Sharecropper to Entrepreneur to Pastor

There's an old question about whether a person will be a thermometer or a thermostat in life. A thermometer merely registers the temperature of the surroundings, but a thermostat actually controls the temperature. This inspiring story demonstrates how during the major junctures in his life, John Womack has and continues to be a thermostat. Growing up in a Virginia sharecropping family in the midst of pernicious racism and economic deprivation, Womack was able to learn how to overcome these obstacles without losing his belief that human beings are basically good and will do right when given the opportunity. Throughout his life, he combined his creative vision not only with the necessary business acumen, but also with moral and ethical responsibility in spite of an environment of greed, egotism, and selfishness. Regardless of his position--whether in the navy or as an entrepreneur, husband, father, student, pastor, board member, and friend--Womack has acquitted himself with a spiritual consciousness that girded him with the capability to overcome the barriers to progress and prosperity. He never abandoned his fundamentally Christian orientation amid a variety of temptations. Remaining humble through all these endeavors, Womack longs to share his life work with today's youth, young adults, and others. He yearns to encourage them to believe--despite surrounding hardships and institutional barriers--that they can transcend their existential circumstances and make something out of their lives. By sharing his life story, Womack hopes to encourage others to confront today's challenges with wisdom, faith, hope, and love. Certainly, the Rev. Dr. John Womack--sharecropper, veteran, entrepreneur, husband, father of three, pastor, and author--exemplifies this possibility and personifies this truth. ""The Rev. Dr. John Womack, as pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church and active trustee of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has made an indelible mark in business and in ministry in the city of Boston. . . . His remarkable story is altogether sensitive, heart-rending, enlightening, inspiring, as well as full of personal insight and sage advice, for it chronicles the power of grace in a yielded heart."" --Rev. Dr. William David Spencer, Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Theology and the Arts, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary ""In this personal testimony, Pastor Womack has made a valuable contribution to the Christian ministry with the presentation of his life journey. He demonstrates how the hand of God cares for and leads, even in the direst situations."" --Rev. Dr. Larry Edmunds, Senior Pastor, St. John's Baptist Church, Woburn, MA (Retired) ""Womack's testimony is heart-wrenching and uplifting. One can't help but ache with him as he shares memories of the hardest of labors while young, wrestling to acquire a formal education, striving to be a successful businessman, and toiling in the surprisingly often thankless field of pastoral ministry. Yet, inspired by a faith that grows stronger under fire, Womack survives and thrives to share a testimony that will bless many who read and hear it."" --Rev. Dr. Kirk Byron Jones, Senior Pastor, Zion Baptist Church, Lynn, MA; Adjunct Professor, Andover Newton Theological School ""[Womack's] soft-spoken, methodical speech, his financial advice and expertise, and his Christian witness are infectious, and qualities that any individual could emulate. I am so happy that he is now sharing his story with the world!"" --Rev. Dr. Michael D. Blackwell, President and Executive Director, Project for the Beloved Community, Inc.; UNI Director for Multicultural Education Emeritus Rev. Dr. John Henry Womack, born and raised as a sharecropper, became an entrepreneur, owning and operating several highly successful businesse