Gerald McCray

Why I Put My Bible Studies Into Book Form

First of all, the logo for Baby Faith Publishing is mine and my wife's daughter Jordan.

A writer who doesn't like to read? Wow! On top of that I am a Sunday School teacher who doesn't like public speaking. After accepting my call to the Gospel Ministry at the age of 33, I found myself disliking public speaking more and more. When I accepted my call, I was probably 10 years behind schedule. It is possible that my phobia of speaking in front of a group of people was a major contribution to me being 10 years behind schedule.

After speaking a few times I guess I felt unfulfilled because there was so much more which needed to be said during the message or the Sunday School lesson which I didn't say or forgot to.

I guess me trying to brainstorm the challenge of saying all that needed to be said on a subject was the impetus for my beginning to write. Although I wanted nothing to do with public speaking I did want to share with others the Bible information which excited me and made me feel like a much better Christian.

The reason that me wanting to share the transformative "truths" of my personal Bible Study is significant is because when I was 15 years of age in the small city of Hopewell, Virginia; I met A Preacher Named Porter. Pastor Porter is what some "people" call a Faith Healer. I guess one of my family members told the faith healer about my ankle injury. Porter was a traveling Evangelist who actually was pastoring a church in New York State. My mother, second eldest sister, and some of their friends had been attending the meetings which Pastor Porter was conducting about 50 miles south of Hopewell in the Windsor, Virginia area.

"Do you believe that GOD can heal your ankle," Preacher Porter asked me. I grew up going to the local church and never heard anyone say anything like that in church before. I don't recall a prayer-for-healing segment during those church services. Interestingly, I think I said nothing in response to Faith Preacher Porter's question. His next question was the most important one. "Do you believe in GOD," he asked me. In the split second between him asking the second question and me giving a quick answer; my church life flashed before my eyes [so to speak] and I quickly said, "No." What shocked me about my answer to that question is that the answer was news to me. I did not believe that there was a GOD. Whoa!

Fast forward to a year later when this shy introvert stood up in church and testified that, "GOD is real!" I told those in attendance of my first encounter with Preacher Porter and ended the testimonial with an affirmation of faith. My introversion followed me to college. I joined a campus choir called The Gospel Experience less than a year of arriving at Virginia Tech. I was withdrawn and reserved around the type A gregarious graduate students who headed this ministry. That was until the choir conducted an open air mini concert on campus. I remember the first time I was part of one of these events. After the choir sang a few songs, I walked from the back row to stand in front of the choir and started "preaching" to those sitting out in front of the dining hall as well as the passersby.

While I was expounding on whatever the spontaneous message was; I felt the surprise which the choir members exuded at such an unexpected occurrence. Afterwards, I found out that the "older" or more mature leaders of the ministry did that sort of thing. Why did I do it? Because GOD was real to me now! And more "realer" [forgive this wording but I'm making a point] at age 19 than he was when I became a believer a few months before my 16th birthday.

When I spoke to the campus crowd I felt like there was so much more to be said. After completing my initial [trial] sermon in 1995, I felt like there was so much more to be said. After every Sunday School lesson, Bible Study, and occasional "sermon" [one church called them lectures], I always feel like there is so much more to be said.

"So, why not finish the Bible Study and put it into a book?" That was an interesting thought I had. I didn't follow up on that strategy until my current Pastor tricked me into writing my first book. As a Junior Deacon or Deacon Mentee, I engaged the older...uh...more mature deacons in debate especially if they mentioned something which I had studied significantly. In the early to mid nineties one issue of debate which came up quite often was the issue of women preachers.

This baby Deacon seemed to be holding his own in these spirited debates. So much so that the pastor asked me to "put together a Bible Study on the subject of women preachers" so that we could have a structured and productive discussion and come to a concrete conclusion on the matter. After I gave him the Bible Study some months later and he read some of it; he had a great idea. "You know, no one will respect a handout." What? "I think you need to put this in book form because agree or disagree people respect books."

In retrospect, "Isn't that wonderful?"

It's too late for me to say, "Long story short," but a year after that book was published; a coworker asked me about it because another co-worker mentioned it to her. So, she got one. About two weeks later this 60-65 year old woman said, "I have learned more about the Bible while reading your book than I have in all of my life going to church."

Over the years, I have had so many people tell me about how impactful a Bible Study, Sunday School lesson, sermon or even an encouraging email was to them. It must be something GOD is doing. When I am working on a manuscript I think about that co-worker and the others who have been blessed by what GOD gave me to share with them.

II Corinthians 5:14 explains why I write:

"The love of Christ compels me..."

Enough said.

P.S. The ironic thing is that I have to speak more because of the impact which the writing is

having on the readers. Oh well...