Soon After (Urban Christian)

When Pastors Willie Green and Vanessa Morton got married and moved to merge their churches, they never expected so much resistance. Now it seems someone is sending a strong message by setting fire to the Harvest Baptist Church building.

The newly unified Pleasant Harvest Baptist Church is no more than four months into business as usual before Co-Pastor Willie Green is drawn into the middle of an arson investigation. Alexis Montgomery, an overzealous reporter, sees the experienced pastor as a great source to latch onto as she tries to unearth the stories that might solve the crime. Instead of being bothered by the presence of this woman, Co-Pastor Vanessa uses it as a distraction to help conceal her own secrets.

Orchestrating the unification rift makes Deacon Charley Thompson a prime suspect. His unexpected silence only fuels the accusations of guilt, and his meek wife becomes his unlikely spokesperson. Meanwhile, his nephew, Abe Townsend, couldn't care less about family allegiances. Led by an anonymous publicist, Abe and the remaining displaced members of Harvest Baptist Church gain notoriety when news reports garner an outcry of sympathy and support.

What should have been a simple unification of two churches has turned into something much more complicated, and it will take plenty of faith to hold it all together.

Sherryle Kiser Jackson is a graduate of Salisbury State University, and a former teacher and educational consultant. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and the United Black Writers Guild. Sherryle lives in Charles County, Maryland, with her husband and two children.

About Sherryle Kiser Jackson