John W. Sloat, a former Presbyterian minister, served churches in Pennsylvania and Ohio. He holds a B.A. from Denison University, 1954; an M.Div. from Princeton Seminary, 1957; and a Th.M. from Pittsburgh Seminary, 1977. Previous books include Lord, Make Us One (non-fiction, 1986) and The Other Half (fiction, 2001). Several of his sermons have been included in Pulpit Digest, a national preaching journal. He is married to Helen Burdick Sloat, a psychiatric nurse, and they have three children and eight grandchildren. A pianist and organist, Sloat also plays the French horn, is a scratch model builder and leads spirituality groups.