Sadie McCoy Crank

Sadie McCoy Crank, born Sarah Catherine McCoy, (August 15, 1863 – September 20, 1948) was one of the earliest ordained female preachers in the Stone-Campbell Movement and an organizer for the Illinois Woman's Christian Temperance Union. This is notable because around this time a vigorous debate about the role of women as preachers was taking place in religious periodicals like the Gospel Advocate, Christian Standard, and Christian-Evangelist.

Although exposes to the Primitive Baptist religion of her parents, Crank found an affinity with the preachings of Elder Wilson, a Christian Church minister and was baptized in May 1887 at Bear Creek in Illinois. So that she could baptize people, she was ordained on March 17, 1892, in Marceline by J.S. Clemments (a general evangelist for the American Missionary Society).

The Cranks received pressure for Sadie to retire from preaching after marriage. There were also offers for her to serve churches in the cities. She remained a preacher in rural Illinois and served on the Christian Woman's Board of Missions. Together with her husband, an evangelist, Crank helped organize and build numerous churches throughout Illinois and Missouri. During her lifetime, she baptized thousands of people and officiated many weddings and funerals.