William and Florence Powell
William rushed back to Mexico from Texas in the hopes of saving one of his fellow Southern Baptist missionaries from imprisonment.
William rushed back to Mexico from Texas in the hopes of saving one of his fellow Southern Baptist missionaries from imprisonment.
William and Florence Powell learned in the late 1890s that the assets they had left behind in Texas when they moved to Mexico had been embezzled by the very judge who was entrusted to keep them safe. William rushed to Texas to defend their assets, and while a good portion of them were lost, he was able to save a few. But before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, William immediately returned to Mexico to intercede for a fellow Southern Baptist missionary who was in trouble with the law.
Unfortunately, H.R. Moseley had made some enemies in Mexico and these enemies mistranslated a tract of Moseley’s to stir up trouble for the missionary. The mistranslation was offensive to those of the Roman Catholic faith, and as a result Moseley was thrown in jail. Thanks to William’s skills in mediating and peacekeeping, Moseley was released from prison and given permission to leave the country safely.
Serving as a Southern Baptist missionary in Mexico during the 1890s was no easy task, and William and Florence were both familiar with the risks that accompanied the position. William traveled on horseback throughout the ranches and homes of Mexico, and was shot at, almost stabbed and threatened by many. Those of the Roman Catholic faith were not eager for Protestants to speak and preach freely.
Widely renowned for his charismatic personality and for his devotion to preaching the gospel in even the most dangerous places, William’s work as a missionary was fruitful and held in high esteem. While William traveled, Florence established a girls’ school in Saltillo, Mexico. Her dedication to girls’ education proved successful, and through William’s government contacts, the school multiplied into numerous locations.
After returning from the field, both William and Florence were active in Southern Baptist life, and William served as the field secretary for the Foreign Mission Board from 1913 until his death in 1934.