Can We Save the Evangelical Church?: The Lion Has Roared

by Bill Hull

The author of The Disciple-Making Pastor offers readers a clarion call to renewal in America's churches, identifying each of seven problems facing the evangelical church, and providing the latest... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800716892
• ISBN13: 9780800716899
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
• Length: 194 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Written with passion!

Hull makes the case for renewal in the evangelical church with such clarity and passion that I read it in just three sittings. Renewal is a painful and difficult process not to be attempted by the timid or the faint of heart. Mr. Hull identifies the cultural forces which have ingrained themselves in the church and which will doom it to insignificance unless radical changes are made. He then lays out step-by-step the path that pastors must follow if renewal is to take place.It's greatest strength is not the prescription for renewal it lays out; rather, it lies in the passion of the argument and the clarity of thinking. I was convinced by reading this book that unless renewal takes place, most evangelical churches will fade into meaningless insignificance. His observation that all congregations regardless of their polity are congregational needs to remembered by every pastor seeking to bring renewal to the church. If people stop giving, attending or serving; the pastor's leadership is meaningless. As far as it's weaknesses, I found only one problem that I will take issue with. In his attempt to clear the church of life-chocking bureaucracy he argues for ad hoc committees to replace standing committees. Although I understand his revulsion to the committee system, there is a third alternative he does not mention, namely ministry teams. Unlike committees, ministry teams function autonomously with perimeters set by the elders or board. The function of a ministry team is not to present proposals to the board, but to do the work of ministry. This concept fits hand in glove with Hull's argument for small discipleship groups. This book has been a great help to my ministry by reminding me that discipleship doesn't happen by default, it must be planned.