David Alexander Shaw moved from England to the United States in middle school. Born in Durham, he attended high school in Ridgefield, Connecticut and is a graduate of Emory University, G-ETS at Northwestern University, and Drew University. David’s doctoral work focused on the history of taxation during the Roman Empire and its impact on religious communities. A former United Church of Christ minister, Shaw previously led congregations in Colorado and New Jersey.

David wrote “Forsaking Church” after volunteering at the Texas-Tamaulipas border in 2019. While on both sides of the border, he saw the best and worst of humanity- brave migrants who were fleeing danger, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Humanists who aided those migrants and of course, many people who were eager to use people seeking asylum as scapegoats.

David developed the idea of writing a book set in both Colorado and Guatemala after visiting the Latin American nation in 2021. While violence and corruption are problems there, many Guatemalans suffer from concerns that are not as obvious to Americans- poor policing of domestic violence and environmental degradation to name two- but Guatemalans are also incredibly resilient people. The Guatemalan people in Shaw’s story are intentionally hopeful, generous, smart, kind, and tough. The narrative of poor brown people who endlessly suffer as victims of gangs has been told in many other places. “Forsaking Church” is a story of hope, laden with mercy, set alongside an examination of American Christianity’s response to people in need.

Now a manager for a refugee resettlement agency, David lives in Verona, NJ with his family. He is a passionate cyclist and a fan of Coventry City, an experience that he claims has built a significant reservoir of character. David loves riding bikes in New Jersey and New York, walking in Verona Park, and spending time at the Verona Public Library- a beautiful little oasis of serenity.