Publisher, Gospel Today
Dr. Teresa Hairston understands the power of prayer. In 1989, the recently divorced mother of three was working two jobs when she decided to inspire herself by inspiring others. So with her last $300, she printed a newsletter entitled SCORE. The newsletter eventually became Gospel Today and is currently one of the top Christian-based publications in America. Dr. Hairston recently discussed how she persevered through turbulent times to become a leading publisher. amir shaw
You have the top Christian-based lifestyle magazine in America. But you had to deal with a lot to get to where you are. Did you ever think about giving up?
There was time when I hit the wall and didn’t have any more money. There was a big gospel music conference and I decided to make it a glossy publication. I printed 7,000 copies of the magazine. At the end of the week, I still had about 6,500. I really wanted to stop at that point.
What was the turning point?
I began to reach out to record companies and sold enough advertisements to pay [the] bills. But the biggest moment came shortly after Evander Holyfield was bitten by Mike Tyson during their boxing match. I drove from Tennessee to Atlanta to interview Evander. I put him on the cover and that was a turning point for the publication.
Tell us about the agenda for the Praise & Worship Conference.
This is the seventh conference that we have put together. It’s taking place from Feb. 21-23 in Atlanta. We have three days of seminars and showcases so that people can connect with God. Patti LaBelle, Donnie McClurkin, Vickie Winans, Hezekiah Walker, Martha Munizzi, Dr. Marvin Sapp, Donald Lawrence, Byron Cage, William Murphy and Tye Tribbbett are confirmed for the conference. We’re going to have HIV/AIDS testing and Wal-Mart will sponsor our youth division. We all have the ability to do great things, we just have to get out there and try it.
For more information on the Praise & Worship Conference, visit www.gospeltoday.com.
