Mrs.Vera Pink - the Editor’s Wife

"I like those words,  ‘Our life is like the weaver’s web’ for it is so true to life.    We only see the wrong side of the fabric now,  for the Weaver has not finished his work.   But in the Day to come, where we shall see it from his side, then we shall behold the beauty of his work and not the knots and ends which our sins and failures have caused.”   -Vera E. Pink in a letter to a friend  1

It's been said   “Behind every great man there stands a great woman”  and this was certainly true  of  the humble and dedicated writer  Arthur W. Pink.    This unique man was theologically out of sync with most of  his contemporaries and lived most of his life in obscurity.    He embraced the writings of the  long forgotten Puritans and the  Doctrines of Grace in an era when most  Evangelical churches were  Arminian,  if not liberal.   Though he has been criticized for his isolationism and lack of formal education,  Pink's writings were appreciated and  highly recommended by such men as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  

Pink was born in 1886 in  Nottingham, England,  and later  came  to America to attend Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.   His stint at   college  lasted just  6 weeks  before he felt he was wasting his time and decided to  enter the ministry.    His first charge was in Colorado and  from there he  preached  in California and  England and pastored churches  in  South Carolina, rural Kentucky,  and later in Australia.    It was during his brief pastorate in Kentucky in 1916  that  God answered his prayer  for “a godly and spiritual wife”2   by giving him  Vera E. Russell,  “a slightly-built, vivacious Christian, who spoke with a rich Kentucky drawl.”3   

 The  inspirational  biography  “The Life of Arthur W. Pink”  by  Iain Murray tells us,  “Next to his own conversion Vera was to be the greatest blessing in Arthur Pink’s life.”4       And that she was!    Vera  became accustomed to  frequent moves as  Mr. Pink  never settled  into a long term pastorate.      Though  he  preached throughout the US,  Canada, Australia, and the UK,   his  ministry was  primarily  through his  writings  of the  Studies in the Scriptures.    This was a monthly periodical  Vera  helped produce  that was  mailed out to  a relatively small number of  subscribers around the world from 1922-1953.      

The Pinks  moved to Hove, England in  1936  and after giving up  hope of any future public speaking ministries  they  continued the Studies,  never missing even one month’s publication.    When WWII broke out   they stayed as long as they could in Hove but continual air raids and bombings forced them to move to the quiet  seaside village of Stornoway, Scotland  where they continued  their  work and peacefully  lived out the rest of their days.

The Pinks never  fit in with the Gaelic speaking churches at Stornoway  so  they  kept to themselves most of the time  and observed the Sabbath at home.    They were  what we would call today  minimalists,  living  humbly and  free from the trappings of materialism.     They never owned a car and  usually rented  small apartments that were  often  no more than two rooms.     Arthur  put in long hours  at his writing desk while Vera,  in addition to helping her husband,   grew  gardens,  did her own canning and baking and  was so  frugal that she  never wasted so much as a “turnip top”.   

 

Vera rarely spoke of her contribution to  her husband’s  ministry  but wrote in a letter to a friend,   

“No one realizes the hours and hours of hard brain work entailed in composing and going over and over the ground to make sure no error is printed to lead some sheep astray from the green pastures.   Then the proof reading—one man’s job—apart from the composing.   Last but not least, the correspondence to care for.  So you see Mr. Pink does really three men’s work.   For that reason I do all I can in the way of book-keeping, typing and addressing the envelopes to help him”5

Mrs. Pink's  part in  the  ministry was no small  task because  by 1946  her husband  had written  more than 7,000  pages  of studies  and   20,000 letters of correspondence to his subscribers!     These many letters of care for his subscriber's spiritual well being  are evidence of the pastoral heart this man had,  despite his rather unorthodox approach to ministry.   But Pink freely admitted that without Vera he would have been overwhelmed and probably would not have accomplished all that he did with his writing ministry.    

 Together,  Arthur and Vera  faithfully produced  the  Studies  right up  until the  end of his life.   Mr. Pink  suffered  with  a form of painful anemia causing his death and  entered into the joy of his Master  on  July 15, 1952 at the age of 66.    Vera told the sad news to his subscribers,   who  affectionately knew him as  The Editor,  in the September issue  article entitled  “The Late Editor’s Last Days”. 

“...One night in May he had a seizure which lasted several minutes.  After it passed he said, ‘I shall soon be home in glory, I cannot go soon enough.   “Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name”.  I am so happy, I feel like singing through that psalm’.   He observed I was weeping and asked, ‘My dear, why do you weep?   You should be rejoicing that I shall be soon be home.’   I told him I was weeping for myself at being left behind.   I knew it was good for  him but I dreaded the separation.   He gently said, ‘The Lord has been so wondrously good to us all these years and brought us safely through until now.    He will not desert you in your hour of greatest need.  Only trust him with all your heart.   He will not fail you.’”.6   

Vera  tells of  her beloved husband’s last words which were,

“‘The Scriptures explain themselves’,  showing us what his mind was on.  So having finished his course, and completed his work, he has gone to be with him whom he loved and served for so many years. “Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together’”7 

Though her deep bereavement caused  her to become ill for a time Vera  never ceased praising the Lord for His goodness to her.     She suffered a stroke while working on  the remaining issues  Mr. Pink  had completed before his death but with the help of friends she was able to publish them.     Vera  lived ten years beyond her husband and was a joy and blessing to all who knew her in Stornoway.    On  July 17,1962 at the age of 69 Vera E. Pink went home to be with her Lord.

Arthur Pink  had often been  discouraged by the relatively little interest in his published works  yet they  pressed on,  praying  that God would enlarge their borders  and that He would do so even after they were gone from this earth.     In their final years the Pinks   began to see a greater interest in their work from pastors,  which greatly encouraged their hearts.   

  It is wonderful to see how God has answered  their prayers as the fruit of  their labor continues to multiply in this generation.    The Weaver has indeed woven  a beautiful tapestry from the lives of these two  faithful  servants of Christ.    Vera Pink's life stands as  an example for women today of   what the Lord  had in mind when He said,



“It is not good that the man should be alone;

 I will make him a helper fit for him.” 

 Genesis 2:18

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 1) The Life of Arthur W. Pink by Iain H.  Murray Revised and Enlarged Edition;  Banner of Truth Trust;  2004; pg. 237
2) ibid p g 34
3) ibid, pg 35
4) ibid 37
5) ibid pg 241
6) ibid 273
7) ibid 276

 

*An earlier edition of this article  is  available in Portuguese as an eBook  courtesy of  O Estandarte de Cristo ;  Vera Pink, a eEposa do Editor, por Diane Bucknell