Cyndi McCallister

Originally from south Arkansas, Cyndi McCallister moved to South Carolina to attend Columbia International University where she earned a BA in Biblical Theology and Education in 1985. After homeschooling her three children, she completed the CiRCE Apprenticeship in 2019 and has served as a literature, writing, and rhetoric instructor with CiRCE Academy Online for five years. In 2022, she was trained as a CiRCE consultant and workshop leader. She is currently a graduate student in the MA in Liberal and classical Education program at Belmont Abbey College. Over the past several years, Cyndi has developed a classical Christian teacher apprenticeship in Nigeria, where she serves as the head mentor. She just completed an interview on classical education abroad with FORMA Journal that will appear in the next issue. Cyndi and her husband Karl have three grown children and five grandchildren and live in South Carolina where her husband is a pastor. Her favorite activities are reading to her grandchildren and hiking.

Teaching Philosophy

I began learning about classical Christian education while I was homeschooling our three children. At the beginning of our homeschooling journey, I read For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. These beautiful truths based on Charlotte Mason about the education of children were the gateway and foundation to learning more about classical education. To teach classically involves understanding the nature of truth, the nature of the teacher, and the nature of the student. Truth can be known. Proverbs 25:2 states, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and it is the glory of a king to search it out.“ God delights in revealing the truth of His Word and His world to us. Classical teachers are the humble lead learners who enliven the spirit of inquiry, love what is beautiful, and inspire their students to live the life of virtue. They recognize the extraordinary God-given capacity of their students to know and act on the truth. Education is a life endeavor that encompasses the body and the soul. To teach is more than cultivating a mind, it is nurturing an eternal soul.

Statement of Faith

As a young child, I made a profession of faith in Christ. I was nurtured in that faith by my loving Christian family and the local church. This nurturing environment surrounded me with Christian mentors and opportunities to exercise my faith in service. I was encouraged to use my gifts in the local church, at Christian camps, and on mission trips. Led by a desire to dedicate my life to vocational Christian ministry, I attended a Christian college where I met my husband, who is a Presbyterian pastor. (PCA) This living and active faith has led me to use my gifts of teaching in Nigeria where I currently serve as head mentor of the KA Classical Teacher Apprenticeship. I joyfully and gratefully hold to the truths as stated in the Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. After serving in ministry for more than 40 years, the truth of my daily need to come to Christ and learn from Him as a child rings just as true as the day I first encountered Him.