Samuel Joseph Allen grew up in Godfrey, Illinois, and lives in Martin, Tennessee. How he got to Martin is itself a story of Divine Providence! His books entitled All the Innocent Blood: Shed by Israel and All the Innocent Blood: Shed by America reveal that a Divine Providence still exists today.

He earned his B.A. in Theology and English from Southwest Baptist University and a Master’s in English and Education from the University of Missouri. He began his career as a teacher and pastor in a small town in the Ozarks of Missouri. From there, he became a Management Consultant for a company owned by Hall of Fame Quarterback Fran Tarkington. Later, he became a Senior Consultant for the Optimum Resource Utilization Company in New York City. He likes sharing how current events, history, and the Bible are coming together. For example, he preached at a small church in Kentucky on July 24, 2022. The sermon was about the days of Noah and how Jesus used those conditions as a sign of his return. Two of those conditions were an overabundance of evil upon the earth followed by an overabundance of rain. He explained the meaning of the weather term “Atmospheric River of Water.” Little did he know what was coming! On July 25-30, 2022, flooding occurred in Kentucky and other parts of Appalachia, resulting in 43 fatalities. Was this a Coincidence or Divine Providence? Like Joseph in the Old Testament, his life exemplifies that there is a “divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will.” He and his wife, Harriett, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in 2022. They have three grown children, four grandchildren, Harriett’s two cats, and their four horses.