Sheila Walsh

Sheila Walsh, D.Min. (born July 5, 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a popular Scottish-born vocalist, songwriter, author, and talk-show host. She began her career as a contemporary Christian singer after finishing college with studies in theology from London Bible College (now London School of Theology) in 1979 and music from the London Academy of Operatic Art. Walsh worked as an evangelist with the British chapter of Youth For Christ and sang with a group knows as "The Oasis" until going solo in 1981. On her first United States tour she opened for Phil Keaggy. As Walsh enjoyed some success both in the United Kingdom and America as a CCM musician, she was asked by the conservative minister Pat Robertson to serve as a co-host of his television talk-show, The 700 Club in 1987. Walsh served in this capacity into 1992 and also hosted her own talk-show, Heart to Heart with Sheila Walsh. Ideological differences with Robertson and general feelings of hopelessness and depression brought Walsh to re-examine her life's direction. After leaving Robertson's enterprises in 1992 she sought therapy for her depression, eventually returning to college at Fuller Theological Seminary in California to take on doctoral studies in theology. Pat Robertson explained her departure from CBN as the result of a "Nervous Breakdown" brought on by the tremendous demands of her work with CBN. He asked his viewers to keep her in their prayers and ask God to give her the strength to continue doing his work. She went on to write a book exploring her struggle with depression and her experiences with her faith as a Christian, entitled Honestly. While Walsh had written several books on theology before, this autobiography would become the wellspring of her later work on personal aspects of faith and would set the tone for her introspective, personal, but Evangelical approach to affairs of modern theology. Over the course of the latter 1990s, Walsh's work has concerned women's issues within the church and the unique relationship of the contemporary woman with God. Walsh has written over seventeen books including Honestly, Living Fearlessly, and Life is Tough, but God is Faithful. She has also written several books for children recently. She also has continued her musical career as a songwriter and singer and has recorded several albums of new Christian music and traditional hymns arranged to a Celtic sound. While Walsh's work in both music and as a minister has overall been held in high regard, some critics feel that despite her impressive mind and ability to write in plain language about complex theological ideas, Walsh has taken a less inclusive approach to a number of issues than she might have in her more recent books. As of 2007, Walsh has appeared on many TV programs such as: Life Today, Hour of Power and The Rock Gospel Show (BBC) among many others.