Alabamian, literacy missionary Lillian Isaacs dies

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Alabamian Lillian Louise Kirtland Isaacs, a pioneer in literacy missions, died March 2 in Tallahassee, Fla. She was 88. Isaacs and her late husband, John, inspired many Christians to become involved in literacy missions over the years. They served from the hollows of Kentucky to the Alaskan frontier.

It was in eastern Kentucky, the heart of Appalachia, where the Isaacs’ planted the roots of their literacy missions work with the support of First Baptist Church, Pineville, Ky., and Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), which helped advertise and sponsor local literacy programs. Lillian Isaacs first announced her mission to begin literacy training at a WMU meeting in May of 1959. In October of that year, the initial literacy-training workshop, funded by the Home Mission Board (HMB, now the North American Mission Board), was held at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, where John Isaacs was a pastor and professor.

Lillian Isaacs, a graduate of Mercer University in Macon, Ga., was the first national literacy missionary for the HMB. She is survived by her son, grandson and brother.