Maria Fearing: Pioneer Teacher and Missionary

Early Life and the Quest for Literacy

Maria Fearing was born in 1838. She was enslaved as a house servant in Alabama. Following emancipation, she demonstrated an unyielding commitment to education, enrolling in the Freedman’s Bureau School in Talladega. In 1871, Maria completed the ninth grade, learning to read and write. at age 33.

Answering her call to Missions

The mistress of the house where she served often told Maria stories about missionaries in Africa. These stories left a deep impression on Fearing.

At age 56, some people told her she was too old. They said she didn’t have the money from the Southern Presbyterian Board. Nevertheless, she sold her house. She spent her life savings to pay for her own trip. She sailed to the Congo with William Henry Sheppard in 1894. This was part of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission.

“Mama Wa Mputu” and the Pantops Home

She worked there for more than 20 years. She established the Pantops Home for Girls in 1915. She taught in the mission day-school and Sunday school and worked with women in surrounding villages. Her students nicknamed her “Mama Wa Mputu” (mother from far away) to reflect their love and appreciation.

Return to Alabama and Lasting Honors

At the age of 78, Fearing was encouraged to retire. After returning to Alabama, Fearing taught at a church school in Selma. She later returned to Sumter County. She died there on May 23, 1937, at the age of 99.

In 1918, Maria received the Loving Cup, an honor bestowed by the Southern Presbyterian Church. Maria Fearing was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000.

CITATIONS

Mama wa Mputu: The Story of Maria Fearing (1950), Presbyterian Committee of Publication.

“Mama wa Mputu: Mother from Far Away,” Presbyterian Historical Society.

Kremer, Gary R. Perspectives on Black Missionaries in the Congo. Lincoln University Press.

“Talladega College Archives: The Legacy of Maria Fearing,” Talladega College Library.

“Maria Fearing (1838-1937),” Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame (2000).

“Fearing, Maria,” Dictionary of African Christian Biography.

“Maria Fearing,” Encyclopedia of Alabama (2025).