Sarah Sumner

Sarah Sumner is an entrepreneurial theologian (Ph.D. Systematic Theology, MBA). She is the only female theologian in U.S. history to serve as dean of a conservative seminary. From 2010-2012, she was dean of A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary in Redding, California.

Now she is President of Right On Mission, a cutting edge seminary that offers four services: Seminary Services, Mission Statement Services, Speaking Services, and Consulting Services. She is also an adjunct professor at Trinity Law School in Santa Ana, California.

Sarah Sumner is known for her articles and books on Christian women in leadership, godly anger (See You Tube CCV "How To Be Angry"), leadership, seminary education, and marriage. Her May 2011 article in Christianity Today, "The Seven Levels of Lying," drew more responses from CT readers than any other article that month. (To view her talk on the seven levels of lying and the seven levels of truth-telling, see her AMP 2016 keynote on You Tube.)

Regarding the debate on women in the church, Sarah Sumner is an evangelical theologian, said by her complementarian opponents to be a Christian egalitarian and said by her egalitarian opponents to be a complementarian (See Good Reads). Sumner herself attempts to build consensus in Christian Leadership (See subtitle to her first book published by IVP). Nowhere in her sermons or writings does she advocate for the ordination of women in Protestant churches, although some nonetheless claim she does.

Dr. Sumner has a Bachelor of Education from Baylor University, a Master of Theology from Wheaton College, and a Master of Business Administration from Azusa Pacific University. She was formally trained at Harvard to be a global change agent. She is the first woman to graduate from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School with a PhD in systematic theology.

Trinity International University has placed her on its list of top twenty alumni. In May 2011, she was Trinity's Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2011.

Her book Men and Women in the Church: Building Consensus on Christian Leadership was published in 2003 by InterVarsity Press. She was an associate professor of ministry and theology at Azusa Pacific at the time.

She has published four books: Men and Women in the Church, IVP 2003. Leadership Above the Line, Tyndale, 2006. Just How Married Do You Want To Be? IVP, 2008. Angry Like Jesus: Using His Example To Spark Your Moral Courage Fortress Press, 2015.

She has contributed to several Dictionaries and books and published articles in Christianity Today, Relevant, and other magazines.