Book Cover, Jerry Falwell, His Life and Legacy.

LYNCHBURG, VA. (ANS) -- A year after his death, the widow of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell has written a book detailing many personal remembrances of her husband.

In a story by Adelle Banks and published on the Religion News Service (RNS), Macel Falwell, 74, author of “Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy,” answered a number of questions.

The responses were edited by RNS for both clarity and length.

RNS asked Macel Falwell, “In your book you say that Jerry Falwell was ‘the polar opposite of his public persona.’ Can you tell us what you mean?”

Macel replied, “Absolutely anybody that hated Jerry, if they met him face to face, they would leave loving him. He loved people, and he was just always doing things for people.”

RNS asked Macel how Jerry Falwell regarded the media, “which covered him extensively, and noted his comments like saying that the U.S. was vulnerable to the 9/11 attacks because of national sin.”

Macel said that Jerry wasn’t at all bothered. She told RNS, “He acted like it never happened. It didn't bother him one bit.”

Macel told RNS that the last year without Jerry Falwell has been “horrible,”and going to Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. has also been hard at times.

She said (crying), “ Every time I go into the house, I feel like he's going to be there. It's been terrible. (And) the first few weeks, it was hard to go to church and some of the songs that they would sing, they'd remind me of him and it was pretty tough.”

RNS asked Macel if she was encouraged to see her son Jonathan, who is now pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, preach each week.

Macel told RNS, “Yes, that helps a lot and he's done so well. People can't believe that. Everywhere I go they tell me they listen to him doing a wonderful job. ... It feels sometimes like Jerry’s there.”

RNS asked Macel how she views the difference between her husband's leadership of Liberty University and her son Jerry Jr.'s leadership, who is now president and chancellor of Liberty University.

Macel told RNS, “Jerry Jr.’s more like me than he is his dad. Jonathan's like his dad. Jerry Jr. is like me. He never liked to speak in public, and now he has to do it. And I think he's getting to the place where he's getting a little bit comfortable.”

RNS asked Macel how her husband aided in the transition of the ministry to his sons.

Macel said, “Jerry Jr. was handling all the finances and all, and Jonathan had been speaking in the early service on Sunday morning a bit.”

RNS asked Macel if her late husband had ever said anything about their sons following after him.

Macel said, “He told me that they would be working together, and that Jerry didn't like to speak publicly. Jonathan did. And working together they could do the job well.”

RNS asked Macel if there was something she really wanted to say that she finally got the opportunity to do so in her book.

Macel said, “Just telling them the way Jerry was and ... regardless of what he had to do, he always was there for the children's birthdays. The family came first after God. Anything that the kids wanted to do, that I wanted to do, he was always there for us. We came first after the Lord.”

RNS noted that the Falwells also have a daughter, Jeannie Falwell Savas, who is a surgeon in Richmond, Va.
 

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "The Face of Homelessness." Additional details are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 400-7145. Note: A higher resolution JPEG picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com.