Charity Rakestraw researches the history of religion and gender in America. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Alabama and is the author of Ministers and Masters: Methodism, Manhood, and Honor in the Old South (LSU Press, 2011). She is currently studying American megachurches–how did this massive church movement happen and why does it attract so many followers? Please see “CV” for a list of publications and presentations. She has been a leader in higher education for over ten years, where she served as chair of Global History and Geography faculty at Western Governors University (WGU), a prominent competency-based, non-profit online institution. Charity completed her M.Ed. Instructional Design in 2019, and seeks creative ways to innovate the delivery of traditional liberal arts disciplines like History for a new generation of diverse learners. She is currently the Lead Program Development Owner for Social Sciences and Humanities curriculum and assessment at WGU. Please contact her with inquiries about her megachurch research or education design and leadership opportunities.

Email: charityrakestraw@gmail.com