Margaret E. Barber

Margaret E. Barber

Margaret Emma Barber or M. E. Barber (1866–1930; Chinese: 和受恩; Pinyin: Hé Shòuēn; Foochow Romanized: Huò Sêu-ŏng), was a British missionary in China. She was born in 1866 in Peasenhall, County Suffolk, England, the daughter of Louis (a wheelwright) and Martha (née Gibbs) Barber. During the course of her life, she lived in China twice to preach the Christian gospel. She left her home and traveled in a lonely way thousands of miles. Barber, who initially went to China as an Anglican, became an independent missionary with informal ties to the Plymouth Brethren. She is best known for her influence on Watchman Nee (Nee Tuo-Sheng).

Along the south China coast (in Foochow), she and others regularly taught a Bible class at "White Teeth Rock". There she had contact with Nee who was studying at Anglican Trinity College. Barber referred him to books by J. N. Darby, Madam Jeanne Guyon, Jessie Penn-Lewis, D. M. Panton, T. Austin Sparks, and of others, which had been of help to her. She also influence others Chinese Christian leaders, including Leland Wang who later formed the Chinese Foreign Missionary Union.