A calling to share God’s word and his love of writing sparked former Atmore resident Harlan Morgan to pen his first book.

As former pastor of Atmore Apostolic Church, Morgan published a weekly religious column in The Atmore Advance, which served as the groundwork for his book. “A Walk in the Morning,” which is a collection of 60 of his columns, which range in topics from personal experiences and current events and draws an inspirational thought from each story, according to Morgan.

The pastor said he was encouraged by his peers to publish the book.

“Several other inspiration/theological writers have seen my work in periodicals and encouraged me to put my work in book form,” Morgan said Monday, less than a week after he received the first copies of his book. “Others have commented how they enjoyed my writing, so I thought it would be beneficial to print my work in a devotional type book – something people could read a little bit daily – maybe over morning coffee.”

T.D. Cardwell, retired pastor from De Quincy, La. where Morgan currently resides when not on the road traveling with his family as an evangelist, preaching and singing in various churches across the United States gives the book rave reviews.

“Once a person begins reading this book, it will be somewhat difficult to lay it aside until it is completed,” Cardwell said. “This book includes such a spicy variety of interesting topics, which are so intertwined with the Biblical principles of life. As my most capable and honorable assistant pastor for four years in De Quincy, La., Harlan Morgan was and is one of the most organized people I have ever met. He and his wife are loved; not only in De Quincy, but everywhere they go to minister. With a background of being a full-time assistant pastor for two different churches, a full-time pastor for five years, and, at the time of this writing, a full-time evangelist and writer, through this book, Bro. Morgan reflects a down-to-earth insight into the development of a true minister’s thinking and observation. This, with God’s touch, has propelled him to a very productive ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Morgan, who lived in Atmore from 2004-08, said the process of preparing his book for publishing was a simple process of elimination of the various columns and articles he had saved over the years.

“I wanted to include a variety of topics, so included in the book are topics ranging from ‘Soggy Sandwiches, Swarming Gnats, and Other Blessings’ to ‘America Needs to Pray!’,” Morgan said. “The process actually moved pretty quickly.”

Morgan explained that once he selected the articles he wanted to include in “A Walk in the Morning,” he began an editing process, which took him about a month using his spare time.

“Then, I submitted my material to the printer,” Morgan said. “Once they received all of the information, they shipped the books to me within a week. I have been very pleased with the result. The book is self-published through our ministry, Family and Faith Ministries, Inc.”

As for his goal in publishing his first book, Morgan hopes it works as an extension of his already vast work in ministry.

“My desire is to touch the soul and emotion of the reader,” he said. “I want them to be captivated by the stories I tell or topics I discuss. I want the reader to be able to find himself in the story or at least find something applicable to his life. I want my book to be an encouragement to all who read it. Though things in life may get tough, there is hope and help in Jesus Christ! I want people to realize the two most important things in life are our relationship with God and our families. I’ve already received comments from some who say they laugh in one chapter and cry in another. If my writing can touch the heart of the reader in a positive way, I feel that my book has been a success. I’d love for my book to be a part of everybody’s morning devotion and coffee time.”

Morgan will visit Atmore on Jan. 6, 2011 for a book signing from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at First National Bank & Trust’s main branch on Main Street. Books are $12 each and can also be shipped for an additional charge of $3. Books can be ordered from Family and Faith Ministries, Inc., P.O. Box 37, DeQuincy, LA, 70633.

For more information, Rev. Morgan can be contacted by email at RevHMorgan@gmail.com <mailto:RevHMorgan@gmail.com> , or he can be followed on his blog at revhmorgan.wordpress. com.