About the Author and Pastor – Joshua A. McClure, was called to pastor the Pleasant Street Baptist Church , Westerly , RI in 1986, after having served five years as associate pastor.  Before arriving in Westerly he served five years as associate minister of Pond Street Baptist Church , Providence , RI . Joshua graduated with a BA in Biblical Studies from Barrington College , Barrington , RI in 1983, receiving the school’s Biblical studies award.  He attended Andover Newton Theological School in Newton , MA , until the fall of 1986.

He was elected president of the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island in 1980, along with receiving the denomination’s Man of the Year Award.  Joshua is co-founder of the North End Crime Watch and Community Development Inc, and has been cited as a major force in the revitalization of the historic North End of Westerly.

Joshua is currently vice-moderator of The Greater Fellowship Baptist Association of Rhode Island and Vicinity, and is the author of Can These Bones Live? A highly acclaimed book on church renewal published in 2006. His second book, Almost Persuaded, Now To believe is slated for release in the Spring of 2008.  Joshua has four children and eight grandchildren.  He presently lives in Bradford , Rhode Island with his wife Ida.

Download hi-res photo  |  Download the eMedia Sheet  |  Download Promo Signage

Listen to the Author Speak

The miraculous thing is that McClure had been at that church before in December of 1959 when as a cabinetmaker he was asked to build the Church's communion table in memory of his mother who had recently passed. Five years later 70% of the church was destroyed in a disastrous fire, and yet this same communion table was miraculously undamaged. 

Was it a coincidence or was it the beginning of God's plan and vision for Joshua, Westerly , and the surrounding community?  For in 1976, God placed His vision in the heart of Pastor McClure. That vision compelled him to give up everything he held dear and set him on the road of forgiveness and healing. 

In the Town of Westerly , 17 years after the fire, Joshua found himself standing behind that very communion table as God unfolded His vision at Pleasant Street Baptist Church . 

God had supernaturally prepared him to minister to people much like himself; those who were hurting, bruised, disenfranchised and in need of healing. Yes, Joshua would now be directed to share the gospel of God's love in the most distressed area of Westerly , Rhode Island .

"Do you suspect that there is more to the Christian life than what you’ve experienced? What keeps you from living such a life? In Almost Persuaded, Now to believe, Joshua A. McClure unveils what the spiritual life really looks like. McClure shares the gospel message in everyday language that all may come to understanding. His treatment of the basic tenets of the Christian faith is clear, cogent, and moving, and will set a fire burning in your heart to experience “the wonderful things God has freely given us.” 

Discover with Pastor McClure the Good News of Almost Persuaded, Now to believe, and experience transforming and a spiritual vigor in the heart—sense the love of God strong enough to rekindle sagging spirits—find the way to new spiritual vitality in your life. Detect the secrets of living in God’s Kingdom today. And be truly blessed as, “his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets.”"

ISBN-10: 1604625139   |   ISBN-13: 978-1604625134
252 pages - $17.99 (hardcover)
Purchase the book here today.

This book is also available for purchase as an eBook, download here.

The Miraculous Story of What can Happen to a Church that Follows God's Vision

Is time running out on many churches today? Does the alarming and depressing knell of church doors closing foreshadow the inevitable demise of the contemporary church? In his new book Can These Bones Live?, author Joshua A. McClure addresses the serious problem of the thousands of stagnant, declining, churches in North America. Pastor McClure writes with passion and verve in recounting the miraculous story of what can happen to any congregation willing to (re) discover its first love. With eloquence and unfettered conviction, McClure reminds his readers that today's church can once again be as vibrant, pulsating and energetic as the early church. Can These Bones Live? should be required reading. God's affirmative answer for today is, 'Yes! These bones can become living persons again.'

ISBN-10: 1598864726  |   ISBN-13: 9781598864724
250 pages - $14.95 (hardcover)
Purchase the book here today.