I Remember
- Roger Wilson
- Mar 5, 2007
I Remember. . .
by Roger Wilson
"Now that's good writing!"
I felt like I had just been knighted-or something. Jamie Buckingham, author or ghostwriter of such books as Run Baby Run, Shout it From the Housetops, Tramp for the Lord, Daughter of Destiny, and Into the Glory had paid me a compliment. He'd just read a review I'd written of the new book Prison to Praise. This was the beginning of my opportunity to observe his example of what it involves to be a great writer.
Not long after this he asked me to work with him in an attempt to syndicate a column called My Perspective. A friend and I pored over all the directories we could find to locate prospective weekly newspapers. Many sample columns filled the mail as we solicited opportunities for publication. The project didn't really get off the ground. I've often wondered if it would have been more successful had we used a name he later adopted for a magazine column-Buckshot.
I joined him as one of the elders/pastors at the fairly young Tabernacle Church, in Melbourne, Florida, and had the opportunity to watch as he continually sought God's direction for the projects he took on. His writing adventures opened the doors for many nationally known speakers to come minister to us. I will always be thankful that I had the opportunity to meet and converse with some of the outstanding saints of that time.
The computer age exploded, and by then I was in the computer business. At first dot-matrix printers were not good enough for manuscript submission, but I remember the excitement when we finally found a satisfactory one and computerized Jamie's writing with an old Apple II+.
When he wrote Jesus World, his only novel, he used a yacht as the setting for several scenes. I had been an officer aboard a cargo vessel operated by a mission organization so he asked me to review the manuscript for correct nautical terminology. He had made no mistakes, but I told him there was not adequate justification for the change in motivation of his principal character. I told him he needed to add another character in the role of tempter to influence the protagonist.
Later he told me I had really upset him. He said he had not given me that manuscript for literary criticism. But he added the character, and it worked.
Often he would bring his decisions and struggles for prayer to the group of elders who were surrounding him. I remember once he was questioning whether he was disciplined enough. I told him I thought his output, which grew to 48 books and many articles, was adequate answer to that doubt.
Another time he told us he believed he was not to continue writing under other people's names as a ghost writer. As a result he had turned down a fairly lucrative contract for several more paperback books from a major national ministry.
Probably what most impressed me was the integrity of his obedience to his Lord in the face of some of the major temptations of his career.
He was approached by a major syndicated newscaster about joining him in his field. He told Jamie how much money he could make and the fame and influence he could wield. Jamies obedience to his call to write God's words and lead the body of believers at the Tab is "the rest of the story"
Jamie turned down a six-figure advance offered for a book on the Jim Bakker/PTL revelations when they happened. He had been involved in direct ministry to the situation and his words to us were, "It's not time for that story to be told." After much healing and repentance, Jim was able to tell that story in a way which has blessed the Body of Christ.
Money was not the issue with Jamie-doing the will of the Father was.
Every Sunday afternoon our writers critique group meets in the Jamie Buckingham Memorial Library at the Tabernacle. I Often sense his influence as an almost tangible force. Guided by Laura Watson, Jamie's secretary, first editor, and sometimes ghostwriter for many years, this small group of writers is seeking to follow Jamie's lead by learning to write only what the Father gives us to write.
Roger Wilson's has written for a technical weekly, company publications, church handouts, and teaching curicula. In retirement he keeps busy as an elder/pastor of the Tabernacle Community and is working on three books.
