2026
Frankfurter Buchmesse Frankfurt Book Fair
For decades, Frankfurter Buchmesse has been one of the biggest meeting places for the international publishing world. What started in 1949 with around 200 publishers has grown into a global event where publishers, authors, agents, media professionals, and creative industries come together to share ideas, make deals, and discover what is next for books and storytelling. Today, the fair is considered one of the world’s leading places for printed and digital content.
The fair is valuable because it brings so many parts of the publishing world into one place. It is not only about books on shelves, but also about rights, translations, new partnerships, technology, and the people behind the stories. The 2026 Frankfurter Buchmesse will take place in October, with Czechia serving as the Guest of Honour under the theme “A Country on the Coast.” The programme will include more than 100 literary and cultural events, with 75 Czech authors expected to take part.
With so many countries, voices, and ideas meeting in one place, Frankfurt has become a space where a book can travel far beyond where it first began. That makes this fair a special place for authors who want their stories to reach new readers and new parts of the world.
Among the stories making that journey is The Journey of Obedience: A Memoir of Faith, Calling and Destiny by Bishop Eugene McCrea. The memoir follows his life from his childhood in South Carolina to his calling into ministry, his move to Anchorage, Alaska, the birth and growth of Praise Temple, a serious battle with cancer, and his later work across different countries. It is a story about faith, family, calling, sacrifice, and obedience, showing how one step can lead to another even when the full road is not yet clear. Before we look deeper into the book, let’s first get to know the man behind this journey.
A Life Built One Step at a Time
There is a point in a person’s life when a simple decision can change everything. For Bishop Eugene McCrea, that moment came when he was around thirteen years old and was invited by his brother-in-law, Bishop Joe T. Gamble, to go to church and play the bass guitar. That simple invitation brought him to Nesmith Way of the Cross Church in South Carolina, where he repented, was baptized, received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and began to feel that his life was meant for something more.
His life would later move through South Carolina, Columbia, Washington, D.C., and Anchorage, Alaska. Before becoming a pastor, he worked in masonry and eventually built his own masonry company, employing eight men. He also spent years serving under different church leaders, learning about conviction, humility, perseverance, discipline, and responsibility. The book shows that these years were not simply background, they became part of his preparation for ministry.
From South Carolina to the World
The Journey of Obedience is a memoir, so there is no fictional cast to follow. Instead, the people in McCrea’s real life become an important part of the story. His parents, Joe Lee and Mary McCrea, shaped his early years, while his grandmother Liza Frazier taught him discipline and respect for authority. His wife Linda McCrea later became an important partner throughout the uncertain parts of his journey, especially when the family made the difficult move to Alaska.
The book moves through many important settings and stages of his life. Readers begin in Kingstree, South Carolina, where McCrea grew up and struggled academically before finding a better direction through masonry. His path then takes him to Columbia, South Carolina, where he learned structured ministry and served in many roles, followed by Washington, D.C., where seven years of service prepared him for a much bigger move. Then came Anchorage, Alaska, where he and his family arrived in 1994 to begin the work that would become Praise Temple.
One of the strongest parts of the memoir is how it connects obedience with real life problems. McCrea writes about leaving Washington with his wife and six children without having everything figured out, building Praise Temple with his family, serving as pastor in a new place, moving several times in Anchorage, facing cancer and chemotherapy, and later expanding his ministry beyond the United States. His 2012 trip to India became another major part of the story, where he met more than sixty pastors and saw communities dealing with serious poverty while still holding strongly to their faith.
Take the Next Step With The Journey of Obedience
The Journey of Obedience: A Memoir of Faith, Calling and Destiny is more than a record of where Bishop Eugene McCrea has been. It is a personal look at what happens when someone continues moving forward through uncertainty, family responsibilities, ministry, hardship, and change. If stories about faith, purpose, calling, and finding courage during uncertain times speak to you, this memoir gives you a journey that is easy to connect with. Take the next step and discover The Journey of Obedience for yourself.
The Journey of Obedience: A Memoir of Faith, Calling and Destiny
A testimony of faith, purpose, and following God’s calling one step at a time.