Finding Faith: Anna McCready 

Written by Isabelle Hendrich, Editor-in-Chief 

DAYTON, TN – Anna McCready is a 2019 alumni of Bryan College who majored in Business Management. She is now working at Home Federal Bank in Tennessee. McCready and her family are originally from Maryland and moved to TN in 2021. 

McCready was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school in Maryland before coming to TN to attend Bryan College. 

While Anna McCready became a Christian when she was four-years-old, as she grew up, she had several moments of doubting, like a few Christians do who become saved when they are young. 

“I remember feeling peace in my heart and just confidence in my salvation, and I’ve definitely doubted that several times since. But God just showed me in different ways that He was real to confirm my faith for me over the years,” McCready said. 

One major activity which impacted McCready’s faith growing up was AWANA, which stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed. McCready participated in it by memorizing Bible verses from when she was four until eighteen. 

During her freshman year at Bryan College, McCready struggled being away from home and her family. “I really struggled with everything, including my faith. I struggled with how it looked to be a Christian on a day to day basis, especially to rely on God. But He showed up for me in several different ways, especially when it came to just emotional struggles and mental struggles. He would make His presence known and my faith really grew through college because of that,” McCready said. 

For everyone who goes through trials during their lives, McCready gave some helpful advice during her interview. She specifically mentioned leaning upon your family and friends during trials people will face during their lives. Since there are a lot of important decisions people make throughout their lives, McCready said that asking her family for Godly advice really helped her during her time at Bryan College, and afterwards when she was looking for a job. 

During her time at Bryan, McCready notes several professors who really mentored and helped her during her time of transition. “Mr. Benton Jones in the business department, all time favorite professor. Amazing man who invested heavily in me. I would say I struggled the most my sophomore and junior years, and that’s when he really took me aside, helped me through the academic manifestation of what I was going through, and just really acted as a mentor to me. God sent him to me for sure, and Dr. Davis, Dr. Scruggs, and Dr. Legg were among other professors who really poured into me and helped me a lot,” McCready said. 

For college students especially, going to church on a regular basis on top of having to receive chapel credits at Bryan is difficult, even if someone grew up going to church. But as McCready later says, attending a local church can be beneficial and encouraging. 

McCready said going to church “takes a serious, focused, intentional effort, to find one and then to go to it each week. I went through a period even after moving here where I didn’t really want to go. I was no longer interested in going to Sunday morning service because I was discouraged. I was tired. I was not motivated . . . but I’m so thankful my family set such a good example of going to church regularly, so I kept going.” 

On November 11, 2022 McCready said she was especially uplifted by her church’s 80th anniversary, which she attended. “I was so blessed by that, because they gave Grace an opportunity to showcase her book she wrote. Their love and encouragement, and meeting her and meeting me and learning her story, was so incredibly encouraging,” McCready said. 

While McCready noted in her interview that her life is not quote, a ‘happy ending’, God blessed her in many ways. For example, McCready said she had a wonderful upbringing, where she was taught by her parents to love the Lord and memorize Bible verses through AWANA. McCready also said she is thankful for the people God put in her life that pointed her to Him during difficult times. 

Grace McCready is Anna McCready’s sister, whose book, Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like, is discussed by a previous article on the Triangle’s website, titled Finding Faith: Grace McCready. To read it, click the link here

Isabelle Hendrich is a senior communication major and history minor at Bryan College. Besides running, Hendrich likes to read and do crafts. She is a triplet whose siblings, Benjamin and Savannah, are also attending Bryan College.