Today’s Leader of Faith
ADA RUTH HABERSHON
Home Call : 01 Feb 1918
Preacher, Evangelist, Author, Hymn-Writer, Theologian, Singer
Ada Ruth Habershon (1861–1918) was a British hymn writer and a prominent Christian author, particularly known for her contributions to evangelical Christian hymns. She is best remembered for writing several hymns, including, “Will the Circle be Unbroken?” and for her work in Bible study and Christian literature. She was also involved in the work of the Bible Society and was known for her deep spiritual insight and commitment to Christian ministry. Her focus was on typology and biblical prophecy, and she was respected for her theological insights, particularly regarding the connections between the Old and New Testaments. Her writings often emphasized the themes of trust in God and the steadfastness of faith. She was inspired by Charles Spurgeon, her pastor while going to Metropolitan church and D.L. Moody, where she worked in his ministry for a period of time. She is also known for her ministry among women. In 1912, she founded the Women’s Branch of the Society for the Investigation of Prophecy, where she presented papers at twice-yearly conferences. She served as its honorary secretary until her death.
Habershon, born on 8 January 1861 in Marylebone, England, was the youngest of four children. Her father, Samuel Osborne Habershon, was a prominent physician, and her mother, Grace, raised the family in a Christian home. They were part of the Plymouth Brethren movement and also worshipped regularly at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, where Pastor Charles Spurgeon became a close family friend. Spurgeon wrote to Ada following the deaths of her parents in 1889. She was educated in Dover and at the Female School of Art in South Kensington. Afterward, she dedicated herself to Christian ministry, working with her parents at the ragged school in Gray’s Yard, which served underprivileged children. She also met Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey during their evangelistic mission in London, where she sang two songs with Sankey. After her parents’ deaths, she joined the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen in the early 1890s and served as finance secretary for the London YWCA, raising funds for the construction of their headquarters.
In the 1890s, Habershon began writing and teaching on the Bible. After reconnecting with D.L. Moody at the 1892 Keswick Convention, she visited the United States at his request to deliver lectures on the Old Testament. Her American tour in 1895 included teaching at Northfield Seminary, the Moody Bible Institute, and the Moody Church. Some of her lectures were published in 1898 as Types in the Old Testament. Following her American tour, Habershon continued an itinerant teaching ministry, focusing on the Tabernacle, using a specially commissioned model. However, illness eventually led her to concentrate on writing. She authored several books on Bible typology, exploring how Old Testament figures and events foreshadowed the work of Christ. She also wrote on topics such as the Parables, the miracles of Jesus, and the Book of Revelation. Her books were well-received and often included prefaces by prominent evangelical leaders like Sir Robert Anderson and James Martin Gray. Her works were reviewed in respected periodicals, such as The Churchman and The Expository Times. Unlike many women authors of her time, she always published under her own name. She began writing hymns in 1901 and contributed nearly a thousand hymns for evangelistic campaigns, including those by Charles M. Alexander and John Wilbur Chapman. In 1907, she published Twelve Sacred Songs in collaboration with Robert Harkness.
Habershon passed away in Marylebone, at the age of 57. Her autobiography, A Gatherer of Fresh Spoils, was compiled by her sister and published in 1918. Her works continue to inspire Christians around the world, offering both a theological foundation and a rich, devotional expression of faith.