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Hello there! I am Dr. Teresa Hairston, I’ve been writing and publishing magazines and books for over 30 years. I’m a ghostwriter, publishing/writing consultant and coach. If you’ve got a book in your heart…let me help you get it out!

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Gospel Music Scholar/Publishing Trailblazer

30+ Years of Kingdom Service

Dr. Teresa Hairston is the founder and publisher emeritus of Gospel Today Magazine; which she started in 1989 as a four-page newsletter. At the time, she was a divorced mother of three young children, working two jobs and was only able to scrape together $300 to invest in her “dream” of becoming a publisher. That’s it. She had $300, three young children, no husband and a dream.

The miracle of Gospel Today and all that transpired is the story of ‘daring to dream and doing what you dreamed about!’ Hairston had no experience in the area of publishing; neither did she have any financial backing; but she had faith.

 

With no investors, no background and no plan B, within six months Hairston was struggling to pay her personal and professional bills and was unable to move forward. She wanted to quit and simply acknowledge failure, but somehow, she held on and believed and didn’t give up. In fact, she decided to leap forward—turning the newsletter into a glossy magazine.

 

In that act of faith God proved Himself. Hairston says, “God made a way out of no way. People begin to call and find me to buy advertising. In one month, I was able to raise the capital to pay my past bills and move forward.”

 

GT became a fixture among progressive ministries and Christians who wanted inspiring reading material. The magazine became the official publication for a host of leading Christian organizations, and published “special issues” and souvenir journals for organizations: Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship, Woman! Thou Art Loosed, Gospel Music Workshop of America and several top grossing Gospel music tours.

Over the course of the next 23 years, Gospel Today Magazine and its sister publication, Gospel Industry Today expanded across the globe; Hairston also launched and hosted Gospel Today TV Show (on the Word TV network via DirecTV) for 10 years. As well, her weekly “Gospel Today Update” ran on the ABC Radio Network and “The Light” Radio Network.

 

Hairston maintained her strong connection with her musical roots. In 1994, after a successful Gospel Today anniversary celebration, Hairston founded The Gospel Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization that teaches that worship is “lifestyle” not just musical style.

 

This Conference has quickly gained momentum as the top national Conference of its type. In September of 2002, Hairston relocated the headquarters of Gospel Today and GHF to Atlanta. She says the move was divinely inspired. That same year, Gospel Today co-ventured with Verity Records to produce a nationally-distributed CD, Praise & Worship ’02 featuring the Gospel Heritage Mass Choir. The project has garnered record play across the country. The next CD, “Praise & Worship…Volume 2” released in February 2004 featuring leading artists: Vickie Winans, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, Pastor Marvin Sapp, Tonex, Elder William Murphy and others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hairston is a minister of the Gospel and was ordained as an elder in 2011 by Bishop Liston Page, Sr. She has ministered at Woman! Thou Art Loosed, the National Convention of Choirs and Choruses, and many other settings.

 

Her motto is:

“When God gives you a vision, He’ll make the provision!”

 

Her favorite scripture is Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who the called according to His purpose.”

 

She says, “My goal in life is to use everything that I’ve been through, everything that I am and everything that I endeavor to do to glorify God and build His Kingdom. I want to help people understand that they can achieve their God-inspired visions. They just need to walk by faith, and watch God make the way.”