Henrietta Cornelia Mears was a Christian educator and author who had a significant impact on evangelical Christianity in the 20th century.
She is best known for her work as Christian Education Director of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California. Literally hundreds of men and women came out of her Sunday School program into full-time Christian service. Among them was L. David Cowie, pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington, 1948 to 1961. She was a gifted educator and was known as "Teacher" by those in her program.
Mears also founded Gospel Light, a publishing company, and Forest Home, a Christian conference center. Among the many she influenced were Bill Bright and his wife Vonette, and Billy Graham. Her book, What the Bible is All About, has sold over three million copies. One of her disciples, Donn Moomaw, a UCLA All American football player in 1951, later was Ronald Reagan's pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in California.
Miss Mears never married. She died in her sleep at her home near the UCLA campus.
