Manfred Parsley has not lived up to the prophecy he received as a young man: that he would become a great leader. He is distraught that his sons don’t respect him, his wife spotlights his shortcomings, and his Christian faith continues to lose standing in the modern world. Then, on one fateful day, a seismic announcement is made by the leader of Calvary Road Church. Great Pastor B.J.J. Mulvane, declares that he will be launching a TV network and will consequently appoint the most eligible senior in the Calvary Road Christian Academy as the heir to his chair. Manfred’s firstborn, Lester, just so happens to be a senior at the Academy. If Lester can become the new Great Pastor, then Manfred can finally fulfill his prophecy by spreading his wisdom through his son. He is faced with two primary obstacles. First, Lester can barely remember to mow the lawn, let alone lead a megachurch; but Manfred knows that his firm leadership can steer Lester to glory. The more daunting problem: Great Pastor Mulvane’s nephew is the prime candidate for the pastorship. As Predestination would have it, the choice of heir is to be announced at the end of the upcoming Youth Retreat, giving Manfred the perfect opportunity to thwart his rival while helping Lester shine. Manfred forges a fragile alliance with the fathers of two other contenders, plotting to harness their ambition for their sons into his grand plan. Over the next three days, Manfred will navigate Lester through a range of youth retreat events in hopes that his eldest will emerge as the next Great Pastor. In other words: this is a satirical novel that delves into issues of spiritual abuse, conformity vs questioning, and other themes within a cultish religious community.

Requirements & Requests

Hi, I'm looking for someone open to trading manuscripts. My hope is to receive feedback on character development and story flow.

Comparable Stories:

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett Randy: The Full and Complete Unedited Biography and Memoir of the Amazing Life and Times of Randy S.! by Mike Sacks

Trigger Warnings:

Spiritual Abuse, Cult, Corporal Punishment, Critique of gender and sexual identity discrimination