Maria Woodworth-Etter became known as the "Grandmother of the Pentecostal Movement." Born in 1844 in New Lisbon, Ohio, her parents weren’t Christian and received no religious education until 1854 when her parents joined a Disciples of Christ congregation. At age 13 she was born again during the Third Great Awakening that spanned from 1850 into the 20th century.
Maria Woodworth-Etter suffered many losses in her life but soon after she was converted she heard the voice of God tell her to "go to the highways and hedges and gather the lost sheep." She didn’t understand how this could be possible as the Disciples of Christ denomination did not allow women ministers. She thought if she married a Christian man they could do missions work together.