African American Christian Writer's Coalition Launched

For Immediate Release

Contact: Marilynn Griffith (mgriffith32@aol.com) or

Pam Perry (pamperry@ministrymarketingsolutions.com)


Publicist and Authors Launch African American Christian Writer's Coalition

Detroit, MI (March 25, 2005) ---- As evidenced by recent finding by George Barna, (High African American Churches, Regal, 2004), the African American Christian Market (AACM) is here to stay, especially if publicist Pamela Perry has anything to do with it. "These books have been around for a while,but now with so many authors having success, the industry is paying attention," says Perry, whose publicity firm Ministry Marketing Solutions (www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com) focuses on African American Christian authors.

To help publishers tap into the faith base of the black church, Perry and
several others have joined to form the African American Christian Market
Coalition (AACMC). The other founders include: Rebecca Florence Osaigbovo,
author of It's not About You, It's About God (Intervarsity Press, 2004) and
founder and executive director of Chosen Vessels Ministries (www.CVMI.org )
; Marilynn Griffith, poet, speaker, and debut novelist (Made of Honor,Steeple Hill, 2006) and editor of www.WordPraize.com; Dr. Gail Hayes,conference speaker, character value consultant and author of Daughters of the King, a self-published women's interest title that will be re-released by Warner Books/Walk Worthy Press in May 2005. See (www.DaughtersoftheKing.org).

Together, the AACMC seeks to bring greater exposure to authors and speakers
in this genre through workshops, teleseminars, conferences and greaterparticipation in CBA events. Perry's publicity firm continues to have great success teaching publishers how to interface with African American readers,authors and booksellers.

"We'd like to see the same infrastructure for gospel books as there is for gospel music. The market is the same. Our jobis to reach them," Perry says.

The AACMC hopes to reach more non-black readers as well. Today's hip hop
generation comes in many colors, as evidenced by the success of black books
in the general market.

"When you go to Book Expo, there is an entire African American Pavilion. We'd like to see something similar at CBA eventually...for authors. The first step though, is nurturing and promotingwriters," says Griffith, who uses her WordPraize blog to do interviews and circulate market information.

Dr. Hayes agrees, but thinks even more is needed. "Writing skills are good,but today's author has to learn to become a speaker as well. Those who succeed in the AACM won't only be writers, but Christian communicators."

To that end, the AACMC will support Bonefire 2005, a writer's conference forChristian women of color desiring to write and speak their stories. Confirmed speakers include Christy winner Sharon Ewell Foster, novelist Marilynn Griffith, recovery speaker and author Stanice Anderson, Walk Worthy Press (www.Walkworthypress.net) editor Denise Stinson and Glory GirlsReading Club founder (www.glorygirlsread.net).

"The sky islimit for this market," says Perry, who will host the conference in Detroit, Michigan.

Future plans for the AACMC include CBA/CAABA luncheons, awards presentations and an author referral service.

Good Friday & Meaningful Moments

An excerpt from Butter Me Not Faith

Letitia Mae Sanderson was a petite, older, white woman with sparkling eyes. She looked as if she held a great surprise captive inside her spirit.

Peaches often marveled at white people like her, because they all seemed to have those same stars in their eyes. They looked at life as a big world of opportunity and fun: southern blacks—people like her--looked at life as a big world filled with struggle and locked doors. And if it weren’t for a fervent faith that life no matter how hard was worth living and dying for, Peaches would have just smiled back at Letitia and continued cleaning the pans.

But her soul wouldn’t let her miss this slight chance for it yelled to her on the inside, “You’re change has come, girl!”


This week Dave Long at faith*in*fiction sparked a discussion about creating a different kind of meaningul moment in faith fiction. He suggested that most christian fiction books deal with either big conversion scenes or individuals coming back to their faith. But very little other less obvious themes that also speak on faith.

Last night I attended Maundy Thursday(a special Eucharist commemoration) service with my family. My sister sang in the choir. My daughter clapped. It was great to see old friends.

Reverend Bernice Madden one of our many ministers gave the spoken word for the service. Her subject was: "When he[Christ] was on the cross we were on his mind."
As she taught us a few things about the last week of Christ's life, I felt a meaningful moment cropping up.

I am policy chairperson for my county's head start and prek programs. A former parent and policy committee member sent me a formal complaint to address to the committee. I copied the complaint and passed it out to the committee. The staff person who this complaint was against attacked me for bringing the complaint to the meeting, although this act is my job. And she accused me of trying to get her fired--something I didn't have the time, energy or care to do. The PC dismissed the complaint and we went on with the meeting. Meanwhile I felt awful that this person attacked me and I didn't have anything to do with it. We spoke in private after the meeting and she apologized for jumping the gun. But the sting still stuck. Because now I feel that the committee may have the wrong idea about my persona.

Yet when Rev. Madden continued to speak a sweeping peace fell upon me. No matter how dejected I felt over this petty committee thing, it paled in comparison to the nasty accusations the pharisees made to have Christ killed and the horrible comments people said while watching him suffer on that cross on Good Friday.

Christ died for people who spat on him, lied on him and wished him dead.
Could you do that? I don't think I could.
But I felt what my great grandma used to say--A change gon' come--a meaningful moment.

I could build a short story from my situation. I could write a GuidePost article from it, too. I could build a novel without having The Angel Gabriel appear and square the socks of Peaches Parkers'[my hero] feet to get her to move on with her life.

Hallelujah. Help me, Holy Ghost.

May you find more meaninful moments this Holy Week.

Writing to see what the end gon' be,
Dee