'Duck Dynasty' tales, 'Duck Commander Bible,' marriage proposals for Uncle Si: Al Robertson talks with AL.com

Alabama loves "Duck Dynasty," says Al Robertson, the eldest – and only non-bearded – son of Phil and "Miss Kay" Robertson.

Al Robertson talked Wednesday afternoon with AL.com about his family's odd adventures with the A&E "Duck Dynasty" TV show, the family's faith, and the new edition of the Bible that Al and his father, Phil, have edited. That Bible, "The Duck Commander Faith & Family Bible," is due out from Thomas Nelson publishing the last week of October 2014.

"Some of our biggest crowds are in Alabama," Robertson said. So are some of their biggest heart-throbs.

When "Duck Dynasty," the hit A&E show about the family company Duck Commander blasted onto screens in March 2012, marriage proposals from around the country poured in for Uncle Si like migrating ducks flocking to a Duck Commander caller. Si Robertson appears on the show without his wife. And the state that sent the most proposals for Si? Alabama.

"I'm afraid we had to break a lot of hearts in Alabama when we let them know that Uncle Si is married," Robertson said.

And if you're in West Monroe, La., this weekend, you can drop in at the White's Ferry Church of Christ, where the Duck Commander Company will be leading the service on Sept. 14, 2014. Phil Robertson preaches at 8 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., Al Robertson and the church's preacher, Mike Kellett, will interview the women of Duck Commander. Jase Robertson, Phil and Kay's second-oldest son, will preach at 10:30 a.m. The entire event will be live-streamed from the church website, WFRChurch.org.

Suggested attire? Camo, of course.

Here are some highlights of Wednesday's conversation between Al Robertson and AL.com:

Duck Commander Bible

Whose idea was "The Duck Commander Faith & Family Bible"?

Thomas Nelson (publishers) came to us – but I've always thought it would be a good fit for us. Ever since Dad came to the Lord 40 years ago, he's been an astute student of the Word, and I was in full-time ministry for 22 years (Al Robertson also went to seminary). It's a blessing to take some of the ideas that God's put in us to share with others.

Is this just exploiting your fame for more money?

I get it that people get that impression – sometimes you can walk into Wal-Mart, and it looks like we're everywhere. They're putting our images on everything from dog treats to loofahs, it seems. But – I want to be clear -- not all those things come from us. Other people get access to our images through A&E.

We're not writing books just to get royalties, but to change lives.

Our dearest hope is that somebody will pick this up because they like the show, and it will be the first Bible they've ever owned – to us, that would be the biggest compliment of all. We agreed to the show, and we're in the secular world to try to make a difference.

If people read our books – like Dad's "UnPHILtered," just released last week – they'll see that our purpose is to show our culture God's way in America. If we go God's way, we'll be a better country.

What about the money?

For the 22 years I was in ministry, there were so many people I'd meet that I knew if I could just give them a few thousand dollars, they could do amazing things to help their communities through their ministries. I didn't have any money, then, but now I can help them -- and I'm able to do that because of our financial success.

And I know this: We were content in Christ before we had money, and if something happened to all this, we'll still be content in Christ.

You're the oldest son – what do you remember of the years before your dad became a committed Christian?

My mom was always as sweet as she is now, and Dad was never a mean man. But then I saw him use the charisma he now uses for the kingdom just for arm wrestling or foolishness. Then he would captivate a group of young men with stories about hunting, and now he uses those stories to bring people to Christ.

Where were you a minister?

At White's Ferry Road Church of Christ, our home church. That's the church that took us in when Mom and Dad split up in the early 1970s. They took Mom, helped us get an apartment, and bought us some groceries. And when Dad came down and they got back together, that's where they went. It's obvious that this church is a big part of our family's lives.

Anyone who watches the show knows that the church is a big part of our lives. On any given week, we have 50 to 100 people who visit the church because of the show. There are even people who have moved to West Monroe because they saw the church on the show and knew they wanted to be a part of what they see there.

Is it big?

It was about 1,500 members when I left a couple years ago to come back to the family business. The people who work there are quick to remind me that it's grown even more since I left. But I look at this work as an expansion of ministry – I still speak all around the world. We have this great platform, and we hope to make a difference.

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