Reviews & Commentary

Comments on Lewis C. Sheafe: Apostle to Black America

"It is excellent.  I think it should be a part of denominational and church history courses and African American history courses everywhere."  Emory Tolbert, Chair, History Department, Howard University

"Dr. Morgan has written a gripping biography based on prodigious research about a man who fought those within his own church who vacillated between accommodation of and resistance to segregation and inequality, even as he struggled against inequality in the society at large.  This is a fascinating exploration of the role of religious institutions in African-American life at the turn of the 20th century, and of one strong-willed Black man’s life, full of success and disappointment in equal measure.  Myles V. Lynk, Peter Kiewit Foundation Professor of Law and the Legal Profession, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University (grandson of Lewis C. Sheafe and Lucy Whetzel Sheafe).

"Douglas Morgan has the unique talent of taking a mass of research materials and in them seeing history as if he were looking at a DVD.  He takes on the reconstruction of the man Lewis Sheafe, an African American Baptist preacher who left a prominent pulpit to become a Seventh-day Adventist in the late 1890s.  Sheafe took Adventism by storm.  The legend that circulated in my childhood was  that Sheafe had no peer—he could preach, pray, and sing.  His tent meetings drew thousands, members of Congress were seen in the audience.  The mainstream press gave good notice.   Morgan’s sensors picked this up and he followed the trail, digging into every possible datum to  create  a fascinating, moving story.  This is a part of our history that is less known and under told.  I hope you will read it."  Charles E. Bradford, retired president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America and author of Sabbath Roots: The African Connection.

"The book opened a whole new world to me....There is drama and pathos and tragedy in many of the chapters, but one is really drawn to the talents, energies, achievements, and intentions of Lewis C. Sheafe."   Martin E. Marty, Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago

"You likely have never heard of Sheafe, he was a community activist and a pastor for both Baptist and Adventist churches from the 1880s through the early decades of the 20th century. He had the ability to gain the respect of key leaders on both sides of the race line at a time when America was retreating from the idealism that ended slavery just prior to his birth. To him, a heartfelt relationship with Jesus centered in Bible truth was just as important as working for social change, the betterment of the poor, etc. In fact, the two were entirely fused!...The value of this biography is its careful research, readable narrative and attention to the sociological and religious context of Sheafe's life. It will speak to your soul as well as your mind."  Monte Sahlin, Chair, Center for Creative Ministy and Director of Special Projects for the Ohio Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, commenting at his blog Faith in Context (click for his entire commentary)

"I have not been able to put it down!  The story is fascinating!  Praise God for giving you the vision to tell this story!" Michelle Riley Jones, Minister of Music & Worship Arts, Capitol Hill SDA Church, Washington, D.C.

"Morgan’s treatment of Sheafe is not only significant because it is the only full length biography of the man, but also because it analyzes the interactions between the Black and White races in the North American Seventh-day Adventist Church. Thus we have in the Sheafe biography not merely the story of a person, but also the beginning of the pilgrimage of the denomination as it sought to adjust to its various racial entities within the context of a culture that was experiencing the same dynamics and challenges. As a result, Morgan’s biography is meaningful on several levels. It highlights not only the gifts, weaknesses, and tragedy of Sheafe himself, but also of the denomination of which he was a part." (from the Foreword by George R. Knight, prolific author and preeminent historian of Adventism, and editor of the Adventist Pioneer Series).