ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio, Oct. 9, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From slavery to salvation, a group of people defied tremendous odds on their way to becoming a respected organization among Christian and African American communities in West Virginia. This is the true story that will inspire readers and warm their hearts as Xlibris releases My People Yesterday, Today & Forever: A History of the Glorious Church of God in Christ, a new book authored by Leonard M. Payne, Jr.

My People Yesterday, Today & Forever tells an enduring, true story of how in a little over fifties years a group of ex-slave children and their children from Southern West Virginia would walk over to the white communities in their given cities, alone with many other African Americans all over the east coast. It points out the homes they were going to move into once their leader was to take over the world from Addis Abba, Ethiopia at a given day and hour in 1921. Some time later however, the tragic death of their leader causes them to lose hope and forces them to endure another period of hardship.

Readers will learn how the group reorganized themselves and reconciled with the truths of the Christian faith and establish their own organization form, the Glorious Church of God in Christ. Most astonishing however are the details as to how they made their way earning the respect of African American and White churches in America.

To order a copy of this fascinating journey, feel free to visit your local bookstore or log on at Xlibris.com today.

About the Author

Leonard has had a distinguished career in Criminal Justice and is the first African American Chaplain in the history of The State of West Virginia. This includes all state and governmental institutions such as hospitals, Mental Health, Children Homes, Detention Centers and Prisons. He was the only staff member with Government Arch Moore, in the negotiations during the 1986 riots at the West Virginia State Penitentiary, Moundsville, WV. He was rewarded the Dr. Martin Luther Kings Community Award by Wheeling Jesuit College committee in 2005. The author holds a Doctoral degree from the United Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity and a Masters of Arts from the Methodist Theological School in Delaware Ohio. He lives in St. Clairsville, Ohio with his wife, Charlotte.

   My People Yesterday, Today & Forever * by Leonard M. Payne, Jr.
          A History of the Glorious Church of God in Christ
                   Publication Date: April 25, 2008
        Trade Paperback; $19.99; 263 pages; 978-1-4257-7732-6
         Cloth Hardback; $29.99; 263 pages; 978-1-4257-7741-8

To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7479. Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x.7876.

Xlibris books can be purchased at Xlibris bookstore. For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at http://www.Xlibris.com.

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