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Straight to Hell: Memoir of an Ex-Evangelical Pastor
When truth and faith collide, only one survives.
John Wesley Wilson was a Pentecostal pastor, a husband, and a father. But behind the sermons and family life lived a secret he could no longer he was gay.
Raised in poverty and scarred by abuse, Wilson clung to a church that demanded obedience and condemned his very identity. For decades, he tried to pray it away—until tragedy struck. When he removed his straight brother from life support and watched him die from AIDS, his entire world collapsed. He lost everything.
🔥 Straight to Hell is a raw, unflinching memoir of religious trauma, self-erasure, and survival. With searing honesty, Wilson exposes the high cost of sacrificing authenticity at the altar of acceptance—and the freedom found in finally embracing truth.
For fans of Boy Erased, Educated, and This Is How It Always Is, this is more than a memoir.
It’s a confession, a reckoning, and a call to courage.
👉 Scroll up and order your copy of Straight to Hell today.
John Wesley Wilson was a Pentecostal pastor, a husband, and a father. But behind the sermons and family life lived a secret he could no longer he was gay.
Raised in poverty and scarred by abuse, Wilson clung to a church that demanded obedience and condemned his very identity. For decades, he tried to pray it away—until tragedy struck. When he removed his straight brother from life support and watched him die from AIDS, his entire world collapsed. He lost everything.
🔥 Straight to Hell is a raw, unflinching memoir of religious trauma, self-erasure, and survival. With searing honesty, Wilson exposes the high cost of sacrificing authenticity at the altar of acceptance—and the freedom found in finally embracing truth.
For fans of Boy Erased, Educated, and This Is How It Always Is, this is more than a memoir.
It’s a confession, a reckoning, and a call to courage.
👉 Scroll up and order your copy of Straight to Hell today.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 27, 2025
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 18, 2025
Beautiful memoir. Amazing rags to riches struggle with the author and his banishment from church, community and family. Captivating story had me hooked from the first page. Love his honest respect and compassion for all involved including the church. The tragic story of the brother and its aftermath had me in tears. How he managed to climb out of this wreckage is unimaginable. Thank you for sharing this story!
August 29, 2025
“Straight to Hell” by John Wesley Wilson had me hooked from the very first page. His writing is so vivid and descriptive that I often felt like a fly on the wall, quietly witnessing his story unfold before my eyes.
Wilson’s memoir is more than just a personal narrative—it’s a powerful testimony of resilience. It is at once heart-wrenching and inspiring, taking readers through the depths of struggle while never losing sight of hope. His story is a reminder of the strength it takes to overcome adversity, live your truth unapologetically, and recognize your own worth.
At its core, this book is about transformation. Wilson shows how healing through love—both giving and receiving—can open the door to renewal and, ultimately, to lifting others as you rise. It is a book that speaks to anyone who has ever longed for acceptance in a world that too often demands conformity.
“Straight to Hell” is more than just a life story—it’s a call to courage and authenticity. A must-read for those seeking hope, healing, and the reminder that even the most painful journeys can lead to purpose and light.
Wilson’s memoir is more than just a personal narrative—it’s a powerful testimony of resilience. It is at once heart-wrenching and inspiring, taking readers through the depths of struggle while never losing sight of hope. His story is a reminder of the strength it takes to overcome adversity, live your truth unapologetically, and recognize your own worth.
At its core, this book is about transformation. Wilson shows how healing through love—both giving and receiving—can open the door to renewal and, ultimately, to lifting others as you rise. It is a book that speaks to anyone who has ever longed for acceptance in a world that too often demands conformity.
“Straight to Hell” is more than just a life story—it’s a call to courage and authenticity. A must-read for those seeking hope, healing, and the reminder that even the most painful journeys can lead to purpose and light.
July 23, 2025
"Straight to Hell" is one of the best memoirs I have read, not just this year, but I'd say it is in my top 10. I make that claim boldly because it isn't often that I'm challenged to think about things, ponder questions about life, perspective, self-reflection, and how to navigate the world authentically with such precision and depth in the questioning. From the beginning, the author poses questions to himself, which in turn prompted me to ask the same questions of myself. It is with great relief that he answers those probing questions with such openness and vulnerability. And I was moved every time.
There is redemption, even when you never thought you would need it. There is grace, even when you weren't looking for it. "Straight to Hell" will open the gates to compassion and understanding, even if you thought yourself the gatekeeper.
I'll reread it soon. I want to spend more time in the author's world.
Thank you for sharing this moving story.
There is redemption, even when you never thought you would need it. There is grace, even when you weren't looking for it. "Straight to Hell" will open the gates to compassion and understanding, even if you thought yourself the gatekeeper.
I'll reread it soon. I want to spend more time in the author's world.
Thank you for sharing this moving story.
August 4, 2025
“Gut-wrenching, raw, and redemptive.”
This book is a fist to the chest, in the best way. Straight to Hell isn’t just a memoir, it’s a reckoning. John Wesley Wilson doesn’t flinch once. He writes like a man who has nothing left to lose and everything to give.
The story of a pastor clinging to his faith while burying his truth could’ve been told with bitterness or blame, but Wilson gives us something braver: honesty. Tender, brutal, unrelenting honesty. From the suffocating confines of the pulpit to the unbearable moment with his dying brother, every page pulses with humanity.
I found myself angry, grieving, and weirdly hopeful all at once. This book is for anyone who’s been crushed by systems that promised salvation but delivered shame, and for anyone clawing their way back to wholeness.
Read it. Then sit with it. Then maybe read it again.
This book is a fist to the chest, in the best way. Straight to Hell isn’t just a memoir, it’s a reckoning. John Wesley Wilson doesn’t flinch once. He writes like a man who has nothing left to lose and everything to give.
The story of a pastor clinging to his faith while burying his truth could’ve been told with bitterness or blame, but Wilson gives us something braver: honesty. Tender, brutal, unrelenting honesty. From the suffocating confines of the pulpit to the unbearable moment with his dying brother, every page pulses with humanity.
I found myself angry, grieving, and weirdly hopeful all at once. This book is for anyone who’s been crushed by systems that promised salvation but delivered shame, and for anyone clawing their way back to wholeness.
Read it. Then sit with it. Then maybe read it again.
July 20, 2025
I was privileged to be an advance reader of this memoir, and I was hooked from the first page. Couldn't put it down. Read it one day. It's harrowing, deeply moving, and inspiring. Made me think and re-think assumptions and beliefs I've had my whole life. The writer took me on a chronological journey that was easy to follow with beautiful turns of phrase and deep insight. The ending felt like a warm hug. Highly recommend.
July 24, 2025
I was completely immersed in this book from the very beginning—so much so that I read it in a single day! For a story about secrets, this memoir is incredibly honest. The author’s vulnerability and courage shine through every page, offering a rare and personal look into his inner world.
This is more than just a compelling story—it’s a brave and beautifully written account of following your heart and finding your truth that stays with you long after the final page.
This is more than just a compelling story—it’s a brave and beautifully written account of following your heart and finding your truth that stays with you long after the final page.
August 1, 2025
“A roller coaster journey from anguish to exhilaration! This book has the power to transform and SAVE lives! It is a story that the world NEEDS to hear! 'Straight To Hell: Memoir of an Ex-Evangelical Pastor' is NOT just about grit; it provides the courage, confidence and hope needed to anyone struggling with their own version of hell.”
Karen A. Newell, MMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA
Emory University School of Medicine
Assistant Professor Emeritus
Karen A. Newell, MMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA
Emory University School of Medicine
Assistant Professor Emeritus
July 21, 2025
Absolutely captivating. This memoir pulled me in from the first page—I couldn’t put it down. The storytelling is raw, beautiful, and deeply human. As an ex-evangelical pastor, the author shares a journey that’s both deeply personal and universally resonant. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days after I finished. Highly recommended.
August 10, 2025
This book is a must read. The story is beautifully written. It is a story of pain and triumph and happiness. I know the author personally and he has found happiness in his life.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews