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My Mother Tells Her Story by Jonathan FalwellJonathan Fallwell
It's been nearly a year since my father's passing (May 15).  Since that time I have assumed the pastorate at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Thomas Road Baptist Church and my brother Jerry Jr. has taken on the role of chancellor at Liberty University.  It has been simultaneously humbling and rewarding as we have succeeded our father in his two most prominent posts.
 
While our lives are often lived in the public eye, my mother, Macel, long ago chose to live a more private existence.  For years, she served as my father's closest and most trusted adviser and friend.
 
However, a few months after my father died, my mother was approached about writing a book about her 49 years of marriage to one of America's most recognized religious figures.  While initially saying no, Mom ultimately decided to share her story so that people could be inspired by the life of amazing faith that Dad lived out during his 50-plus years of ministry.
 
"Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy" (Howard Books) will be released next month.  I was privileged to work through the editing process with Mom and was pleased to see how she was able to present a picture of Dad that many people never saw.
 
As a cultural warrior, Dad was often observed in the media taking on positions that frequently countered those of the "mainstream."  As a result, he was sometimes characterized as intolerant, which couldn't have been farther from the truth.
 
Mom's book allows readers to see Dad as the man of ministry he truly was.  Dad frequently visited people in the hospital or in their homes, counseled folks facing predicaments of life and reached out to those in need.  He loved helping people through our many ministries, including: the Liberty Godparent Home for Unwed Mothers; the Family Life Services Adoption Agency; the Elim Home for Alcoholic and Drug-Addicted Men; and our inner-city project known as "The Center."
 
I appreciate that the book will allow people to see the humanity of a man who was often seen only in three-minute TV appearances.
 
Mom's book also focuses on Dad's unshakable optimism and his God-inspired vision to found Liberty University, which is today the world's largest evangelical university, and the Moral Majority.  Readers will also see the devoted husband, father and grandfather that Jerry Falwell was.
 
Mom's personal portrait of Dad will enable many to see - some for the first time - that Dad was not the hatemonger that the left often portrayed him to be.  He was, rather, a man of principle who attempted to be a bold representative for Christ in all that he did, even when it was unpopular.
 
Dad was also a generous man, as readers will discover.
 
On the last night of his life, he and Mom were having dinner in a local restaurant when they learned that their waitress couldn't attend Liberty University because of a lack of funds.  Dad promised to help her get in school and, in the days following his death, Mom followed up on that promise.
 
In the book's foreword, Sean Hannity of the Fox News Channel writes, "In humility, innocence and an endearing gentleness of spirit, Macel shares with us a man, a marriage and a family all fundamentally united and ordered on faith in God, a commitment to His service and service to one another."
 
That really is my Father in a nutshell.
 
I'm very proud of Mom for taking on the task of sharing the story of the man she adored.  I hope many people will gain a new understanding and appreciation for Jerry Falwell through this wonderful book.
 
Readers can purchase "Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy" at www.falwell.com or at their local bookstores beginning in May