Sarah Katherine Taylor Her Bridgton connection

by James Nalley

In 1860, Reuben Paine died in Danielsonville, Connecticut, leaving seven children and their mother to make ends meet. At that time, 13-yearold Sarah was forced to leave home to do housework for two years, after which she worked in a shoe shop. However, according to her biographical article in the book Women of the Century (1893) by Charles Wells Moulton, “Not satisfied with that work, she studied evenings and fitted herself to be a teacher.” Over time, she felt called to gospel work and became an evangelist, a temperance activist, and advocate for children. She eventually settled in Bridgton, where her husband, Rev. Taylor, served as a pastor of a church, while she engaged in preaching, lecturing, writing, and holding children’s meetings for the congregation.

Sarah Katherine Paine was born in Danielsonville, Connecticut, on November 19, 1847. As stated earlier, she left home early to find work to support her family, and eventually became a teacher. At the age of 18, she began to hold children’s meetings and write for religious papers. In 1868, Paine worked in the office of The Christian, based in Boston, Massachusetts.

As stated in the Women of the Century, Paine “In January 1869, went to Seabrook, New Hampshire, and gave herself wholly to gospel work, holding meetings during evenings and going house to house to read the Bible and pray with families.” In April of that year, Paine went to Belmont, New Hampshire, and held meetings in which more than 150 individuals were converted. In September 1869, Rev. Austin Wheeler Taylor and Paine were married.

For several years, the newly married couple held meetings throughout New England, after which they settled in Kennebunk. There, she assisted Rev. Taylor, preaching Sundays and overseeing the Sunday school. From 1877 to 1887, Taylor and her husband made their home in Harrison, where she preached half the time as an associate pastor. Meanwhile, she spent 1881 and 1882 in Boston, as the editor of The Little Christian, a children’s publication.

In her time in Boston, Taylor became extremely interested in homeless children and meeting their needs. In fact, when she returned to Maine in 1883, she brought six young children with her, and found good homes for each one. According to the Women of the Century, “For many years, more than 40 children were placed with families, one of whom she adopted herself. Such work was performed almost entirely at her own expense.”

Despite her fragile health and continuing focus on her religious aspirations, Taylor still found time to study each day, particularly on the sciences, Latin, Greek, Spanish, French, and German. In 1889, Rev. Taylor became the pastor of a church in Bridgton, where the couple remained for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, she continued preaching, lecturing, holding children’s meetings, organizing Sunday school, and performing missionary work. Moreover, she served as a pastor in Kennebunkport (1894–1898) and as an associate pastor in Rockland.

In 1897, Taylor became president and business manager of the Women’s Home and Foreign Mission Society of the Advent Christian Church. She was apparently successful, since, in only one year, the church grew from four to more than 300 members. Taylor was also the editor of its publication, All Nations Monthly, as well as the editor of Bible Faith Mission Standard, both published in Bridgton.

She spent her remaining years in Bridgton, aside from a world tour in 1908–1909 visiting various missions and preaching the Gospel. On May 28, 1920, Taylor died in Bridgton. She was 72 years of age. As for her legacy, perhaps the objective of the Advent Christian Church exemplifies Taylor the best: “To engage and unite the efforts of Christian women of the Advent Christian denomination in sending the Gospel throughout the world, to deepen the spiritual life among believers in Christ, and by organization, to render more efficient the work of the women of the Advent Christian Church.”