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 Dr. Gerald MannA Voice of Humor, Compassion and Practical Wisdom Born in West Columbia, Texas, on December 18, 1937, Gerald Mann is a 5th generation Texan. He attended college at Baylor, Kilgore and what's now Texas A&M Corpus Christi. He Received a Masters and Doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His notoriety and acclaim as a speaker, writer and humorist began with his unusually pointed, memorable and effective one-line "zinger" prayers as Chaplain of the Texas State Legislature for many sessions. Along with his wry style and entrepreneurial talent, Dr. Mann has an instinctual ability to approach a problem with a marketer's pointed questioning: What can he do differently to reach out, draw in, and minister to the unchurched? "To reclaim the bruised, the battered, the broken and the bored through grace." Dr. Mann articulated his trademark "four-B's" mission statement from the findings of a Gallup survey that he commissioned to understand the reasons that many don't go to church. While his unique approach and delivery was widely accepted and even refreshing in the Capitol, he gained public notoriety from surprising but effective advertising designed to break through everyday clutter and reach out to non-church-goers. This "different" approach helped position Riverbend Church, initially established in a rented schoolhouse with 60 founding members, as a unique and wholly-Austin place to worship. Dr. Mann tapped into a wide-open need. Riverbend was twice recognized as one of the ten fastest growing churches in America and grew to 10,000 members. His straight-ahead approach and applications of his "Common Sense Religion" to real life challenges was translated into eleven books, the weekly "Real Life...with Dr. Gerald Mann" television program, his potential audience of more than 200 million homes in the US and additional viewers in more than 30 countries. Dr. Mann reportedly brought viewers to the TBN, Inspiration, Daystar and Hallmark television networks unlike any other program on the air. Further, "Real Life...with Dr. Gerald Mann" was a top-rated program in its time slot in a number of television markets. To this day he defies traditional categorization. Beginning as a Southern Baptist preacher, Gerald Mann is the "un-Baptist." He admits to a lot of common sense and a dash of Methodism in his approach. Dr. Mann was featured on TV Guide, USA Today, Newsweek, Texas Monthly and Advertising Age. Dr. Mann has been quoted by the NBC Nightly News, Paul Harvey, US News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal. Gerald Mann's own path gives him a perspective on, and an appreciation of, the many sides of life. He scrambled his way through school with a series of the oddest jobs, from oil field roughneck to airline "sky spy." Today, Dr. Gerald Mann is taking his rather uncommon common sense message of help, hope and home on the road and reaching broadly to welcome in even more of the bruised, battered, broken and bored. With seven grown children and seven grandchildren, Dr. Mann and his wife Sandy make their home in Austin, Texas. Although currently retired from preaching, Dr. Mann continues to pursue the work of the Lord through his writing. |
| Author of the following published books: The Seven Deadly Virtues - 1979 Why Does Jesus Make Me Nervous? - 1980 Common Sense Religion - 1987 When the Bad Times Are Over for Good - 1990 When One Day At a Time Is Too Long - 1992 The Book of Wisecracks - 1995 Oh, But You Can Begin Again! Getting Through What You Can't Get Over (to be published in 2008) |
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| "I'm just a beggar who's found bread, and I'm telling other beggars like me where I've found it." -Gerald Mann |
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