I never imagined God would use my Lincoln experience to help me build a ghostwriting business.
Teaching. Conversations. Research. Diving into unknown topics. And most of all, lots of writing.
Those are some of the most important takeaways from my time as a student at (what was then known as) Lincoln Christian Seminary. Little did I know back then that I would use so many of those experiences in a future ghostwriting business.
I absolutely loved being a seminary student. From 1997-2005 I was honored to sit under amazing professors like Bob Lowery, Gary Hall, John Castelein, and Dinelle Frankland as earned an M.Div and an M.A. in Worship Studies.
At the time, I was the Worship Minister at Central Church of Christ in Streator, IL. Every Tuesday morning, for many years, I would leave when it was still dark outside and make the 90-minute drive to Lincoln.
Strange as it sounds, my favorite part of each class was the research paper. Writing a big paper—and especially writing a thesis—was like putting a giant puzzle. The research, the writing, and the editing were a blast and it was immensely satisfying to see it all come together. It was even more thrilling when I received an “A” on paper!
I was blessed to continue my involvement in the academic world as Professor at St. Louis Christian College, where I taught for 17 years. But after a dozen years of teaching, I began to get restless and was looking for a new challenge that would involve writing, research, and study.
I began building my freelance writing business on the side and built my business to a respectable part-time level. Then two years ago, I took a course on ghostwriting and knew that I had found my niche. Here was a business I could grow on my own time and my own terms. And it involved all of my strong suits: writing, working with people, research, and publishing.
Earlier this year, at the conclusion of the 2021 Spring semester, I transitioned from teaching to ghostwriting full-time. When I made the transition, I pretty much assumed that my days of Bible research were behind me. I intended to write books for business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Little did I know that God had other plans! One of my early writing projects was Performance-Driven Giving: The Roadmap to Unleashing the Power of Generosity in Your Life by David Hancock and Bobby Kipper, published by Morgan James and releasing May 2022. (I can be public about my work on the book since my name is listed on the cover.) It was an honor to use my background as a pastor and Christian college Professor to create the book.
One of the most surprising aspects of this work has been how the skills of academic life and ministry are directly transferable to ghostwriting. This type of work involves patience, great people skills, research, and of course the ability to write.
I will be eternally grateful for all the ways Lincoln has changed my life. My time there helped prepare me for a vocation I didn’t even know existed back then. If you enjoy writing, research, or organizing content, you might be surprised at all the amazing opportunities there are for you to use your skills and represent Christ in the marketplace.