Hidden Gems: Meet Phylicia Masonheimer of Every Woman a Theologian

Today we’d like to introduce you to Phylicia Masonheimer

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started out as a writer and blogger fifteen years ago, mainly writing my reflections on how faith impacted my life in the college years. At that time the blogosphere was a busy place, the predecessor to social media, and many young women were looking for answers to difficult theological questions about life, purpose, God, the Bible and more. I enjoyed sharing what I learned and eventually achieved a degree in religion while working in admissions for my alma mater. I started writing for other websites and magazines, then joined social media when it became available and used it to share my articles breaking down the Bible and Christianity. Seven or eight years in, I had more than 500 blog posts on my website and another 400 on a site where I was a primary contributor. Married by then, my husband, Josh and I decided to compile topical articles into ebooks and sell them through the site. Shortly after that, I signed my first book deal with a traditional publisher.

Since then, I have published four traditional books (one a national bestseller) and 30 self published books, Bible studies, tracts and resources. I have printed almost 30 more for other authors who now write for Verity Press, the publishing branch of our ministry, Every Woman a Theologian. My husband of almost 11 years came home to work with me in 2020 and we now have a team of ten individuals in addition to ourselves. We get to ship books and studies around the world from our farm in northern Michigan, teaching people about the love of God through Jesus Christ in an accessible, understandable, and approachable way. In addition to the publishing branch, we also host an annual theology conference for women, Verity Conference, here in Petoskey and host the chart-topping podcast Verity with Phylicia Masonheimer, which recently expanded to YouTube. We are always looking for new ways to serve the people of Michigan and the world!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Our road was not smooth. For most of my writing career I worked alone (like most writers) but there is no way I could do the work of ministry alone! Where I lack in gifts and skills, Josh and our team make up for it. I have had to learn how to lead with humility, make mistakes publicly, try and fail, and try again. We have had major financial setbacks. We are not a nonprofit, choosing not to fundraise money but to instead self-support our team and expenses through the sale of our products (books and studies, but also our hospitality line of products for hosting people in your home). This was an intentional choice; rather than fundraise, we get to give to other ministries and organizations who are dependent on giving to survive. However, we are subject to the ups and downs of the retail and bookselling industries.

We see God as the provider of our needs and successes. Our job is to steward the responsibility He has given us with wisdom and frugality. We hope we can continue to give generously while supporting our team as we move into the future.

We’ve been impressed with Every Woman a Theologian, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Theology is, by definition, the study of the nature of God. When we think of a theologian our minds often go to tweed suits and Oxford libraries, but we at EWAT argue for a different kind of theologian: the theologian who drives to her corporate job every morning, who knows what it’s like to be single at thirty, or who juggles babies while her husband travels for work.
We believe every woman should be a theologian! Every woman should be a student of the heart of God. Through our books, website, podcast, and courses, we teach women how to become that student and continue their faith education, one step at a time.

Every Woman a Theologian specializes in answering the hard questions of Christianity with kindness and grace. In an age of “fake news”, it’s hard to discern what is actually true about an idea or belief system, or even if what we are hearing is actually what someone believes. We get down the the history, literature, and practices that make Christianity what it is, analyzing what is both good and bad, true and false, and finding the real Christ at the bottom of it all. Unlike some ministries, we represent a very diverse community across many types of churches, ethnic backgrounds, and experiences. We seek to honor this while remaining rooted in our place: Michigan.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I loved to know the “why” behind rules and ideas. I hated doing something just to do it. I was a questioner — and it serves me well in my work today!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://phyliciamasonheimer.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/everywomanatheologian
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/phylicia-delta
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@everywomanatheologian