Dora Rappard

Sophie Rosine Dorothea (Dora) Gobat was born on 1 September 1842 in St Julian's, Malta. Her parents were Samuel Gobat (1799–1879) and Marie Christine Regine Zeller (1813–1879). Her maternal grandfather was Christian Heinrich Zeller (1779–1860).[1] Her father, who was Swiss, had been made Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem by King Frederick William IV of Prussia and Queen Victoria of England.[2] She grew up in Jerusalem.[3] In 1862 she was head of a girls' school in Jerusalem.[1]

Dora married Karl Heinrich Rappard (1837–1909) in 1867 and moved with him to Alexandria and Cairo. From 1868 onward they lived in St. Chrischona near Basel.[3] They had two children, Simon and Theodora Marie.[4] She helped her husband teach at the Bible School in St. Chrischona.[2] The St. Chrischona Pilgrim Mission was an evangelical training school for home and foreign missions.[5] From 1868 she was very active working with her husband in St. Chrischona. From 1871 she was administrative director, pastor, evangelist and builder.[1] Dora Rappard was a formative figure within the pietist community movement.[1] She came to be called "the mother of St. Chrischona" due to her spiritual advice, leadership and writings.[5]

Dora Rappard died on 10 October 1923 in St. Chrischona, in the municipality of Bettingen, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.[1]

Dora Rappard translated English revivalist hymns into German.[3] She became well known for the many songs she composed or wrote herself. The Mennonite Hymnal (1972) has two of her songs: Here is my heart, My God, I give it to you and There still is room, His house is not yet full. She was also a very gifted poet, whose work had great influence.[6]

Her publications include: