William E. Thrasher Jr. was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is the second of seven children born to the late William E. Thrasher Sr. and the late Willie Mae Thrasher Hearon. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is former pastor of First Baptist Church at 901 Calhoun Street in Little Rock, and currently resides in San Antonio, Texas. He is the author of To Make the Moment Last: The Story of the Incredible Jades, Good Citizenship for Today: A Mind Set on Civil Virtue, I Am Determined, and now Seven Pillars for Successful Service. This current work was born out of his own experience as a first-time pastor charged with the challenging task of understanding what steps should be taken to give him a sense of direction.