Interview: Roger Duke, Director of Acquisitions & Sales – BorderStone Press, LLC
This week’s interview is with Roger Duke. He has edited some wonderful books on men in Southern Baptist History that I have reviewed. You can read those here. Also, check out the interview with Brian Mooney, the co-founder and President of BorderStone Press.
1) Could you please share how you came to know Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
I was reared in a nominal SBC church that was more “fundamentalists” that SBC. My home pastor was a “Bob Jones man.” So my understandings of the Gospel started off rather skewed to say the least. I was taken to church before ever I was born. I like to say I was a “Baptist before I was a Baptist.” I came up through the ranks like a good little SBC boy would or could do. I was in the RAs, and made a “profession of faith” about the age of 7. But this “did not take” as they
say.
When I graduated from high school (1969) I did not choose to attend college, but rather wanted to be “blue collar worker” and make my living with my hands. So I defaulted to the “College/Career” group at my home church. We sang for revivals, held “youth revivals,” and other ministry projects like VBS events and such. But on the job I was going to “dirty movies” with the guys, drank some “Red Ripple” wine, and gambled on the job. All the while I was under the conviction by the Holy Spirit. And it was maily by my lost co-workers—who accused me of being a hypocrite. And I was!! At the age of 20, while helping with one of these youth events, I cried out to Jesus for mercy and surrendered my life to Christ.
2) How did you come to being an educator, minister and author?
I was trained as a Steamfitter—Pipefitter—Welder. I went through a 4 year apprenticeship. The end product was that I graduated as a Journeyman Building Tradesman. This is a profession that is still as productive as a college degree for making a living. I married my wife of 36 years in 1974. We have three grown children; Leah 31, Keren 28, and Roger (Dale) Duke, Jr. Our son Dale is mentally retarded with a myriad of secondary health issues. He is one of the main foci that probably have defined me, my wife, our family, and my ministry.
When I was “called to preach” I had no college. I had known about Mid America seminary via Evangelist Sam Cathey and Dr. Jimmy Millikin. So it was natural to go to seminary here in Memphis. I attended there all the while believing that I should go on to get enough education in order for me to teach. So I went on to get my bachelor’s degree, and MAR from Harding Grad School, an MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (I commuted from Memphis), did some PhD work at The University of Memphis, and received my doctorate from The University of the South @ Sewanee. I have taught Communication and Religion at the Baptist College of Health Sciences since 1998.
It has been my pleasure to co-edit, publish, or otherwise work with:
A. David S. Dockery on John Albert Broadus: A Living Legacy Broadman & Holman, 2008.
¬B. Michael A.G. Haykin & A. James Fuller on “Soldiers of Christ”: The Piety of
Basil Manly, Sr. and Basil Manly, Jr. Founders Press, 2009.
C. Robert R. Agee on Reason for the Season: Ministerial Reflections on Personal Grief, Suffering, and Loss. Founders Press, 2010.
3) You have edited a couple books that deal primarily with particular men in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention (I will mention Broadus and the Manly’s). Why look at these men?
First, I cannot say it any better than Dr. Al Mohler has said it with reference to the Manly work: Without the work, influence, vision of the two Manly’s, there would probably be no Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. And without Southern Seminary the SBC would not be what it is today. The vision for there to be a seminary for the Baptist 
churches, ministers of the South can in large measure is attributed to the elder Manly amongst others. In that same vein, the younger Manly was commissioned to write The Abstract of Principles for Southern Seminary. The educational tentacles of these two great visionaries continues throughout the SBC and I believe always will!
Secondly, John A. Broadus may be one of the best (or at least one of the best) homiletical minds that the United States has ever produced. His Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons is still being used in some iteration even today to teach preaching to young preachers. It is Broadus’s direct application of the art or Classical Rhetoric to the training of pulpiteers.
Third, it may not be known to all of your readers, but both Manly and Broadus were two of the original founding four professors of Southern Seminary. For this reason alone they merit a fresh look to all who are Southern Baptists.
4) Do you have any books planned or ready to be published that you would like to share with us?
I have co-written with Dr. Phil Newton a new volume entitled Venturing all on God: a Short Introductory Biography of John Bunyan. This work also includes some lesser known writings of Bunyan so the reader can gain a broader understanding of Bunyan’s breadth and depth. This work is due out sometime in early 2011 and will be published by Reformation Heritage Books.
Secondly, I am under contract with Dr. Michael AG Haykin of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to edit The Proceedings of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies annual volumes. Dr. Haykin is Professor of Church History and the Director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We hope to have the first of these volumes out in late 2010 or early 2011.
Third, I am in the process of organizing, procuring scholar-contributors, co-editing, and writing the introductory chapter of Aristotle—On Homiletics: Classical Rhetoric for Preaching. (This is, of course is just the tentative title at present). This work will include six academic essays on each of the six major dynamics of Aristotle’s rhetoric and how they can be applied—once again—to the preparation and delivery of sermons. Already signed on to do chapters in addition to myself are: Dr. Richard Wells, Union University; Dr. Herschel York, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Dr. Archie England, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; Dr. Robert Smith, Beeson Divinity School; and Dr. Frank Thomas, Mississippi Blvd. Christian Church, Memphis, TN. We are all extremely excited about this volume we believe may “make everything old new again” for homiletics.
5) You recently co-founded BorderStone Press, LLC. with Brian Mooney. Why start your own publishing company?
Brian Mooney called me out of a clear blue sky and asked if I wanted to go partners with him in BorderStone? It really excited me to say the least. Brian’s dad has been in my Men’s Bible Class and we have been great friends for over 12 years. I saw a place to exercise my gifts and calling. I also, and this is what excited me for sure, saw the opportunity to make a real contribution to the Kingdom of God that will last beyond my years. And we are particularly interested to help others who are coming along—who passionately want to get published—to get their works out there. Personally I see it as a great ministry opportunity that can impact and magnify my personal contribution to Christ’s work in a way I never dreamed possible!! SDG!
6) BorderStone Press already features a pretty significant number of books like The Empire of the Holy Spirit and The Sacred Rhetoric, can you offer a glimpse of what is to come?
Many have said as they look at the web page that it seems as though we are focused on the academic community only. But if some have this perception let me put it to rest. We want to fill the void between Sunday School and the Academy. We want to have all genres of Christian publications, including Christian novels, Christian children;s books, devotional writings, but also including college and seminary textbooks. I am sure if anyone of your readers watches the web page closely, it will not be long before there will be something there for each and every taste.
7) Are you taking manuscripts from other writers? If so, what are you looking to publish? How can an aspiring author submit a manuscript to BorderStone Press?
Just now we are looking at any and all manuscript proposals from seriously minded authors and authors-to-be. My partner and I would like to invite each of your readers to visit BorderStonePress.com and look around. We may be able to work with you to get you published, whether you are a novice just dreaming of being published, or an “old hand” who has published before—give us a “look see!”
How can our readers support and pray for the two of you as well as BorderStone Press?
First off we want all we do to be “to the praise of the glory of His (Christ’s) grace….” We want to glorify God in all we do. So pray for us to that end. We also need wisdom as to which manuscripts to accept and which to reject. And rejection is not something we at BorderStone take lightly. We have has our share of rejection letters I assure you. We do need to make some money, however. So that tension between being a ministry and making money is always present. Pray that we will know how to be faithful to the Lord’s calling and direction.
Secondly, go to our web page, look around, and buy some books! LOL!
Studies in Baptist Life and Thought, ed. Michael A.G. Haykin. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Academic, 2008. 260 pp. $19.99.
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