I offer this one quote as it relates to the crux of this particular work:
“ … this is the position the Church finds itself in, a slave to the World System instead of its Liberator.”
What gave you the inspiration for your new book?
I was doing research for my Doctoral Program as I began to solidify my contention that the Church was in flux and was living below the bar set for us. I had a chance conversation that ignited my desire to set the record straight concerning the Church and to encourage us to move forward and meet the challenges of the 21st century head on.
When did you know writing was something you could do?
When I look back over my life I have always been a writer; I won a young authors contest in North Carolina when I was very young around 9 or 10, and then again gained recognition in W. Germany at around 12 years old. I took a very long hiatus from writing throughout high school and college; and only picked it up again in my adult life as a matter of purpose— it is not something I could do but something I should do. I have submitted articles and/or essays from time to time.
Perspectives on a Real Church
What will you consider as success relating to your book?
I am not terribly picky; I don’t write to be a best seller (maybe that’s problematic) but as many artists will confess, it is simply about getting the work out. Many people die with something special inside of them and I never wanted to be that person.
Do you have any future plans related to writing?
Yes! Perspectives will serve as the foundation for my first book in a series to be released in the last quarter of 2018- it will be my “flagship” work I believe, a culmination of all that I have picked up along my journey relating to the Faith and our responsibility to impact America.
Who is your favorite author (book)?
Max Lucado. There is something about the very practical yet powerful manner in which he portrays both the life of Jesus Christ and the lessons from the bible. I am also preferential to the early work of Nathan McCall’s “Make Me Wanna holler!”
What are you personally reading right now?
Perspectives on a Real Church
I have two (2) reading projects for the summer, THE TIMES COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE WORLD and UNDENIABLE written by Bill Nye. I have a fairly wide reading pallet; these works seem totally divergent and unrelated but just the rather eclectic events in my life they’ll all come together to make sense one day.
What is the most important take away from this book and who is the audience?
The most important take away is that the Church has power and that it is time for the Church to both realize and actualize that power to influence the world in which we live. I believe it is different from other books in its genre in that it comes from a place of experience and transparency related to the Church divested of our tendency to be blinded from our shortcomings. This book looks at problems and shortcomings but only in the context of exploring the solution- a return to the basics.
What do you say to those who may not readily see the relevance of your most recent work?
I would say that the Church is more relevant than we think to both believers and nonbelievers alike. As a matter of fact, that is precisely the problem when we look at the state of the world: men and women of faith not really knowing how impactful they can be and the rest of the world being skeptical (rightly so) and not being able to benefit from that impact.