User:Teresa Hairston

Teresa Hairston (b1957) is the founder of Gospel Today Magazine (c. 1989-2014); Gospel Industry Today Magazine (c. 1992-2006) and The Gospel Heritage Foundation (founded in 1994). Gospel Today Magazine became the most widely distributed Christian lifestyle magazine in history. Teresa Hairston also created and hosted the Gospel Today TV Show (which aired weekly on the Word TV network via DirecTV between 1999-2008)

Gospel Today Magazine

In 1989, as a divorced mother of three small children, Hairston invested $300 and created a four-page newsletter that she called "SCORE." The name was representative of the musical score. The newsletter focused on the events of James Cleveland's Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA). However, the leaders of GMWA chose not to underwrite the venture, so Hairston expanded the focus of the newsletter to include the entire Gospel Music genre. In 1990, Hairston reformatted the newsletter into a magazine.

In 1991, Hairston relocated from New York to Nashville, where Gospel music was thriving and the cost of living was much more moderate. For the next five years, the magazine grew and gained support from across the country. The dream had become a reality. In 1992, Hairston launched another publication, SCOREBOARD, a Gospel music industry trade publication, as a companion piece to SCORE.

In 1995, Hairston changed the name of both magazines. SCORE became Gospel Today and SCOREBOARD became Gospel Industry Today. Gospel Today’s content expanded from music and ministry to all aspects of Christian lifestyle. GT’s cover stories focused on principles and profiles of success encompassing business, entertainment, sports and politics; featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Billy Blanks, Evander Holyfield, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Johnnie Cochran and more.

GT became a fixture among progressive ministries and Christians who wanted inspiring reading material. The magazine became the official publication for a host of leading Christian organizations, and published "special issues" and souvenir journals for organizations: Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship, Woman! Thou Art Loosed, Gospel Music Workshop of America and several top grossing Gospel music tours.

The Gospel Heritage Foundation

Hairston maintained her strong connection with her musical roots. In 1996, after a successful Gospel Today anniversary celebration, Hairston founded The Gospel Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization that hosted a series of "Praise & Worship Conferences" which featured "Heritage Award" salutes to various pioneers and trailblazers in Gospel music and ministry.

The Conference quickly gained momentum as the top national Conference of its type.

In September of 2002, Hairston relocated the headquarters of Gospel Today and GHF to Atlanta. That year, Gospel Today co-ventured with Verity Records to produce a nationally-distributed CD, "Praise & Worship ’02" featuring the Gospel Heritage Mass Choir. The project garnered national acclaim. The next year, another CD, "Praise & Worship…Volume 2" was released featuring leading artists: Vickie Winans, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, Pastor Marvin Sapp, Tonex, Elder William Murphy and others.

Two more worship CDs followed, however these were independently produced. GT 3- "Precious Jesus" was produced by Donald Lawrence; and GT 4-"My Praise is My Weapon" was produced by Cedric Thompson.

In May of 2019, Dr. Hairston launched a new publishing entity: books2liveby.com. Already, the company is making strides as it strives to become the world’s #1 Virtual Bookshelf for the Urban Inspirational market.

Hairston is a minister of the Gospel and has presented at Woman! Thou Art Loosed, the National Convention of Choirs and Choruses, and many other settings.