Henrietta Mears
Presentation by Jeremy Chambers
June 9, 2014
For partial fulfillment of the requirements for PTH 939 THE EXCEPTIONAL LEADER (AGTS D.Min. Program), Dr. Gary McIntosh.
Roe, Earl O., ed., Dream Big: The Henrietta Mears Story, Ventura, CA, Regal Books, 1990.
A Brief Overview of the Leader’s Life
Henrietta Mears was the beloved “Teacher” from Hollywood First Presbyterian Church who took the Sunday school program from 450 people to 4,200 during her tenure from 1928 until 1963, upon the occasion of her passing. She truly shaped the lives of some of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century. Her “young people” included the likes of Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Jim Rayburn, founder of Young Life, Billy Graham, Richard C. Halverson, Chaplain of the United States Senate, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Senator Mark O. Hatfield, among countless others. She labored alongside the likes of J. Edwin Orr and JB Phillips. Although she never married nor produced children of her own, she was noted for being content in the life that the Lord gave her and she claimed “thousands of children” as her spiritual offspring (p. 82).
My interest in Ms. Mears began approximately one year ago. I had finished reading a book recently authored by Matthew Avery Sutton entitled, Aimee Semple McPherson and the Resurrection of Christian America (Harvard University Press, 2007). I had been on a quest to discover more about the Church of the International Foursquare Gospel to which I belong using materials produced outside the church. Then, attending a meeting of other young pastors, Steve Schell of Northwest Foursquare Church introduced the group to Dream Big: The Henrietta Mears Story. Being out of print, I found a used copy and threw it on my shelf. This project brought my attention back to “Teacher” discovering that she was a contemporary of Sister Aimee. Still, differences emerged. Yet, despite her difference in tradition and some particular theological positions, I discovered a unique environment of revival and inter-denominational cooperation emerging in the early to mid-20th century in southern California led by these two women.
Teacher Mears left behind Gospel Light Publications originally founded on the novel idea of carefully graded lessons based on age groupings. Today, its commitment to Christian education is demonstrated by its slogan, “Jesus for every generation” producing not only Sunday school materials, but also VBS and other printed resources for teachers and leaders.[1] Gospel Light has gone on to launch Regal Books in 1965 with its continuing mission to “stimulate thinking, meet needs and influence Christian attitude, values and relationships” (p. 341). Additionally, Gospel Light started the Family Life Today organization as well as acquiring the publishing company Vision House in 1982.
The second major legacy of Ms. Mears is the Forest Home Christian Conference Center in Forest Falls in southern California where Christian camping programs continue.[2] Her vision was to have a place where students could get away and focus on their relationship with the Lord leading them to know Christ and to serve him. It was at one of these camps where Billy Graham came in 1949 immediately prior to his great Los Angeles Crusade doubting the authority of the Bible and unsure of his calling. One evening after speaking with Dr. J Edwin Orr, Billy found himself at an impasse with only weeks before his Los Angeles Crusade. He simply wandered off into the evening following a trail into the woods. Stumbling upon a stump and reaching a personal crisis, Billy prayed and offered himself fully, mind, body, and soul, for the Lord’s work by faith. Ms. Mears commented upon his return, “I could feel an immediate difference” (p. 303). That night he led 400 respondents to the Lord; fruitful results characteristic of his ministry to follow. This was but one story of Forest Home.
The final organizational legacy left behind was GLINT (originally Gospel Literature in National Tongues, now Gospel Literature International). Started as a translation and publishing arm for Gospel Light, today its activities range from support of missionaries and local pastors to social activism utilizing the medium of print. Georgalyn Wilkinson, president of GLINT, stated, “Our message is the Word of God. Our field is the minds of people. Our missionaries are the teachers of the world. Our tools are paper and ink” (p. 353). So, the legacy of Ms. Mears lives on.
Ms. Mears was born in Fargo, ND, in 1890 and was the youngest of 7 children. Her mother was the enthusiastic daughter of a prominent pastor and provided Henrietta with a passion for God’s Word and a lifelong desire to serve Jesus at any cost. She took up teaching as a career graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1913 and taught in small towns immediately prior to her posting to teach high school in Minneapolis from 1915 to 1928. As a single woman she was initially discouraged from teaching high school in a large city. But, true to her personality she persisted and refused to allow anyone to dictate her future. During this time, she additionally dedicated herself to ministry among the young people at her Methodist church and taught Bible lessons in the high school and to the football team. Upon his visit the pastor from First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood came to know and appreciate the teaching of Ms. Mears and invited her and her sister to join him in California; a decision they accepted one year later.
Then, in 1928 Henrietta and her sister Margaret, who dedicated her life to caring for Henrietta and their home, moved together to join First Presbyterian. Upon her arrival, she immediately got to work and was known to say, “rather than building a bigger Sunday school, build a better one.” Her goal was to have a place for every person of every age (p. 105). With her emphasis on the individual and on quality, her Sunday school as well as the college program she led outpaced the church’s ability to house students and the campus quickly grew through both the acquisition of property and building programs as well as renting apartments and private homes near the church for classroom and office space. It was during this time that Henrietta developed her dedication to selecting and training leaders. She said,
“(A student) sits at the feet of teachers five days a week who have had the finest training for their work, but on Sunday the lesson from God’s Word is taught by a teacher who has accepted the class because there is no one else to take it. Sunday School is, in fact, the only teaching a person will undertake without training. We must change our standards. Everything we offer youth must be excellent. Their association with the gospel must be of the very finest in every way. Success . . .must be purchased at the price of effort.”
With this dedication the Sunday school grew exponentially. Of course, it was not without its price. Teacher Mears was often forced to take time away to refresh herself and was known to take several year-long, desperately-needed sabbaticals which she used to travel the world. She even collapsed in 1951 during an address to a group of ladies; finally recuperating in the hospital after the doctors figured her many cares literally “submerged” her (p. 320). She seemed to never change her ways and it took its toll.
Since Teacher could not find acceptable Sunday school material in a graded format to provide her volunteers, she began by handwriting her own. This quickly consumed most of her time as well as the time of several assistants. Then, through several connections in the church, a printer approached her and Gospel Light Publications was founded in 1933. By this time, she already had many visitors from other churches asking for material whom she refused simply due to the immense effort already consuming her staff in supplying material for her own ministry. Gospel Light allowed the ministry to catapult into the next phase.
Out of a desire to reach “collegians” she started a camping program which quickly grew to the point of being unable to accommodate the numbers. It seems her frankness and commitment to Biblical literacy and passion drove young people to admire her greatly. She was noted for her “real” approach. So, in 1938, through a unique series of events Forest Home Christian Conference Center was established. She, in fact, declined the property because it was too expensive for the congregation at the time after the market crash of 1929. The asking price was $350,000. But, a year later, desperate to sell and to avoid taxes, the property was re-offered for $50,000 and her camping legacy began.
Finally, GLINT was founded as the result of her collegians taking her material and translating it on the mission field without her knowledge. Through her many “children” her dream to reach the world for Jesus was realized. Still planning for a bright future, she passed quietly in bed, March 20, 1963, at the age of 73.
Insights on What Made (or Makes) this Person a Good Leader
Leading herself:
- Her absolute commitment to the Word and a lifelong journey of learning.
- Her dedication to growing deeper in Christ. Christian disciplines dominated her life, especially prayer.
- Her ability to avoid presumption and allowing the Holy Spirit to unravel his plans. Throughout her life she was surprised by the outcome of what she did not think would work.
- She was not overly anxious to get things done on her own and force plans or schedules.
Leading others:
- She had a commitment to the other person. She left no child behind.
- She was committed to the whole person (career, spirituality, family).
- She never used position to get her way.
- Often in personal counseling, she would remain silent allowing the Holy Spirit to convict.
- She was willing to step aside.
- She was committed to excellence for everyone.
- She took many risks on people and several failed her. Yet, she kept taking risks out of hope.
- If programs no longer worked, she killed them preferring to remain relevant to the next generation.
- She held only a few absolutes.
- She never sought the limelight.
- She demanded much from followers of Christ.
Ideas on what we can learn regarding Leadership from her Life
10 Commandments as a Sunday School Teacher
- I will win the personal allegiance of every student in my Sunday School class to the Lord and Master by talking, writing, and prayer. I will expect a personal decision on the part of each one, and I will make sure the decision is based on facts. No boy or girl will I ever give up on as unreachable.
- I will not think my own work over when my pupil has made his decision for Christ. I will stay close until he is established, remaining at all times accessible to him.
- I will see that he finds a definite place in some specified task. I will not rest until every student is an out-an-out aggressive Christian, for God has a place for each one to serve.
- I will bring Christianity out of the unreal into everyday life.
- I will seek to help each one discover the will of God because the Master can use every talent.
- I will instill a divine discontent into the mind of everyone who can do more than he is doing, not by telling him the pettiness of his life, but by giving him a vision of great things to be done enthusiastically, passionately.
- I will make it easy for anyone to come to me with the deepest experiences of his inner life, not by urging, but by sympathy and understanding. I will never let anyone think I am disappointed in him.
- I will keep the cross of Christ central in the Christian life.
- I will pray as I have never prayed before for wisdom and power.
- I will spend and be spent in this battle. I will not seek rest and ease. I will not fail Him.
Objectives for Sunday School
- Canvass your neighborhood.
- Teach the Word.
- Win people to Christ.
The high-water mark of conversion comes between 11 and 13
After 20, one in 100 becomes a Christian
After 30, one in 1,000
- Enlist for service. Each child is accountable to God.
- Look over your building.
Be creative with space.
The Sunday school grew from 450 to 4,200 in the space of 2 ½ years.
- Study your program.
Have relevant programs.
Plan carefully and thoroughly.
Be flexible enough to balance your program.
Qualifications of Leadership
- Definiteness of purpose.
- Definiteness of decision.
- Burning desire
- Unwavering courage
- A keen sense of justice
- Definiteness of plans
Write out your plans
Cut them into pieces that can be carried out by others.
- Plan with others
Points for Personal Workers
- A soul winner must be Spirit-led.
- A soul winner is made, not born.
- The place to start is right where you are now.
- Let the Holy Spirit guide you to people.
- Realize also that he is working not only in your heart, but in the person to whom he is directing you.
- Whenever possible, deal with a person alone. Never interrupt when someone else is working with a person.
- Start where the person is – with his interests, his knowledge.
- Hold him to the main point of receiving Christ as his personal Savior; don’t let the conversation wander.
- Allow him to talk about his problems so that he will see his need. Don’t jump in with your own ideas about what he should do. Your job is to lead him to Christ.
- Don’t try to convince by argumentation. He is not to accept a creed, but Christ. Just introduce him to your Friend.
- Tell what Christ has done for you; no one can argue against your own experience.
- Don’t force a person to accept the whole Bible right off.
- As you explain salvation, allow him to read the passage of the Bible for himself.
- Don’t be impatient; let God work on the heart.
- Encourage him to pray with you and pray aloud.
- Let your reliance be wholly on the Spirit of God and on the Word of God, and not on yourself.
[1] See www.gospellight.com
[2] See www.foresthome.org
The Faithful Way 