Wellsville has its own nationally recognized Christian author, who recently released a new book at the age of 91.
Gerald Borchert and his wife, Doris, came to Wellsville following appointment of his daughter-in-law, Karen, as pastor of Grace United Church some two-and-a-half years ago, with his son, Mark, becoming dean of management and creative arts, and professor of business and communication at Houghton University. The younger couple had been co-pastoring a congregation in Tennessee prior to the moves.
The writer provided an author talk at the David A. Howe Public Library in Wellsville last week about his new book, Reading John: The Bible’s Transforming Storybook, which focuses on the nature of storytelling in the Gospel of John as a prime example and model of early Christian storytelling.
The Canadian-born author started his career as an attorney before feeling God calling him into ministry, he tells Allegany Hope Community News.
He came to the United States, attending Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Southeastern Pennsylvania and becoming an ordained Baptist minister.
He has been a professor and a dean and vice-president of two Baptist theological seminaries in the United States, in addition to having taught in several locations.
He is one of the translators of the New Living Translation (NLT) version of the Bible and has written more than 150 articles and many books including commentaries on the Books of John, Galatians, Revelation, and Thessalonians, two works on Jesus, one on Worship in the New Testament: Divine Mystery and Human Response, which surveys the entire New Testament, two handbooks on visiting The Lands of the Bible, and more.
Borchert says he has several books which he hasn’t finished, saying he only is able to complete a book when it “comes into the mood” and through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
“This (new) book fits who I am,” he said, saying that he hadn’t anticipated writing one due to having been “in the process of slowing down,” noting that a manuscript generally takes a year to complete.
He said he has “retired” three times to date and although he doesn’t expect to write another new book, it will depend on the Holy Spirit.