Biography
Early Life
Juanita Bynum’s sermon “No More Sheets” created a space for Black women to discuss their sexuality at a time when many Christian ministries avoided the subject.
She was born on January 16, 1959, in Chicago, IL to Thomas and Katherine Bynum.
Her family attended St. Luke Church of God in Christ in Chicago where her father was an Elder.
She attended Saints Academy of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) high school, a boarding school in Lexington, Mississippi where she started preaching, and graduated second in her class.
Her Christian upbringing was a great influence on her life, but it did not protect her from experiencing difficulties in her youth.
In 1981, 21-year-old Bynum got married over the objections of friends and family. Her marriage ended in divorce just four years later and caused a downward spiral for Bynum which included an eating disorder, financial struggle, and time in a mental hospital after an attempt to take her own life.
Religious Leadership
A spiritual calling resulted in Bynum returning to full-time ministry at New Greater Bethel Ministries under the leadership of Pastor John Boyd.
By 1996, she was an invited speaker to the Bishop T.D. Jakes singles conference. Her positive reception led to her seminal sermon “No More Sheets,” which she delivered at the 1997 “Woman Thou Art Loosed” Christian conference. She preached,
“When a man has intercourse with you, he adds his life to yours. When he leaves, his body is no longer there, but his spirit is. You are left with only the weight of the memory. The woman is left devastated. It’s as if someone walks out of your life, splits you in half, and then says, “Just go your own way”. That’s why there is such a cry from the realm of the spirit — NO MORE SHEETS!”
After the widely acclaimed sermon, Bynum’s ministry was propelled into an international audience.
Paving the Way
Bynum’s teachings provided spiritual guidance that resonated with Black single women.
As Bynum explained during the sermon: “I find it very difficult to listen to anybody preach to me about being single when they got a pair of thighs in their bed every night…I want to hear “hold on” from somebody who is really holding on!”
Her ministry provided women access to others going through similar experiences, and they were able to support one another on their faith journeys.
Since then, Bynum has used her platform to share her teachings as a platinum recording artist, through publications like No More Sheets: The Truth About Sex and Matters of the Heart, as well as through cable television ministries like the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Despite a public presence that has ebbed and flowed with popularity, Bynum has held steadfast to her beliefs and inspired women within and outside of the Christian faith.
Her ability to be bold in a belief system that traditionally restricted public discourse about sex, paved a path for other women faith leaders to do the same.
Today, as a goodwill and peace ambassador, Juanita Bynum continues to minister to and inspire women globally.
