James Oliver Young

Title: JAMES OLIVER YOUNG
Author: Rev. Dr. David C. Marx
Publisher: Publish America
2010
ISBN: 978-1-4489-7756-7
Genre: Inspirational/contemporary

James Oliver Young is the interim pastor of a Presbyterian Church in Texas. While headed home one day, he pulls off in a rest stop to answer nature’s call. While there he witnesses a police officer shot in the line of duty.

The officer survives, but the two would-be-murderers come after him to make sure he’s dead. A former Marine, James takes the officer’s gun and kills one of the assailants, and wounds the other while the officer calls for help. Police respond within minutes, with ambulance crews, to get the wounded to the hospital and clear the scene. The police officer wants James to go to the hospital with him, so James calls his wife, and then goes to minister further to the officer who was shot.

As interim pastor, James helps the elders, deacons, and members come to terms with their pasts as they prepare for a new pastor to come. But as he helps the members become to terms with their feelings and grief, he suddenly faces the need to have the congregation minister to him when he receives devastating news.

JAMES OLIVER YOUNG is a book that starts out with action and keeps you engaged all the way through the book. I was kind of afraid of this book since it was published by a house I prefer not to review books by due to poor editing and sometimes poor stories. But the author asked me so nicely I couldn’t refuse. I’m glad I didn’t!

I’m a Baptist pastor’s wife and the pastor in this book is much more liberal than we are—but then the author says that he is more liberal than he is—and he’s a minister too. All in all, this is a great inside look at what a pastor’s job might include—from reaching out and ministering to the community, getting to know the local law enforcement, counseling church members, and yet dealing with whatever may transpire in their own lives.

There are some editorial errors in this book, but the story is such that it was easy to overlook them. I’m glad I took a chance on this author and book and am looking forward to reading the sequel, Heather Young, which is also available now. You can buy this book off www.amazon.com or from www.PublishAmerica.com. 387 pages. $29.95.