Henrietta Mears

Henrietta Cornelia Mears (October 23, 1890 – March 20, 1963) was a Christian educator, evangelist, and author who had a significant impact on evangelical Christianity in the 20th century and was one of the founders of the National Sunday School Association. Best known as the innovative and dynamic Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California, and in charge of the church's college and young adult programs in the mid-1900s, she built a dedicated, enthusiastic staff, trained and mentored her teachers and implemented a graded, age-appropriate curriculum from "cradle roll" to adults.

Early life and education Henrietta Cornelia Mears was born on October 23, 1890, in Fargo, North Dakota. She was the seventh child of banker E. Ashley Mears and Baptist laywoman Margaret Burtis Everts (died 1910 or 1911), then aged 42.

Her father, E. Ashley Mears, was the President of First Bank of North Dakota and sold mortgages to private investors. At the height of his business, he owned approximately 20 banks. The family's wealth was largely lost in the Panic of 1893. In the aftermath, they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. At age seven years, Henrietta joined the First Baptist Church of Minneapolis. Before Mears left, MacLennan offered her the Director of Christian Education post, and in 1928, she and Margaret moved to Hollywood.

Henrietta lectured and wrote passionately about Sunday school's power to teach others the Bible. Within two years, Sunday School attendance at Hollywood "Pres" was averaging more than 4,200 per week. Henrietta Mears taught the college-age program herself.

In 1937, Mears bought the Forest Home resort in Forest Falls, California, turning it into a center for Christian camps and retreats.

She was a gifted educator and was known as "Teacher" by those in her program. Her book, What the Bible is All About, has sold over three million copies.

Hundreds of men and women came out of her Sunday School program into full-time Christian service, including First Presbyterian Hollywood's Louis Evans, Sr.'s son; Louis H. Evans, Jr. (husband of the actress Colleen Townsend Evans), who became the organizing pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian church; Bill Bright and his wife Vonette Zachary Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, which lived in and worked out of Henrietta's house for 10 years; Billy Graham; Reverend L. David Cowie, pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington, 1948 to 1961; Donn Moomaw, a UCLA All American football player in 1951, who later became Ronald Reagan's pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, and Frederick Dale Bruner, a biblical scholar best known for his commentaries on Matthew and John.

Selected works What the Bible is All About, Regal Books, 1953 God's Plan, Regal Books, 2008 Teacher, Regal Books, 2006