Donald Sevener

First Church of the Everlasting Aints Donald Sevener

It's the final year of the millennium, and the First Church of the Everlasting Saints is searching for its spiritual identity in a Rust Belt city in need of rebirth. Enter the Reverend Henry Snow, summoned by his Bishop to resurrect First Saints. But Preacher Henry soon finds his own soul in need of redemption, when his heart strays to a sexy choir director. As Henry struggles with his conscience, other trials test his faithfulness. His wife Sara makes the revival of First Saints' downtrodden neighborhood a personal crusade, while the Chairman of the Board of Deacons insists that First Saints' salvation lies in moving to the safe sanctuary of the suburbs. Henry's bishop promotes passage of the Preservation of Marriage Act against same-sex marriage, while his dearest friend's desire for a gay wedding at First Saints could cause Henry to be defrocked. Meanwhile, watching over Preacher Henry's spiritual high-wire act is G., a deity who takes on a variety of guises in hilarious attempts to save Henry from himself. This comic literary novel casts a wry eye on Preacher Henry as it follows him from Lent to Advent and reminds us to be careful what we pray for.