• “There’s a big difference between a life that’s a performance, and a life that’s an offering — One holds us captive. The other sets us free.” – Susie Larson

Marriage and Family – The Ravenhills

“Leonard was the perfect husband and father to us.”

“Leonard lived all his life with eternity’s values in view.”

Sometime in 1937, while pastoring at Oldham Leonard met a young lady who was attending mettings where he was preaching. Martha Wilson, a state-certified midwife, was working as the director of the nursing staff at Hope Hospital in Salford, on of the largest hospitals in England at the time.

When Martha was seventeen, she left Ireland by ship for Australia to be trained as a nurse. The journey took three months. After finishing the training she went to England and secured work at the hospital in Oldham. Four years younger than Leonard, Martha was from a family of seven children–five boys and two girls–from County Monaghan, Southern Ireland, where her father was a farmer and blacksmith, and also owned a mill.

Martha attended some of the meetings where Len was preaching near Manchester. The details of the development of their friendship and courtship are not known, but what is known is that God led them together to be partners for life. leonard spoke only briefly of how they came together: “I met my precious Irish wife in a little town called Eccles ten miles out of Manchester. She was the night of supervisor at one of the largest hospitals in England. God wonderfully led us together.”

Their relationship developed with Christian fellowship and friendship and grew into love. Leonard and Martha were serious-minded believers and viewed marriage as haveing one primary purpose–to advance Christ’s kingdom and serve Him together.

The wedding was in Leeds in September of 1939 while Leonard was pastoring in Oldham. Their lives were linked together for the next fifty-five years. The Calvary Holiness magazine announced the wedding in its news section:

“Wedding bells were sounded in Leeds on the occasion of Brother Leonard Ravenhill’s marriage to sister Martha Wilson on Saturday, September 30. Maynard James and Jack Ford were the officiating ministers at this important event. We pray that God’s rich blessing may ever be the portion of the newly wedded couple, as they united to serve the Lord in the Christian ministry.”

Martha resigned from her nursing job to establish their home and took care of all domestic responsibilities so Leonard could study, pray, and preach. Their son David said later:

“My dad couldn’t even boil an egg–what I mean is he didn’t have to do anything in the home. Mom did everything so he could be free to pray, study, counsel, influence people, and preach. She did not want anything to hinder his work.”

Martha was protective of Leonard’s life and ministry and was wise and frugal. When they married they requested that no marriage gifts be given to them. At the time they were strongly considering going to Africa as missionaries among the pigmies of the Itui forest in the African Congo. They offered themselves for that field, but God closed the door. From Leonard’s perspective, it was: “We offered up our Isaac, and the Lord said, ‘No.'” England was to be their mission field for years to come.

Ravenhill sons soon began to arrive. Their first son Paul was born in 1940 while living in Sheffield. A second son, David, arrived in Burnley two years later and finally Philip was born in Bath in 1945. During these years Leonard was interim minister for churches in Bath, Burnley, Oldham, Salford, and Sheffield. The fact that all three were born in different towns reflects the fact that they were living in different locations during those years.

Martha was wholly given to their home life, raising the boys and supporting Len. Leonard later said, “Every mother is a career woman,” and that certainly applied to Martha. She left the boys with a baby sitter only once when Leonard was severely injured in 1951 while in America and she was at his bedside for weeks, leaving the boys with two families in their church.

Being around Leonard and Martha even for a brief time revealed that they had a special relationship. They honored one another in their words and actions. His favorit terms for her were “darling or Martha dear.” After their sons were grown, Martha traveled with Leonard every where he went. They did everything together and his relationship with her and their sons was very special, more often seen than spoken. Their closeness to each other was evident and bolstered the credibility of his message.
From the biography In Light of Eternity by Mack Tomlinson pp. 111-113

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5 Responses to Marriage and Family - The Ravenhills

  • Linda Elrod says:

    What a delight to find your website and to read about our precious Martha (and Leonard). Just this morning we went online to hear his testimony again (A Man of God). You see, Len and Martha were dear friends of ours. We have 60 or so letters from him. They have been in our home in Anaheim and we were in theirs a couple of times with our children for visits in Lindale. My husband refers to him as his spiritual father and mentor. He has prayed over all 3 of our children. I miss them both dearly. Regarding their marriage, Len told us that he was praying about whether they should marry or not and while traveling down a road he saw two streams and soon saw them come together to form one. He said he then knew he would ask her to be his bride. Martha's words as she was telling my daughter was, I didn't want to get married, I just wanted to be a nurse, but God told me that marriage to Len was his will. "so of course I obeyed". Their love and devotion to each other was evident. The last time we were in their home was after Len had gone to glory. We had never been in their home without the fireplace roaring and yet it was cleaned and empty. Upon my husband asking about the fireplace she said "Oh no Dearie, I haven't had a fire in here since Len died (3 or 4 years before). It is true, she did everything in the home. I've told my daughter that she was the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman. She loved caring for Leonard, and was a Godly helpmate. Thank you again. Blessings, Linda

    • womenof7 says:

      Wow! What a blessing sister. I know of a brother here, who once lived in Texas right next to Len Ravenhill, Keith Green, and David Wilkerson all at the same time! If I were him I probably would have been at every one of their houses every day...:p

  • Len Hummel says:

    Thank you so very much for this wonderful tribute. These two precious saints are among my top "heroes of the Faith" ... and it can honestly be said that they were truly warriors for Jesus & His Kingdom. I spoke with Leonard once over the phone and we exchanged letters quite often while I & my wife were on the mission field in Asia, ... but we only met outside of that in his books and writings which, of course, have mentored and inspired countless tens of thousands in the20th and 21st centuries. Leonard always spoke very highly of Tozer and David Wilkerson and all the great missionaries (many of whom he either knew personally or read their biographies) ... Leonard & Martha Ravenhill went on to great GREAT reward in the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. ... looking forward to times of tea and fellowship with them in both the Millennium AND in Eternity.(!)

  • Aaron Alex says:

    Leonard Ravenhill is my mentor. I always desire and pray God to give me the Spirit that operated in Ravenhill- the Spirit of Holiness and prayer. I am happy to learn much about his family today. I pray that God give me a godly wife like and even more virtuous than Martha Ravenhill. I love the Ravenhills. Aaron Alex Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna-Nigeria

  • Samuel Adewale says:

    I can only say I've been greatly blessed by this union made in heaven. My Christian life took a serious and meaningful turn when in a way I couldn't even articulate God sovereignly introduced me to Ravenhill, Wilkerson, Keith and the likes (what a community of true disciples of Jesus!) whose knowledge of the True and Living God imposed a great challenge to me. I have always looked up for the testimony on all their marriages which has been a blessing too. It's so wonderful to read the afore testimonies of folks who knew them; bearing testimonies when they themselves were long gone into glory. I pray and believe the Lord to help us all preserve a pure testimony for Him as well for the sake of His precious Son. Amen. Samuel; Nigeria.

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