others in spite of having concepts that I feel to be unhealthy in some ways. Admiration is especially in order for people like the Bryants, the Farrars, Nancy Petty and Iris Hayes, who are much closer to my spiritual perspectives, though we still differ in some. May God have mercy on all of us!

“Prof Martha Highfield has written a rich, powerful history of Missionary Nurses in the Churches of Christ in the land of Nigeria. It is a story that has not been told, but strongly deserves to be. This is cutting-edge history from a person who probably knows more about this topic than anyone living today. Social history, women's history, and church history are three fields that will find this book meaningful and enriching.” - Dyron B. Daughrity, PhD, Professor of Religion, Religion & Philosophy Division,Pepperdine University, Malibu, California.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In addition to being a personal witness to the events detailed in this book, Marty Highfield has done extensive research through interviews, journals letters, church bulletins, newspapers and official documents to tell the story of missionary nurses in southeastern Nigeria and the founding of Nigeria Christian Hospital. Starting with “backdoor dispensaries,” these courageous women used their skills and training to not only provide medical care to the people of Nigeria, but to also train them to carry on their work. With a combination of faith and determination, a fully staffed surgical hospital was established in 1967. From conquering fears of snakes to fleeing from a civil war, this book honors those who helped bring spiritual and physical healing to Nigeria.Bonnie Miller, author of Messengers of the Rison Son in the Land of the Rising Sun: Single Women Missionaries in Japan****************************************************Jesus gives his disciples a passion for the kingdom and compassion for the poor. This book provides an engaging case study of this passion and the compassion through the powerful link two nurses provided between missionaries and a suffering people they were called to serve, between western medical care and indigenous beliefs, and between the church and its community. Their story bears witness to the necessity of partnerships among sending churches and missionaries as well as with advocates for medical missions, with local leaders, with the women they trained, and with each other.As I read this book, I laughed out loud and was moved to tears. I appreciated the level of research and detail, empathizing with the editorial challenge of deciding what to include, knowing so much more could be told. I saw missiological principles emerge from their successes and failures. They faced a host of worldview challenges in their encounter with polygamy, medicine men, hygiene, tribalism, view toward pain, patron-client relationships, egalitarianism, honor-shame culture, cheating, and managing conflicts.At a personal level, this book will inspire you to serve God with more courage, faithfulness, greater dependence on God and a desire to do more for God in a hurting world. It serves as an effective and powerful testimony for the necessity of a holistic mission that integrates the proclamation of the kingdom with the care for the sick. This is ultimately a story of the goodness and honor of God blessing our efforts to do his will--all we need to do is reflected in a phase repeated several times in this book—“they did what they could with what they had.”Evertt W. Huffard, PhDMissions Resource NetworkRetired Dean/Professor of Missions at Harding School of Theology

This is a true story of a number of brave and capable young women who dared to serve the sick and dying of eastern Nigeria during the fifties and sixties. Conditions at that time were difficult and sometimes frightful, but never dull. During those two decades, the author grew up. She was able to closely observe two of these amazing women as they played their part in the beginning of a Christian hospital. She tells it like it was--mistakes and all. I found this story easy to read, fascinating, and sometimes hilarious. It has been well researched and documented. I believe you will enjoy it also.