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Five years ago, Pastor Frank Vertell James of Columbia said he received a vision from God that he needed to reach out to children and young adults. As he observed all the evil young people were facing in the world, he decided it was his calling to write a book designed just for them.
However, James put the revelation on hold a few years and continued his daily life.
In 2006, James said the Lord spoke to his heart once again during the annual Conference of the United Methodist Church at Claflin University, and this time, he listened.
Reflecting on things he'd seen as a school teacher with the Baltimore City Public Schools and as a resource teacher with Richland County School District I and II, James penned "The Choice is Yours." On the news and in the schools, James said he constantly saw children "dressing out of order, cursing, carrying guns, carjacking and robbing."
"The book is for all ages ... but in chapters 1 through 4, we are mainly talking to the parents and what they should and should not do," James said.
He said many of today's youth are growing up in gangs, have low self-esteem and are not coming from Christian homes, all of which is reflected in their behavior.
"Parents see this, and they don't do anything about it," James said. "My point in the book is to try to wake parents up so they can wake their children up to realize that they have a future and they are somebody."
"The Choice is Yours" aims to helps readers understand who they are, why they do evil, why they do good, why they are here, where they are going and how they can avoid bad choices.
James breaks down the life of an individual in each chapter of his book.
For example, the first chapter, "Conception," explains that as a child, people are a special gift to the world and God had them in mind before they were born. James writes that the lifestyle a mother lives while a child is developing in her womb will determine the kind of person that child will be.
James said his book is designed to encourage middle school, high school and college students and young adults to be positive thinkers and make the right decisions in their lives.
"Young people are losing focus in the classroom because everyone wants to be a TV star," James said. "Young people would rather listen to music than read a book. They have forgotten about their education."
He said South Carolina school teachers should be rewarded for their accomplishments in the lives of young people, adding that teachers have been required to perform double duty as disciplinarians and educators.
"Parents have left all the raising and teaching to the teachers," he said.
James ends each chapter with a positive story and a negative story. He said each is a reflection of people he's met in the past that have either taken the negative route and lived a life of drugs, alcohol and disobedience or have followed the will of God and excelled in their education and career.
He also uses scripture to teach teens about love, unity and sharing.
"There's a scripture in the Bible for everything in the world," James said.
James, a native of Kingstree, received a bachelor's degree in music education from Benedict College in 1975. After answering God's call to become a preacher, James attended Gammon Seminary Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and earned his master's degree in divinity.
He s
erved as pastor of the Orangeburg Circuit from 1993-1998, which included Bethlehem United Methodist Church, St. John UMC and Mount Nebo Church of the Redeemer.
James is an elder with the South Carolina United Methodist Conference and currently serves as pastor of St. Paul UMC in Kingstree. He has two adult children and lives with his wife, Carolyn, and their 8-year-old daughter, Lydia, in Columbia.
Due to the success of "The Choice is Yours," James said he has started a ministry at St. Paul UMC that meets twice a month on Saturday mornings. Youth and young adults are encouraged to attend.
James said he is also in the process of developing a workbook to accompany "The Choice is Yours." The workbook will include exercises, questions and answers, and a completion certificate.
For more information, call James at 843-355-6147 or e-mail frankvjames@yahoo.com.
T&D Features Writer Candace Newson can be reached by e-mail at cnewson@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.