For the black church steeped in oral tradition, "telling the story" is the hallmark of a distinctive evangelistic lifestyle.

Stallings challenges today’s black Christians to recapture the power and vision of their rich evangelistic heritage. He offers:

• A concise overview of religious movements in the 18th and 19th centuries
• Highlights of the social, political, cultural, and religious influences through which the black churches of America emerged as separate and independent entities
• An exploration of how religious experiences of African Americans created a family which uses storytelling and story listening as a primary evangelistic method.
• A look at the influences of urban life and television on the future ministries of black churches and their story

Stallings urges churches to reflect on how they now do ministry and how they can empower and equip persons to renew the living tradition and tell their stories.