I Aim to Be That Man: How God Used the Ordinary Life of Avery Willis Jr.

D. L. Moody once heard Henry Varley say, "The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to Him. Moody was struck to his soul and, when the words would not leave him, responded, 'By God's help, I aim to be that man.'" When God called Avery to follow him as a true disciple, Avery knew he must make a similar commitment or remain a mediocre Christian for the rest of his life. His surrender and his filling of the Spirit initiated a spiritual life of impact with global results.

Avery Willis is well-known, especially within the Southern Baptist denomination, for his involvement in movements of God over the past fifty years. Avery Willis's obedience to God led him to be a church planter in the United States and to strive for indigenous church planting in Indonesia, where he served as a missionary. He was a pioneer and leader in spiritual renewal, disciple-making, decentralized theological education, global mission partnerships, and chronological Bible storying. He is a well-known author, most notably of the MasterLife discipleship materials.

This biography--written memoir-style through his own journals, letters, and newsletters to his intercessors--recounts Avery's life journey, his spiritual encounters and struggles, and the daily habits that Avery demonstrated as a disciple. It is less about his greatest moments than the personal daily choices to follow God with all his heart. It is the story of a man committed to God's purposes and passion to bring "as many people of the world as possible" to God's redemptive grace in Jesus, regardless of the cost.

Sherrie Willis Brown was born in Texas, but grew up overseas in Indonesia as the daughter of missionaries Avery and Shirley Willis. As a result, she was privileged to travel the world and experience new cultures. At age sixteen, she determined to make a career of teaching students with learning disabilities. That same summer, she met and fell in love with Steve Brown, whom she married six years later.