Pastor's Corner with Dr. Melvin O. Marriner
Pastor’s Corner: Three in One
By Elder Gerald DeForest Tyler
“Extra! Extra! Extra!” Read all about it – my book titled, “Three in One – The Life and Legacy of Gerald DeForest Tyler: an Educator, Preacher, and Writer is now available online via Amazon.com, eBook, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and in hundreds of other book stores across America. The book is quite an interesting read with its “good, bad, and ugly” text, but the end of the story, or as we sometimes like to say – at the end of the day as it were, God will in fact save people from their sins past, present, and future – period!!!
I’m currently scheduling multiple radio and television “talk show” appearances, newspaper book reviews, and book signings in the Greater Hampton Roads region and beyond to help Xulon Press, the nation’s largest Christian self-publishing company based in Maitland, Florida, promote my newly published book. Be on the lookout for some of these electronic airings, newspaper reviews, and book signings during the months of August and September in particular, even though some of them that I’m personally scheduling will continue on into the following months of 2015. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you about the book – I just did!
I really think that you will agree that my book is quite an interesting read and one that you will want to hold on to as your “personal keepsake” for many years to come. As a matter-of-fact, look for one of those upcoming book reviews right here in the New Journal and Guide sometime next month thanks to publisher and editor Brenda H. Andrews. Also, one of my anticipated well-attended book signings is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at Barnes & Nobles Towne Center in Virginia Beach.
The following statement is a paraphrased excerpt taken directly from the outside back cover of my book: Everyone has a story to tell the world, but not everyone is confident enough to tell his/her story. However, for author Gerald Tyler, the desire to write the life lessons he has gained over sixty-nine years of existence created valuable testaments to being shaped by God into the image of Christ. His autobiography, “Three in One,” presents a threefold perspective surrounding Gerald’s ventures into education, ministry and professional writing. Born into a poor childhood in Louisa and raised in Spotsylvania, Virginia, Gerald learned the love of God and merit of hard work through his loving Christian family. These truths guided him through many highs and lows in life: service in the Marine Corps and being a university administrator for Norfolk State University (highs) to experiencing a rather disappointing and quite painful divorce, and ultimate loss of his only “beloved wife” and one of his sons with no definitive closure pursuant to the real cause of either one of their deaths (lows). He, however, gives glory to God for his Christian transformation and His favor through a collection of published articles and sermonic messages included in his book.
I’ve been wanting to write a book to share a great deal of my life for many years, but I’ve simply been way too busy as a “workaholic” to actually get it done. I mean, serving as a full-time higher education administrator at Norfolk State and Elizabeth City State universities collectively for 36 years; pastoring and being a minister of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for 38 years; and serving on approximately 27 different boards and committees across the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation during the same period of time – I just didn’t have adequate time to write a good quality book. But now being retired for the past two years, I set aside the necessary time to actually write the book, and I did so in four and a half months.
Finally, allow me to share with you my “primary purpose” for writing the book in the first place. Here it is: My book is an extension of my pulpit teaching and preaching ministry in churches. Therefore, I wrote it hoping to possibly reach thousands, if not actually millions of people. And most especially those who don’t even go to churches regularly – the “so-called” hardcore, hopeless, and helpless people so they think, but God most certainly can help them all if they let him. Spiritually speaking, no living person is beyond God’s love, grace, mercy, and reach; and I wrote this book primarily to convey that message … period!
Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh, James Holmes, Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr, Dylann Roof, and even atheists can all be saved if they would only believe God and put their faith and trust in him and Jesus Christ as their personal savior – yes they can! “Grace and mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied!”
Gerald D. Tyler, an ordained elder with senior pastoral experience, has been a God-called practicing minister since 1977 teaching and preaching the salvation gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
