"Who Stole My Church?" Gordon MacDonald (Thomas Nelson, January, 2008)
It’s coming. The book that addresses the question so many long-time church goers have been asking amid the hub-bub of church growth changes in congregations across the country. And the best news is that it’s coming from best-selling author, speaker and pastor, Gordon MacDonald.
MacDonald’s best-known book may be "Ordering Your Private World," which won the Gold Medallion and Platinum awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. His expertise in authorship and church leadership interplay well in his latest book, "Who Stole My Church?" due out from Thomas Nelson in January. As a pastor for more than 40 years, his experience with all types of church people is reflected in this fictionalized account of one church working through major changes.
Rather than addressing the well-covered topic of church change with another "how-to" prescription, MacDonald tells a pedantic tale. It is designed to show readers, in a powerfully scripted way, what goes on in the minds of older church members for whom changes may seem strange or unnecessary, even nefarious.
Using fiction to paint reality
Using the techniques of fiction, particuarly well-drawn characters with whom readers can empathize, crafting scenes and plot movement, MacDonald has created a compelling story. It moves readers through an extended process in which the pastor of an established New England congregation convinces a small group of long-time members that changes in worship and programming are necessary.
"Who Stole My Church?" is a sort of prescriptive memoir. As a fictionalized account, MacDonald is able to create discussions among church members and their pastor that may or may not be realistic, but that serve to educate and encourage congregations toward change for the sake of evangelism.
As the pastor character, MacDonald leads a potentially fractious group through weeks of meetings in which he reminisces over old hymns, educates members about centuries of church change, diffuses conflicts, counsels over emotional pain, disciples individuals into more active prayer lives, and more. At some points he paints himself as too good to be true. Yet he does display himself as vulnerable to the comments and snubs of his parishioners. At once human and a superhuman pastor whose instincts lead to great moments, MacDonald pulls off this attempt to portray what can best be described as hope for churches in conflict.
Capturing attention
It isn’t all happy endings. One of the characters in the group ends up leaving the church over the camel-back-breaking issue of changing the church’s name. That is dealt with by sort of writing off the character as a possibly insincere Christian. I found that unsettling.
But overall, MacDonald captured my attention with his tale. Despite my initial reservations over a pedantic or allegorical story—devices I usually see as demeaning—I found MacDonald's story engaging. Apparently we know the same church people. Although he is obviously type casting his characters, they have depth and bring resonance to church conflicts I have also endured.
The reason to read the book isn’t for a new list of "how-to"’s for church change. Instead, it is a raw look at the human dynamic involved in removing traditions from the Builder and Boomer generations in order to attract subsequent generations into the Church. What it provides is hope. It also suggests to pastors that taking time to talk through changes while educating and building relationships with older members can change not only a church, but those members' lives.
