author
Alma White
b. 1862
A pioneering and deeply controversial religious leader, she founded the Pillar of Fire Church and became one of the first women in the United States to serve as a bishop. Her life and writing left a complicated legacy, mixing advocacy for women in ministry with views that have drawn lasting criticism.
1 Audiobook
With God in the Yellowstone
by Alma White
About the author
Born Mollie Alma Bridwell in Kentucky on June 16, 1862, Alma White became an American evangelist, author, and church founder. She led the movement that became the Pillar of Fire Church and, in 1918, was made a bishop, a milestone that brought her national attention.
White was also a prolific writer. Her work included religious books, sermons, periodical writing, and an autobiography, all of which helped spread her ideas far beyond her own congregations. That public voice made her an important figure in the history of American religion and women’s leadership.
Her legacy is also sharply contested. Alongside her support for women preaching and church leadership, reliable historical sources note her public ties to the Ku Klux Klan and her promotion of racist, antisemitic, and anti-Catholic views. Because of that, she is remembered today as both a barrier-breaking religious leader and a figure whose influence carried serious harm.