Evangelical preacher Cindy Smock, known as Sister Cindy on social media, visited Ohio University’s College Green on Wednesday, drawing a crowd of students who reacted with a mix of amusement and criticism.
Smock is a traveling evangelist who visits college campuses and other public spaces around the United States. She gained traction on TikTok after creating videos for her HoNoMo Campaign, which has since garnered thousands of views.
Thomas Noel, a junior studying media arts production, does not think Smock’s message is entirely from the heart.
“To me, it appears the thing of maybe an evangelical who is disguising themselves as an entertainer or vice versa,” Noel said.
Michael Naji, also a junior studying media arts production, made similar remarks.
“Maybe she still truly has some of these views, but she also is kind of becoming an entertainer because she knows when she goes on these campuses, people know who she is,” Naji said. “She has to know she has a platform.”
Although many find her teachings comical, not all students believe Smock should be on campus discussing evangelism.
“I think it’s very normalized to spread the word about the Bible specifically,“ Alyssa Razek, a sophomore studying environmental science, said. “But if anyone was out here doing that about any other religion, I think it would get a lot more backlash.”
Not everyone finds Smock funny. Some condemn her actions.
“She knows that college students are easier targets because they're young and vulnerable,“ Cora Bankert, a freshman studying psychology, said. “Some of the topics that she was talking about earlier she was s--- shaming some girls, and these are freshly adults. It's kind of concerning.”
Regardless of the backlash, Smock posted a message on her Instagram story about her visit to OU.
“I remember lots of days here 30 years ago, coming with my husband, coming with my kids, coming with church members, coming with people who came to our school of evangelism,” Smock said. “Today was another great day in the memory books, about 30 people prayed to repent of their sins and receive Jesus. It is indeed harvest time. The fields are white. Get out and do something for Jesus. Tell somebody about Jesus. Ho No Mo.”
