There is a new book that might make it to Books That Influence This Blog.   I have ordered it from Amazon and I am excited to start reading it.  The book is Quitting Church: Why The Faithful Are Fleeing And What To Do About It

Quitting Church

Julia Duin is the religion editor for The Washington Times and a self-described born-again Christian (is that possible even possible? . . . ha ha).

Here is the product description from Amazon:

Duin brings two kinds of experiences to bear in this engaging little jeremiad: as religion editor for the Washington Times, she is in her element marshaling statistics, interviewing authors and clergy, and commenting on the trend of faithful evangelicals who increasingly vote with their feet by leaving their churches. But she’s also a self-described born-again evangelical herself, coping with the personal pain of not having a viable and permanent church home. Drawing heavily on research by pollster George Barna, Duin diagnoses a widespread dissatisfaction among evangelicals, who feel their churches do a decent job with new Christians but fall far short with mature believers. In particular, Duin shows, women and singles are leaving churches in ever-greater numbers. (As a single woman herself, she discusses her own experiences with being marginalized while successfully evoking a larger context through research and polls.) Duin has some prescriptions to help with these problems, including meatier sermons that address real issues; house churches and micro-churches that foster more genuine community; and even in-church matchmaking services to help singles who want to find a mate.

At the Wall Street Journal, Terry Eastland has written a review where he comments that Julia Duin calls church quitting an epidemic among evangelicals. He also writes:

She reports, among other things: a lack of a feeling of community among church members, inducing loneliness and boredom; church teaching that fails to go beyond the basics of the faith or to reach members grappling with suffering or unanswered prayer; pastors who are either out of touch with their parishioners or themselves unhappy, or who fail to shepherd their flocks, or who are caught up in scandal, or who try to control the lives of church members in a high-handed way. She claims that many churches have “inefficient leadership models” and that many, preoccupied with the care of families, neglect single people.

A “lack of feeling of community?” . . . “loneliness?”. . .  “boredom?” . . .  “out of touch?” . . .  “scandal?” . . . “inefficient leadership models?”  Really?  Come on now, not in OUR churches . . . really?  (sarcasm intended)

Apparently, Julia writes about “a best-selling evangelical author quitting his church and arguing that leaving the institutional church is something that “mature Christians” should do.”  Who is that?  Does anyone know? I really want to know who this “best-selling evangelical author” who quit his church was.  If you know, tell me.   (Of course, I can always wait to read the book but if you tell me that I don’t have to wait.)  (OK, since posting this originally, I believe I have found the answer to that question.  See here.)

My wife and I are church planters working in Japan, but currently residing in Canada until we go back to Japan in 2009.  And so, I am totally excited to read this book – not because I want more ammo to bash the institutional but because books like these are valuable resources for us.

Can’t wait for the next Amazon box to arrive on my porch!