Edward D Auchard was born in Kansas August 8, 1920. He attended one-room country schools and small town high schools. He enrolled at Kansas State (1937) and transferred to York College in Nebraska, (1938-41). He studied at Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri (1945-46) and Bonebrake Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio (1946-1948). His thesis was a study of "The Names of God in the Hebrew Bible." In 1952 he received the Masters of Theology degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. His thesis was: "The Ministry of Reconciliation.":

Edward married Elma Breckenridge in 1944. They are the parents of one daughter, Joanne Senefsky---and have three grand children and two great granddaughters.

As a student in College Edward served small churches in Nebraska. He was pastor of the Riverdale Community United Brethren Church (1941-44). He served the United Brethren Church in St. Louis, Missouri (1944-1946) and pastor of both the United Brethren and Presbyterian Congregations in Raymore, Missouri (1947-49). He served as pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in St. Louis (1949-1953) and as associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pontiac, Michigan (1953-1957) and pastor of the Orchard Lake Community Church, Presbyterian in Michigan (1957-1975) and as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Bryan, Ohio (1975-1988).

Since retirement Edward has served interim ministries in Ohio and Michigan and has served overseas with the Pastors Beyond program of Wycliffe Bible Translators in Kenya (1991), Columbia (1993), Brazil and Suriname (1994) and Mexico (1995). In 1999 Edward and Elma were guests of The Church of Christ in China as part of a group sponsored by Presbyterian World Missions.

A QUEST FOR TRUTH was prepared for Joanne and for two exchange students from Japan who were guests and continue to be dear friends---and later revised and expanded into the present volume.