Denton native, McKinney pastor writes book designed for church members to use for encouragement
By media release
Mar 15, 2009
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McKinney pastor Dr. Woody D. Wilson has collected gripping stories and encouraging thoughts from his years as a missionary in France and as a pastor in numerous churches to be included in a book to help church members nationwide.

Wilson, who was born in Denton, TX, is the senior pastor of Waddill Street Baptist Church, is the author of the new book, The Shadow of Babel: Speaking Jesus to a Language-Challenged World. Wilson has also worked with Faith Baptist Mission in Denton and Richland Hills Baptist in Fort Worth. Wilson received his masters of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Woth.

Through common sense and practical helps, Wilson encourages Christians to discuss their beliefs lovingly but boldly with their friends and family members. The book looks at numerous experiences from Wilson’s rich life as a missionary in a challenging setting in France and as a U.S. pastor in everyday circumstances. The Shadow of Babel discusses the importance of talking about one’s beliefs, how to speak with one’s heart, why listening is the key to talking, and why “crossing the cultural divide” can be difficult. Despite the difficulties in communicating understandably in a world of diverse languages and cultures – the “shadow” of Babel that the title references – Wilson explains how we can bridge language and cultural barriers.

 

Each chapter centers around Bible verses and Wilson’s own stories to draw in the reader and equip the reader to examine his or her own challenges of talking about faith. At the end of each chapter, Wilson includes three practical helps that are designed to engage the reader in introspective thought and Bible study. Through these questions, Wilson desires each reader to be encouraged to share his or her own faith story. “We can’t keep it to ourselves any longer”, explains Wilson in the book.

 

 

In an endorsement of The Shadow of Babel, Dr. Preston L. Nix, director of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health with the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, says, “Through the lens of his experience of learning a foreign language to communicate the Gospel cross-culturally, Wilson challenges his readers to ‘find their voice’ to clearly communicate the Good News of salvation to this present generation. With amusing anecdotes and inspiring illustrations, Wilson highlights biblical principles for communicating Christ to a lost and confused culture.”

 

Paperback ($15.95) copies of the book are available through online bookstores such as Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Hannibal Books also offers the book through 800-747-0738 and www.hannibalbooks.com. ISBN: 978-1-934749-40-1.