Bill Hull Interview

1. How do you start to write a book?

The most powerful reason to write a book is desire, persistent inner drive that is put there by God. Philippians 2:13 says that God is at work in us " to will" and " to work" for his good pleasure. He wills things in us and when we respond, he works them out through us to the waiting world. Both Christians and non-christians think of writing as a calling, something that must be done. In my case I think of writing as an extension of the pulpit, I am a pastor in the broader sense, a teacher of the nations.

2. What is harder for you-to start a book, the process of writing it, or to finish the book?

I see them as equal, they each have their challenge. Starting a book takes courage because you must step into the unknown, there are many doubts, you don't know exactly where you are going. But you will need an idea, something you want to say. The process of writing is more about discipline, a daily mundane courage to sit down and write, even though many inner voices tell you that it will come to nothing. Finishing a book is difficult in that you must bring it to an end. Part of finishing is editing, fixing things that don't work, and then releasing it to the world when you know you could of done better.

3. Do you read you book after you wrote it from the beginning till the end just as a reader?

By the time the book is published I have read it through several times. When the book is published, I enjoy holding it, admiring it, turning the pages and reading portions, but read it through again, no.

4. What book are you reading now?

Just finished the biography of Flannery O'Connor, a fiction writer from the first part of the 20th century, she once trained a chicken to walk backward, a very funny lady. I have read hundreds of biographies, Winston Churchill, John Stott, Martin Heiddger, Soren Kierkegaard, Stalin, Gandhi, Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and many more.

5. What authors do you like?

Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson, Elton Trueblood, N.T. Wight, Timothy Keller

6. Do you teach conferences on the Disciple Making Pastor?

Yes, but not as much as on my other book, Choose The Life. My teaching today is more focused on the nature of the spiritual life and how people change. I am happy to teach from any of my 17 books, but pastoring and living the life that Christ called us to live is my speciality.

7. Have you ever found yourself teaching something that is not included in one of your books?

There are always moments when something that God is presently teaching me that comes out in a conference. I am always learning new things. I like to think of my preparation as personal and spiritual.......... I trust my conference preparation in the sense that I am listening to God. I like the saying, " Seek not to speak, seek to have something to say." I do content preparation for a conference, but I don't trust it, I don't lean on it, I do trust what God is doing in me now, and what He is leading me to say.

8. What made you write your first book?

I had to write it, it goes back to my first answer-God willed it in me, I had no choice, I couldn't not do it. I wanted to establish that Jesus indeed was a disciple Maker. The reason they were published it that a publishing company agreed to print it and release it onto the world. Jesus Christ was primarily a disciple-maker, that was my point.

9. Did God speak to you through the book The Disciple Making Pastor before the book was published?

I was living the life of the disciple making pastor, I thought the story should be told, it was written to free pastors from what I called the generic pastoral role, of letting others define your role, to hold the pastor hostage to the customs and traditions of the church.

10. What would you recommend to writers who want to write a book or to those who have already written but haven't published it yet?

To those who want to write, I say, write if you must! But you won't become a writer unless you write, dreaming about it won't get words onto the page. Sit down every day for one hour and write, if you can't think of anything to say, sit there one hour, don't move, pray that you have something to say. If you have already written something, show it to others, try and get it to a publisher. You could start your own blog, put it there and encourage others to read and comment.

11. Has your wife Jane helped you with writing?

In the early days her role was essential. She is very gifted with words, speaking, writing, languages, spelling etc. She rewrote my first book, I couldn't of done it without her.

Thank you!