Hello There and Welcome!

I’m Cynthia Hester, the wife of one husband, mother of two married sons, and C.C. to four adorable grandkids. On the enneagram scale, I’m a “1”—a “Reformer.” My siren cry: What you believe about women matters! 

At age nine, I declared my faith in Christ and was baptized. Fast forward to my 30s, I felt God’s call to minister to young girls. Soon, I began teaching 5-6th grade girls in a multi-state ministry for moms and daughters. Over time, ministering to women has been a priority. It has taken various forms: a parachurch Bible teacher, conference teacher in Ajijic, Mexico, Mirogoane, Haiti, and Kiev, Ukraine, leading the women’s ministry in a Bible church, spiritual formation leader to women seminary students, and mentoring ministry leaders.

In 2014, questions about women and leadership began percolating. Already in seminary, I enrolled in the Foundations of Women in Ministry Leadership course. I learned it’s a complex topic and well-respected scholars disagree on whether or not to limit women. As I revisited the Scriptures, I realized that I’d internalized that God loves me less because I’m a female. But, God loves his daughters just as much as his sons. And, my heart broke for my sisters in Christ who are women of color and who have experienced greater marginalization in the church. I also became convinced that it’s past time to highlight the faith-filled stories of women in the Bible and history. 

After completing my master’s degree, I felt a divine prompting to teach the theology of women. Following a wise professor’s advice, I enrolled in Koine Greek and entered a doctoral program with my research focused on women, theology, and leadership. In 2021, I created and launched my online course, Theology of Women Academy®, with thirty-two students.