Emeline
Dryer
Christian Educator and
Administrator
While many have heard
of D.L. Moody, the famous
revivalist of the 19th
century, and the prominent
Bible School that bears his
name, not many know of the
woman who helped him make this
school a success. Her name is
Emeline Dryer.
Emeline Dryer, or
Emma, as she was known by her
friends, was born in
Massachusetts in 1835. While
she was still a child, both
her parents died, leaving her
orphaned. Emma was sent to
live with an aunt in New York
state and there she found
educational opportunities open
to her that were beyond the
norm for a rural New Yorker.
Being an excellent student,
Emma gladly pursued her
studies. She went on to study
at the LeRoy Female Seminary
and graduated with Highest
Honors.
After she graduated,
Emma joined the staff of
Knoxville Female College and
stayed on there until the
Civil War. For the next few
years, Emma taught elementary
school and then accepted an
offer to join the faculty of
Illinois State Normal
University n 1864. Throughout
her teaching career, Emma
displayed a deep commitment to
Christ. She often spent her
summers and holidays
participating in Christian
work, such as teaching,
evangelizing, discipleship,
and relief-work.
In 1870, Emma went
through a trial that would
change her direction in life.
In that year she became ill
with typhoid fever. Her
doctors did not hold out much
hope that she’d ever recover
and Emma, herself, didn’t
expect to live through the
illness. But the Lord had
other plans. He provided
complete healing and through
this trial in her life, Emma
felt God’s call to commit her
life to Christian service
rather than secular teaching.
It was not an easy
decision for her to enter
full-time Christian work. As
head of the women’s faculty at
Illinois State Normal
University, she received a
good salary, security, and
much respect. To enter
full-time Christian service
meant for her to give this all
up. But after counting the
costs, she followed God’s lead
and in late 1870, Emma moved
to Chicago for a position that
offered no salary and no
worldly recognition. Miss
Dryer was now going to live by
faith. It was during this year
that Emma was introduced to
D.L. Moody and his wife, Emma,
and they became fast friends.
While Mr. Moody
admired Emma’s deep faith, he
saw even more in her than
that. He saw a woman of high
intelligence, with superb
teaching skills and a deep,
practical knowledge of
Scripture. What ever Emma set
her mind to, she accomplished.
Time proved her to be
dependable, energetic, and
dedicated to Christian work.
In 1871, after the
terrible fire that devastated
Chicago, Moody began to spend
most of his time ministering
to the needs of those damaged
financially and physically by
the fire. He invited all the
youth to his Church and he had
enlisted the help of Emma
Dryer to teach the masses of
people Bible Study classes. He
was able to persuade Emma to
remain in Chicago and continue
with her teaching at the Moody
Church. He also prompted Emma
to work as the head of
Chicago’s Women’s Aid Society
and as superintendent of the
Women’s Auxiliary of the YMCA
(later know as the YWCA).
Seeing how this work was
growing fueled Moody’s
interest educational purposes.
He began to develop a plan in
which those men and women
entering upon mission or
evangelistic work might
receive systematic training in
the Bible.
In early 1873, a few
months before He was to return
to England on an evangelistic
campaign, Moody convinced Emma
Dryer to open a school to
train women who wanted to
enter home or foreign missions
or evangelistic work. This
school would give needed
training in Bible, theology,
and practically ministry to
fulfill Moody’s primary goal
of getting trained women
evangelists and personal
workers into the homes of
unchurched residents of
Chicago. While the school
began with training women,
Moody had a much larger vision
and intended it to eventually
include men as well.
With the influence of
D.L. Moody, the school was
provided with proper funding
to support Emma and the women
in training. The school
provided suitable training
befitting those going into
Christian work. It was from
these humble beginnings that
the Chicago Bible Institute
(later known as Moody Bible
Institute) was born.
In 1883, with the
permission of Moody, Emma
organized and headed the first
of a series of week-long
training sessions known as the
“May Institute”. At these
meetings church members would
meet to pray and have open
discussions in regards to the
Bible and the work of the
Church. Emma was especially
interested in deepening the
role of women in the Christian
community, as well as in their
own families. It was with this
goal in mind that she led a
ladies Bible Study where she
urged women to take an active
role in their children’s
education and upbringing. She
urged them on into Christian
service so they would be an
example to their children of
serving Christ in their
community.
Emma Dryer gave her
life in service to her God.
She gave up a life of
financial security and worldly
acclaim to live a life based
on her faith in God to provide
for her needs while she worked
to further the work of His
kingdom. God did faithfully
provided for her during her
entire life and developed her
work into a lasting legacy
that continues even today in
training men and women for the
work of Christian service: the
Moody Bible Institute.
