Interview With Author David Wentz
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After a first career in engineering and 34 years as a full-time pastor, I retired from the Washington DC area to the very rural Missouri Ozarks to pursue writing. I have published five books so far, with a long list of others I hope to write.
Most amazing to me is that my first book, PASTORING: THE NUTS AND BOLTS, is now available in seven languages! Most translations were done on a volunteer basis by pastors who wanted others in their country to have access to the material. I started a small non-profit, Doing Christianity, Inc., to print and distribute free copies. So far over 15,000 pastors have received free print copies; many others have been distributed digitally.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is PASTORING REVIVAL: WHAT TO DO AFTER THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVES. It started out as a doctoral dissertation 25 years ago. I was urged to popularize it then, but didn’t. The revival or outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Asbury University in the spring of 2023 brought the idea back to my mind. God seems to send revival movements every 20-30 years in America, but I never saw a seminary course or even a book designed to prepare pastors for them. This book is designed to fill that need.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I was blessed to be able to retire to some family land where there was enough room for me to build a little writer’s cabin separate from the house. I go down there, build a fire if it’s chilly, sit in a swinging chair I hung from the roof supports, and write on my laptop.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Bible, of course. I love C.S. Lewis, especially Mere Christianity. For relaxation, you can’t beat Louis L’Amour. I don’t like academic-sounding books, or authors who try to impress you with big words. After decades of preaching, I know how easily people can misunderstand what they think I said, so I try to make things as clear and easy to read as possible. As I read somewhere, never overestimate your listeners’ vocabulary or underestimate their intelligence.
What are you working on now?
My next book is tentatively titled GODLINESS: THE SEVEN SKILLS OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY. They are: know God, love God, hear God, follow God, imitate God, serve God, and rest in God. There are several aspects to each of them, and they are all things we can learn and grow in. I’m excited because this will be the first of my books written for a wider audience, not just pastors.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m hoping Awesome Gang will be! I am also blessed with a pretty wide following in Facebook, and I have been working hard to develop a good email list. I use Pubby to get reviews. I start reading and reviewing books well ahead of launching my own, so I can pile up credits to use toward getting a lot of reviews for my books when I need them.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have confidence, and the courage of your convictions. But use a pro to design your cover! Also, make sure your book is thoroughly edited. Finally, learn all you can about the marketing process, even if you hire someone else to do it for you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Jesus said that in Matthew 6:33, and it sure has proved true in my life.
What are you reading now?
I’m in volume 3 of Carl Sandberg’s 6-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln. I like history and biographies. (When I’m not reading Louis L’Amour.)
What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to update my website, and get a good self-sustaining method for growing my email list.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d bring a full Kindle and a solar charger so I wouldn’t have to choose!
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