Trolls and Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Church That We Don't Want to See [Paperback]

Jimmy Dorrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2006

Trolls & Truth is the story of a local church of homeless people; college students; middle-class Christians; some poor and some rich; black, white, and brown; drunks; materialists; mentally ill; and former inmates who meet beneath the noise of 18-wheelers and rushing traffic under an interstate bridge in Waco, Texas. As they live out biblical mandates across cultural barriers and institutional baggage, they remind us that the gospel cannot be shaped by socially accepted values and remain “good news.”

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dorrell, a Waco, Tex., pastor, calls the "corporate" Christian church to repentance for insulating itself against some of Christ's most profound and challenging teachings. Dorrell speaks from a position of considerable moral authority, as he's intimately involved in the lives of the urban poor and founded a flourishing church that meets under a Texas freeway overpass (the Church Under the Bridge) whose constituents range from mentally ill homeless substance abusers and tattooed bikers to college students and middle-class housewives. Dorrell's challenge to live more radically (i.e., biblically) is divided into 14 chapters on subjects like appearance, creativity, friendship and families, each illustrated with life examples from the "troll-like" people in his congregation. The Western church, he writes, "has lost its prophetic voice in the culture": church budgets don't always reflect Christ-like priorities, and members would rather merely give money to the poor than sit down and eat with them. Dorrell urges both individuals and Christian communities to break down the protective walls that shield them from dysfunction and to make the difficult choice to welcome all. Though the writing can be sermonic, Dorrell's temple-cleaning message is powerful and his stories compelling. (Sept.)
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About the Author

Jimmy Dorrell is the pastor of Church Under the Bridge, an interdenominational church that grew from a Bible study with five homeless men in Waco, Texas, in 1992 underneath an interstate bridge. Today, there are 300 diverse people of many races and economic backgrounds who meet outside under the same interstate bridge each week.

Dorrell is no stranger to ministry among the poor. While still in his 20s, Dorrell and his wife sold their home and traveled the world to witness world poverty firsthand. They returned to Waco and purchased a 4,000-square-foot house occupied by a woman with 40 cats, two mentally ill veterans, and a wild 19-year-old. They have lived there for 27 years, using the space as a harbor for ministry. Dorrell and his wife, Janet, founded Mission Waco in 1992, a Christian, holistic nonprofit to empower the poor. Dorrell remains Mission Waco’s executive director.

Dorrell holds an MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, an MA in environmental studies from Baylor University, and a DMin from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is on the board of the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition and has founded four nonprofits that benefit the poor. He has written for numerous newspapers and periodicals and is an adjunct professor teaching urban mission classes at George W. Truett Theological Seminary and civic education classes at Baylor University. He and his wife, Janet, have four children, Seth, Josh, Zach, and Christy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: New Hope Publishers - Impact (August 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596690100
• ISBN-13: 978-1596690103
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #825,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that is needed and should be read by all, October 17, 2006

By 

David C. Leaumont "Dave" (Bossier City, LA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Trolls and Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Church That We Don't Want to See (Paperback)

This book was recommended to my church's theology reading group that meets each week. While not a deeply theological book, it has a poignant practical theology that I believe churches need to be reminded of.

Trolls and Truth is both an easy read and a difficult read. It is easy because I was captivated by the writing, and the simple text speaks deep truths. It is a difficult read because I saw so much of it that was true and in need of change in many churches. Dorrell speaks of several items taught in my church growth classes, such as the socio-economic barrier, and how we struggle with trying to bring different members or levels of people in society together to worship. As a pastor of a church under a highway overpass in Waco, Texas, Dorrell draws on examples from his congregation to point out basic Scriptural, but often overlooked, under-emphasized, ignored examples or teachings simply not acted upon. He points out that we should include everyone in church, teaching them what is right and not compromising the teachings of Scripture to soften the blow of Truth, while trying to regerate all types of sinners with profound love. The first half of the book is on overcoming barriers we find creeping into the church from society. The second half deals with social actions we, as Christians, should perform. These social actions are to be conducted while adhering strictly to Scripture, and should not be confused with church social actions that often accompany syncretism.

The writer points to the fact that we often get so wrapped around the axel of theology regarding works and grace that we often deny our calling to works and that regeneration and works are present in those saved. We often get so wrapped around the axel of production in the service that we leave out the important aspects such as inclusion of those less fortunate. Often people know what is right, yet fail to do it- fail to help those in need- fail to include in worship those that don't meet the social standard- fail to follow the examples given in Scripture.

This is not a Christian social-action text that minimizes conservative Scriptural truths while attempting to motivate.

This is a superb read that I would recommend to all Christians, as it is a fresh look at the big picture of how we should act as Christians.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book abou problems in the church - and the plight of the homeless, March 8, 2007

By 

C. Wayne Walker (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Trolls and Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Church That We Don't Want to See (Paperback)

This is an excellent book.
Jimmy's focus on those who the church often ignores is great.
It's a real eye opener to realities that we ignore on our side of the tracks. I with Jimmy would have footnoted some of the statistics that he gives.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PROPHETIC VOICES FOR SEMINARY STUDENTS, June 28, 2007

By 

Ruth A. Tucker (Grand Rapids, Michigan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Trolls and Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Church That We Don't Want to See (Paperback)

"Every city has a group of troll-like rejected misfits," writes Dorrell. "They are the homeless, the prostitutes, the greedy, and the addicts. These are the people on the fringe to whom churches close their doors, the ones you move away from on the pew. They are the marginalized, rejected, and forgotten cultural lepers who lurk outside your church. They are the most unlikely prophets of all." These "prophets"--these trolls--are those who must speak to seminary students before they ever get ordained to ministry. I wish I had known of this book when I was teaching my course on Gospel and Western Culture at Calvin Seminary--where I ended up being a troll, at least in the minds of the administration ("My Calvin Seminary Story"). My students would have benefited greatly by these powerful stories.