The Black Church

By Shawn Pen

The Black Church is a story about love, life, change, deception, death & spirituality. Where one persons life changes, another stays the same with the common denominator being the relationship. The Pastor in this book has done a complete one eighty in life and now wants the best for his family, friends and congregation. However, not everyone around him has or shares his vision which prompts disloyalty, contradiction and confusion. This book will make you look at life from many different angles prompting you to reanalyze the people that are sitting next to you in the next church service that you attend.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shawn Pen
• Release date: Mar 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386907282

Shawn Pen

Little Shawn is an American hip hop artist, rapper, songwriter, producer and author. He released a single in 1986 My Girl Mother and an album called The Voice In The Mirror under Capitol Records in 1992. Little Shawn released the single Dom Perignon on the famed and legendary Uptown Records featuring fellow Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G  in July of 1995. It peaked at #5 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 as well #87 on the Hot Hip-Hop/R&B singles and #23 on the Hot Rap Track charts. The song was featured on the Soundtrack to the Fox TV crime drama New York Undercover. From 1998 to 2003, Little Shawn served time in federal prison for drug trafficking. Little Shawn changed his stage name to Shawn Pen after leaving prison. After his trials and tribulations, Shawn has jumped right back into the creative space by releasing a critically acclaimed novel "The Black Church ".

Book preview

Chapter One

Pastor Dean opens up one eye to the blaring sound of his alarm clock. It’s 6am. He slaps the snooze button so he can catch a few more minutes of sleep. His wife Rebecca sits down on the bed and shakes him gently.

Honey, you're gonna be late for your meeting, if you don't get up right now.   First Lady Rebecca Dean is the support system that every man of the cloth should have on his team. She began dating the pastor when they were both teenagers, and she was also with him when he was a drug dealer. Prior to his incarceration, she always told him that no matter what she'd be there for him. And that, she still is. The Pastor looks over to his wife with one eye open, and answers her with a low mumble.   I know Rebecca, but I'm just so tired from that banquet yesterday. It’s like my work is never ending.

Rebecca leaned over and began to rub his back in a most soothing and comforting way.

Well Pastor, that's what you were called to do, and no one said that it was gonna be easy.

Pastor gets up from the bed, and makes his way to the bathroom. When he jumps in the shower, his mind begins to focus on the day ahead of him. Right there under the hot running water, he began to pray.

Dear Lord, please help me to overcome the temptations that the enemy constantly attacks me with. Oh Lord, you know my weaknesses, and I can't do it by myself.

In 20 minutes he's out of the shower, standing naked inside of his walk-in closet, looking for something to wear. Trevor Dean is originally from the streets. He was raised by two loving parents, and as a teenager he was constantly teased by the neighborhood kids. They used to call him The Preacher’s Boy. It was that same peer pressure that led him to a life of crime, that need to prove to the neighborhood thugs that he was just like them. After doing 5 years in Federal Prison, he has the experience and also the mental and physical scars that guys like him can relate to, so the tough guys and the gangsters flock to his church for the sincerity in his words. There are also many beautiful women that are dedicated members of his congregation.

On his way to the front door, he stops at the bottom of the staircase and yells up to his wife.

Rebecca, I'm leaving.

Pastor Dean walks to his car, removing his blazer as he approaches. He chose the heather grey pinstripe suit for today. He takes the blazer and lays it across the back seat of his navy blue Bentley GT, and gets in. This morning he has an obligation to meet with the heads of two auxiliaries in his church, about an issue that has gotten way out of hand. Sister Patricia Pharris, who is the Head of the Usher board, and married to a Real Estate Broker named Dave, has a beef with Sister Natasha Williams. Sister Williams, who is in charge of the Missionary Committee, is the center of a nasty rumor swirling around the church, involving Dave. Allegedly, she's given in to his numerous advances. This morning, Sister Patricia wasted no time at all getting down to the matter at hand. She started in as soon as the door to the Pastor's office closed.

No disrespect Pastor, but I'm gonna have to leave this church before I sacrifice my Salvation by whooping her behind.

Sister Natasha rolled her eyes. She positioned her body toward the direction of the threat against her, and shouted back.

You aint gonna whoop no behind attached to me!

Pastor looked on in disgust, placing himself in between the two of them. Natasha continued her rant. It’s not my fault that you're paranoid, and you think your husband is cheating!

Natasha Williams is an attractive young lady in her mid-twenties. She still goes out to clubs, and is somewhat of a designer bag and shoe wearing hot head.

I happen to think the man is gay, if you ask me!

To that last disrespectful comment, Sister Pharris decides to remind everyone in the room how far Christ has bought her, and from where.

Tasha, you've seem to forgotten that I'm from the projects! I used to boost clothes outta Macys, and I've had a reputation for keeping a jar of Vaseline in my bag, before I got saved!

The Pastor began to grow weary of the arguing.

That's enough ladies! This kind of behavior will never be accepted in my church! I refuse to tolerate it! The three of us have gathered this morning in my office to work this thing out. However, it seems to me, that you two women have severe dislike for one another. Sister Patricia, where did you hear that your husband was sleeping with Sister Natasha?"

Natasha had reached her limit as well, Pastor, no disrespect but I'm not at liberty to reveal my source at this time.

Alright ladies, you give me no choice but to ask that the both of you step down from your Auxiliaries until you either work this thing out collectively, or ask the Lord to soften your hearts. Your minds have to be clear so that you're able to see the tricks that the enemy is using to destroy your families, by forcing one or both of you to hurt one another. Pastor Dean waved his hand towards his office door, Please close my door behind you on your way out.

No sooner than the women leave, there is a knock on the office door, followed by a familiar voice.

Pastor D, its Rudy, you alone?  

Rudy Havelock used to be the Pastor's old partner in crime. They grew up together, got money together, were convicted in the same drug conspiracy, and did their time in the same prisons.

Come on in Brother.

Rudy walked in the office and grabbed a seat.

What up Big Time? I was in the area, saw that beautiful Bentley in the parking lot and decided to come holla at you.

The Pastor will never turn his back on his old friend. But on the inside he's getting kind of tired of him not fully respecting his new direction in life.

"Rudy, do me a favor man. Whenever you decide to come in here to pay me a visit, stop referring to me as Big Time. First off, it’s inappropriate. Secondly, my members might get the wrong impression."

Well Trev, I do apologize for disrespecting the program here. But man, you know I don't mean no harm bruh. I respect the fact that you've changed your life, but don't forget where we came from and how we used to get down. Give me a little more credit than that fam. I would never intentionally ruin your current hustle. You getting more money now than you did when we were moving them birds from state to state!   Pastor Dean looked at his friend with disgust and fury, Check this out my dude, you're going to force me to cut you off forever if you continue to insinuate that what I'm doing for the Lord is a hustle! This ain't no game for me Rudy. However, I am still human and God ain't finished doing what he has planned for me yet. What we used to do is in the sea of forgetfulness as far as God is concerned. And, if you plan on being a friend of mine you'll have to accept and respect what it is that I do now.   Rudy gives Pastor a look like he finally gets it.

You right homie and once again, my bad.

Pastor sighed like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Now Ru', when you gonna join this church and make it right with the man upstairs? That 10 year bid you did was God giving you a chance to make it right. The next one might be your elbow.

Pastor laughed, Yeah, I still remember how to spit that slang. You heard me, Elbow, that L, Life. Call it what you will, but you'd better start thinking about what I'm saying to you.

Rudy hung his head, You know what Trev? Out of all the preachers, reverends and pastors of these huge churches, you're the only one that I trust. I know if you’re doing this thing, then it’s for real. I do believe that you love the Lord man, but the problem for me is that this just ain't for me right now. I love them hoes and that paper too much man and I don't wanna be like so many people in the church I've heard about, praising the Lord on Sunday, and raising hell Monday through Saturday. I ain't no phony.

Pastor was clearly frustrated, but he continued to attempt to win the soul of his old cut buddy.

Let's say you get caught up again. Who you gonna call to get you a lawyer? Not so much for some money, cause you got that covered, but who else do you trust in this world besides me? Now, I’d never turn my back on you, but if I didn’t say these things to you, if I didn’t come at you the way that I do, then I might as well be getting money with you again. I'm trying to save your life Rudy. Just come to tomorrow morning's service, and watch me in action.

Rudy's eyes got as big as plates, You got yourself a deal. As a matter of fact, I'm going to get me an outfit. I might meet my future wife tomorrow!

The two friends hugged one another, and then Rudy took off. As he sat in his office alone, Pastor Dean thought to himself.

What a morning this has been! It’s not even 12 o'clock, and already I've had to play referee to two women that should know better, and mentor a grown man that wants a life sentence for selling drugs. Dear Lord, please continue to use me in any way you'd see fit. Every day is a struggle for me, but no one has suffered like you Lord. Please continue to strengthen me! 

Chapter Two

Natasha is shopping in the mall, thinking about what happened earlier with Dave's wife, and how she had to lie in the Pastor's face. She grabbed her phone and called the