About

A former atheist who came to faith, Mary Jo Sharp has lived at the crossroads of two very different American cultures: the post-Christian Northwest and the evangelical Bible Belt. That tension shaped her work as a Christian apologist, author, and speaker who helps people wrestle honestly with questions of belief, doubt, and the goodness of God.

Mary Jo now serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Search Ministries, where she leads national efforts in public engagement, resource development, and training. Her work focuses on inviting adults to take the next step toward God through clear communication, relational trust, and meaningful conversation.

She previously taught apologetics at Houston Christian University, where she was instrumental in establishing their apologetics program. She is also the founder of Confident Christianity, a ministry devoted to equipping people to explore challenging questions of faith with both courage and compassion.

Mary Jo is the author of the Bible study Why Do You Believe That? (LifeWay Christian Resources) and the book Why I Still Believe (Zondervan), which traces her journey through disillusionment, doubt, and a resilient return to faith.

Her writing has been featured in Christianity Today, the Worldview Study Bible, and the LifeWay Women’s Bible, and she has contributed to publications from Zondervan, Holman, Kregel, and the Lausanne Movement.

As a speaker, Mary Jo works with universities, seminaries, churches, and conferences to create space for honest and thoughtful exploration of the deep questions of faith. Her teaching invites audiences into conversations about God, beauty, suffering, desire, and the shape of a life of belief that is both intellectually grounded and deeply human.

Mary Jo and her husband make their home in Portland, Oregon, where they enjoy the forests, the coffee, and the endlessly quirky charm of the Pacific Northwest.