<I>New York Times</I> bestselling author Carl Weber takes readers back to church, where preaching isn't always enough, nothing goes better with the Word than a song-and it's time for some hard-earned lessons in love, brotherhood, and betrayal.<P>Bishop T.K. Wilson has done all he can to make First Jamaica Ministries a success. But with his last choir director getting caught in a scandal, attendance and cash flow are down. To fill the pews and collection plates, Bishop is counting on a new choir director, the charismatic Aaron Mackie, to revive the church. <P>Aaron has been waiting his entire life to prove he has what it takes to be a big-time choir director. But his ways around women, past and present, could cost him more than his job. <P>Simone Wilcox is smart, sexy-and a highly respected church trustee. She's got her eye on the new choir director, with the intention of having a lot more on him, and no one is getting in her way. <P>First Lady Monique Wilson does and says what she wants, regardless of church politics. Despite her shortcomings and a past rumored to include a long list of men, she'll do just about anything to protect the Bishop. <P>You'd think the Bishop was being tested enough, with choir in-fighting, romantic jealousies, and personal vendettas. But a final piece of the puzzle has yet to be revealed: Someone has been robbing the church blind. Someone whose connection to the Bishop is far too close for comfort. . . .<P><B>Praise For The Church Series</B><P><B>Up To No Good</B><P>"This page-turning drama keeps readers in suspense until the very last page." -<I>Upscale Magazine</I><P><B>The First Lady</B><P>"Weber gives us a front-row pew seat to all the action going down..." -<I>Essence</I>®<P><B>So You Call Yourself A Man</B><P>"A delightful and entertaining book." -<I>Black Issues Book Review</I><P><B>The Preacher's Son</B><P>"Weber spins a lively, revelation-packed tale deepened by genuine emotion, convincing detail and smart dialogue." -<I>Publishers Weekly</I><P><CENTER><B> Prologue </CENTER></B>

<P>

It was Father's Day at First Jamaica Ministries, the largest
church in Queens, New York, and the pews were filled to capacity
with those honoring the men in their lives. Bishop T. K. Wilson,
the pastor of the church, was in top form as he pranced
around the pulpit, preaching on what it truly means to be a father
and a man in this upside-down world of ours. His sermon
was so powerful and his words so inspiring that he brought
grown men to tears and had some of the more animated women
jumping out of their seats and fainting in the aisles. He touched
on the responsibilities of being a husband and a father. What
made his sermon so special was that he tied it all into the word
of God so well that even the children had no problem understanding
it. <P>


When he finished his sermon, everyone in the building felt enlightened,
but the celebration was far from over because when
the bishop sat down, the choir stood up and the collection plate
went around. Halfway through the first song, everyone in the
church was on their feet, singing, clapping, and paying tithes.
<P>

"Hallelujah!" the bishop said as the choir finished their third
selection and sat down. "Wasn't that wonderful? Praise God!
Thank you, Jesus. There is nothing like having a good song with
the Word. Can the church say amen?"
<P>

"Amen!" the congregation shouted back in unison.
<P>

"Now, as most of you know from my sermon, today is Father's
Day, the day we're supposed to honor our fathers and husbands."
He held on to the microphone as he paced from one end
of the pulpit to the other. "I know some of you are ready to go home and barbecue with Dad, maybe go to the beach with him,
maybe even just sit in front of the TV and watch the game with
him, but before you leave, there is one order of business that we
have to take care of."
<P>

Bishop Wilson returned to the center of the pulpit and placed
the microphone back in