Born Into Slavery and Suffering
Amanda Berry was born into slavery in Maryland in 1837. Though her father eventually purchased freedom for the family, Amanda's early life was marked by hardship. She worked as a domestic servant, endured two unhappy marriages, and lost most of her children to early death.
Yet through all her suffering, Amanda sought God. She had been converted earlier, but something was missing. She hungered for the "entire sanctification" that the Holiness preachers described - that complete cleansing and empowerment by the Holy Spirit.
The 1868 Sanctification Experience
In September 1868, Amanda attended a service at Green Street Methodist Church in New York City. The renowned Holiness preacher John Inskip was speaking about sanctification - that it was instantaneous and received by faith.
As Amanda listened, something happened. "I felt the touch of God from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet," she later testified. The weight of years of sorrow and striving lifted. Walking home, she could not contain herself - she shouted praises and sang with joy at being sanctified.
"I felt that I was married to Jesus," she declared. The experience transformed her life completely.
Becoming a Powerful Evangelist
From that day forward, Amanda Berry Smith became a powerful evangelist. Despite being a Black woman in post-Civil War America - facing prejudice from both whites and some in her own community - she preached across the United States, England, Ireland, India, and West Africa over the next two decades.
Her autobiography became a bestseller. Camp meetings that had never welcomed a Black woman preacher began inviting her. When she spoke, people listened - not because of her education or status, but because of the undeniable power of a life transformed by the sanctifying touch of God.
