The book for September is “Second Sunday,” by Michele Andrea Bowen.
The story begins with the sudden death of Pastor Clydell Forbes Sr. just months before the church anniversary, leaving the congregation without leadership.
Church members scramble to manage preparations for the centennial, including fundraising, committee organizations, and planning the celebration theme.
As you know, when a Missionary Baptist Church pastor passes away, many people are wondering why he couldn’t just wait until the second Sunday in June — a day that is supposed to commemorate the church’s 100th anniversary!
It is praying time, but is anyone going to show up at the altar?
In St. Louis, 1975, Gethsemane’s wealthy, conniving Deacon Cleavon Johnson is determined to have one of his own elected to the pulpit, and the rest of the deacons are at each other’s throats.
It is up to the women of Gethsemane to do something before time runs out. Their secret weapon? Sheba Cochran, a single mother, former disco party girl and backslidden church member.
Her assignment is to expose every slick-talking candidate endorsed by the church’s power-hungry deacon.
Let the fireworks begin. Sheba meets Rev. George Wilson, a true man of God, as fiery in love as he is strong in his faith.
Deacon Johnson steps up his game to a lower level. Sheba, George and the congregation must do some heaven-inspired maneuvering to save the future of the church.
The narrative follows the humorous and dramatic interactions among church members as they plot and maneuver to have their preferred candidate installed as the next pastor.
The story explores themes of community, tradition and the challenges of leadership within a close-knit church setting, all centered around the pivotal “Second Sunday” celebration,.
“Second Sunday” focuses on pivotal events that disrupt normal routines — whether a high-stakes heist and cyber threat in Los Angeles or a church’s centennial celebration disrupted by the pastor’s death — while highlighting the character’s responses to unexpected challenges.
