Doug Hickerson

The Kingdom of God and the Yellow Barn Church: a Journey of Spiritual Detours and an Unforeseen Destination Doug Hickerson

All his life, author Doug Hickerson repeated "Thy Kingdom come" in the Lord's Prayer. Yet, God's kingdom seemed irrelevant to him, even as a seminary student and a church layman. Hickerson was a liberal Protestant, active in a mainline denominational church and in community causes. He became curious about spiritual paths to God beyond the Church. While in his midfifties and still active in his church, he started a spiritual journey that included exploring other religions and spirituality. Steeped in the popular "New Age" spirituality of the 1990s, he wrote about the coming new millennium. He felt that humankind was evolving spiritually and was headed for an enlightened utopia, the "Age of Aquarius." His humanistic visions ended abruptly when he met families who belonged to "the yellow barn church" in his village. In their fellowship, it became clear that God-not man-is in control and lovingly rules our destiny. He awakened to the Kingdom of God present now on earth with its fulfillment yet to come. At age sixty-eight, Hickerson's life-changing experience in the evangelical Church and in God's kingdom is deeply personal and grounded in the Bible and solid theology. The warm and at times humorous narrative in The Kingdom of God and the Yellow Barn Church details God's providence and promptings over Hickerson's lifetime.