Customer Reviews

What Is a Healthy Church Member? (IX Marks)

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-Introduction-

What is a Healthy Church Member? is the latest addition to the 9Marks series of books, however this installment is not authored by Mark Dever who is commonly associated with this ministry, rather it has been penned by Thabiti M. Anyabwile. Anyabwile is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Grand Cayman Islands, and from the glowing endorsements by men such as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., and Dr. R. C. Sproul Sr., to the rather personal and insightful foreword written by Mark Dever, he appears to be more than qualified to write this book.

-Summary-

Anyabwile's introductory chapter describes the story of "Jenny", a typical Christian who upon becoming part of a local church felt as if she was pushed to a corner with no clear guidance as to how one was to live the Christian life. From this impetus, What is a Healthy Church Member? attempts to help those in situations like Jenny's, but also to be a journey of rediscovery for those who do not identify with such an experience. Anyabwile states:

"This little book is written in the hope that you might discover or rediscover what it means to be a healthy member of a local church, and what it means to contribute to the overall health of the church." (p.14)

Following on from his introduction are ten short chapters that outline what Anyabwile believes are the ten marks of a healthy church member. These ten include one who is an Expositional Listener, a Biblical Theologian, Gospel Saturated, Genuinely Converted, a Biblical Evangelist, a Committed Member, one who Seeks Discipline, is a Growing Disciple, a Humble Follower, and finally one who is a Prayer Warrior. Each chapter is geared towards developing and defining its particular mark, and then giving practical ways that one could possibly cultivate that mark in their life, or at least practically examine that area in their own life. Each chapter then concludes with either points to aid further reflection, references to encourage further reading on the subject, or both.

-Critique-

Initially I was very disappointed with the size of the book. I was expecting more than one-hundred-and-seventeen pages to deal with this subject, however I have since realised the wisdom in their decision. The page length and style of writing has made this book extremely accessible for any person who has ever sat in a pew. The truths and exhortations contained within its pages can now easily spread to a much wider audience than if it was twice the length. Furthermore, it is very difficult to remain disappointed and not be immediately impressed when a book makes the following remark in the first paragraph of chapter one:

"The first and most important mark of a healthy church is expositional preaching." (p.19)

It does not stop there. If that distilled portion of Reformation clarity was not enough to keep my head nodding, many other important issues were addressed, even if only indirectly through what Anyabwile positively affirmed. Several stand out issues included addressing the move away from the primacy of the Word of God in the local church (p.19), the false dichotomy which has been established that suggests theology is only for the pastor of a local church (p.27), the reductionism that has removed the gospel from the life of the Christian and isolated it as only applicable to the non-Christian (p.39), the error of "decisionism" in evangelism (p. 60), and the often misunderstood concept of what it means to "pray in the Spirit" (p.110).

Anyabwile's presentation of the gospel, although very succinct still covered essential elements that are often lacking in today's typical evangelical church, including but not limited to God's anger & holiness, sin, punishment, repentance and Christ's active obedience as well as his passive obedience (pp.40-41). An exhortation is made to address lackadaisicalness and ecumenicalism by calling the Christian to guard the gospel from "corruption and abandonment" (p. 45). Even more surprising, and worthy of commendation, the gospel is not only clearly proclaimed, but the reader is actually challenged as to whether they themselves are genuinely converted (p.50).

Certain readers may take issue with Anyabwile's apparent view that non-members are to be restricted from partaking of the ordinances (p. 69), or of his indirect endorsement of certain men throughout the book by listing them as suggested further reading. I personally would have chosen slightly different recommendations in instances given my own doctrinal differences with certain authors. However, as none of these individuals redefine the gospel, this has not inhibited my recommendation of the book.

The greatest concern for any book that attempts to provide practical suggestions for cultivating godly living is the risk that the book becomes a how-to guide for Pharisaicalism, or a stumbling block hindering the view of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ being the source of grace and sanctification. The former is something that one could even charge the Bible with, for the Pharisees did a good job of utilising the Old Testament to this end. However, in a very balanced way the latter is explicitly addressed by Anyabwile in a section entitled A Final Word where he states:

"The council of this book is offered not as a prescription to be taken independent of God's grace in the gospel of Jesus Christ..." (p.116)

-Conclusion-

In conclusion Thabiti M. Anyabwile's What is a Healthy Church Member? is a must read for all Christians. Many important topics are addressed and much practical insight is given into the life of a regenerate, local church active and Biblically based Christian. I am confident this book will be a highlight in the 9Marks series of books, and if only a fraction of what is discussed is implemented in church member's lives globally through the gracious work of the Holy Spirit, the blessing to pastors in ministry, the growth of believers individually as well as corporately, and ultimately the glory given to God will be immense.

Building upon the excellent foundation of Pastor Mark Dever's "What Is a Healthy Church?" Thabiti Anyabwile does not just repeat Dever's philosophy. He develops it with pertinent insight for the people (not just person) in the pew. As such, this is the perfect compliment to Dever's work which focuses more on the role of the pastoral leadership team in developing a healthy church.

The list of recommendations forms a veritable "Who's Who" of conservative Evangelical leaders: John MacArthur, R. Albert Mohler, Jr., R. C. Sproul, etc. They accurately extol the virtues of the book as a biblical handbook on true Christian community. Every pastor should be so delighted by this book that they order a copy for every member. For no pastor can work alone in moving with the Spirit toward the biblically healthy church. It must be a joint effort of equipping pastors and equipped people (see Ephesians 4:11-16).

Pastor Anyabwile (note--Pastor--he practices what he preaches) outlines the ten marks (he adds a tenth that surely Pastor Dever approves of) as follows. The healthy church member is:

1. An expositional listener
2. A biblical theologian
3. Gospel saturated
4. Genuinely converted
5. A biblical evangelist
6. A committed member
7. A seeker of discipline
8. A growing disciple
9. A humble follower
10. A prayer warrior

Each chapter includes a built-in discussion guide, making the book very effective in church small groups and in adult Sunday School classes.

Some reviewers have expressed that Anyabwile has not broken new ground. While I understand what they mean and while I sense their positive meaning in that comment, I would say it differently. As a former pastor, as a current seminary professor training pastors, and as a church consultant, pastors would "die for" (die and go to heaven) a church composed of a congregation with these ten traits. In other words, the "new ground" is that while this is a typical biblical norm for a local church congregation, unfortunately it is not the typical actual norm today. The "new ground" is an engaging, applicable, biblical discussion that can move congregations toward the biblical norm.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," and "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

"How are we doing in our marriage?" "How are we doing as a family?" "How am I doing as an employee?" "How am I doing as a church member?" I'm guessing you may have asked or been asked one of the first three questions, and probably have a sense of how to answer them, but how would you answer that last one? For a church to be healthy and to fulfill its calling, it is vital to have healthy members. Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile understands this and has written this wonderful little book to help every believer see their calling as members of the body of Christ. As he writes in his introduction, "The health of the local church depends on the willingness of its members to inspect their hearts, correct their thinking, and apply their hands to the work of the ministry." (pp. 15.)

He describes ten marks of a healthy church member. A healthy church member: is an expositional listener, a biblical theologian, gospel saturated, genuinely converted, a biblical evangelist, a committed member, seeks discipline, a growing disciple, a humble follower, and a prayer warrior. Each of the ten marks is described in clear, straightforward language in ten short chapters. Each chapter contains practical ways to grow in each of these areas, suggestions for further reading (if interested) and an explanation of why each mark is both biblical and crucial for both the church and its individual members. And each chapter concludes with a few questions for application and reflection.

If you are thinking this sounds like a massive to-do list, let me encourage you. It is challenging, but it is not legalistic or overwhelming. Pastor Anyabwile is writing for people like you and me, who know that we need the grace of God for any progress in the Christian life! As he writes in his final chapter:

"It is entirely possible to read this book and assess yourself while losing sight of Jesus Christ and the cross. That is, you may read this book and go away thinking `work, work, work' instead of `grace, grace, grace' or `trust, trust, trust'. Each of the chapters may have become for you a roadmap for self-improvement and self-effort, duty and perhaps drudgery. The counsel of this book is offered not as a prescription to be taken independent of God's grace in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Neither condemnation nor practical atheism are the hoped for results of this book. Rather, I pray that you've been able to read [it] with a pleading heart, desiring that the Lord of the church might supernaturally awaken each of his saints to serve in extraordinary ways. I pray that a deep dependence upon the True Vine-apart from whom we can do nothing- grows in each of our hearts as we long more and more to be what Christ is making us to be." (pp. 115-116).

This book is short (117 pgs) and to the point, yet it is tender and gracious and very Biblical. It is also the only book of its kind that I am aware of, and it is one that I as a pastor, would love to see read by as many people as possible. Are you a healthy church member? This book will help you to decide and to find new opportunities for growth, and new hope in Christ to enable that growth in your life. And your church can only benefit from members who are captured by that vision and hope! Check it out today!

This is an excellent little book, one to read and give to others. Many people know that somethign is not quite right in their church experience but are not sure just what it is. This book- profound yet clear- explains what people can do to pursue more spiritual health intheir own churches.
I commend it strongly and encourage you to give copies to others.

As the previous reviewers wrote, this is a helpful book and well worth reading if you want to grow spiritually and strengthen your local church in the process.

Anyabwile discusses listening to sermons, studying the Bible, knowing the gospel, conversion, evangelism, commitment, discipline, discipleship, humility, and prayer. These, of course, are things all Christians should be growing towards -- Anyabwile helpfully applies these to a local church situation. I always appreciate it when these types of books help strengthen commitment to the local church.

There are of course more than 10 marks of a healthy church member, or less, depending how you categorize them. In this small booklet Anyabwile couldn't do everything, so don't expect a detailed exposition of Christian virtue or fruits of the Spirit. This is simply a good starting point and easy to read for any Christian. The reason I give it four stars out of five is because it is almost too brief in certain areas.

One more thing: some readers might differ in the area of church polity and ecclesiology, since Anyabwile writes from a Baptist perspective. Still, even non-Baptists will certainly benefit from this book.

Note: Crossway kindly gave me a review copy of this book though I was not obligated to write a positive review.

What Is a Healthy Church Member? is patterned after the book What is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever, and is the third book in the IXMark series. It gives us "one proposal for becoming a healthier member of your local church."

The ten chapters in this little book (and it is little) are based around ten marks of a healthy church member. Each chapter ends with a few questions for deeper thinking on the topic of the chapter, and many chapters also include a short list of books for more reading on the topic. It's all biblically grounded, theologically sound, and most of all, practical.

Here are the 10 marks of a healthy church member, otherwise known as the ten chapter titles:

* A Healthy Church Member Is an Expositional Listener
* A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Theologian
* A Healthy Church Member Is Gospel Saturated
* A Healthy Church Member Is Genuinely Converted
* A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Evangelist
* A Healthy Church Member Is a Committed Member
* A Healthy Church Member Seeks Discipline
* A Healthy Church Member Is a Growing Disciple
* A Healthy Church Member is a Humble Follower
* A Healthy Church Member Is a Prayer Warrior

There's nothing earth shaking here, but that doesn't mean this isn't an exceptionally useful book. I'd call it a church member's user manual, but that would make it seem too much like a to-do list and it is not that. It does have suggestions that the reader is encouraged to practice because they desire to become a healthy church member, but in the end, Thabiti Anyabwile brings us back to the gospel of Christ Jesus as the foundation for everything and the gracious work of the Spirit as the means by which these 10 marks are accomplished.

What Is a Healthy Church Member? would be well-suited for use in a new member's class or other group study as well as for individual reading and study.

There are many books available today that address the needs, the responsibilities and the health of the local church. While The Purpose Driven Church is probably the best-known of these, there are plenty of others as well, many of which were written in the aftermath of that book's unparalleled success. To this point the books have been largely focused at pastors and church leaders.

Where many books have been written describing a healthy church (among the most useful of which are Mark Dever's Nine Marks of a Healthy Church and The Deliberate Church), I cannot think of any that describe the state of a healthy church member. But that has changed with Thabiti Anyabwile's new book What is a Healthy Church Member? In this small 120-page book, Anyabwile one-ups Mark Dever's nine marks of a healthy church by providing ten marks of a healthy church member. The goals for this volume are made plain early-on. "This little book is written," he says in the Introduction, "in the hope that you might discover or rediscover what it means to be a healthy member of a local church, and what it means to contribute to the overall health of the church. ... While Nine Marks of a Healthy Church primarily addressed pastors in the task of church reform, this book seeks to address the people that pastors lead and to encourage those people to play their part in helping the local church to increasingly reflect the glory of God."

Here are the ten marks Anyabwile focuses on:

1. A healthy church member is an expositional listener
2. A healthy church member is a biblical theologian
3. A healthy church member is gospel Saturated
4. A healthy church member is genuinely converted
5. A healthy church member is a biblical evangelist
6. A healthy church member is a committed member
7. A healthy church member seeks discipline
8. A healthy church member is a growing disciple
9. A healthy church member is a humble follower
10. A healthy church member is a prayer warrior

Each of these ten marks receives a chapter-length treatment that concludes with questions for reflection and application. I do not think Anyabwile will be offended to read that I found little that is truly original in this book. There is little that has not been said elsewhere--Anyabwile offers nothing shockingly novel or original. Instead he turns to the basic requirements and responsibilities of those who seek to honor God through their commitment to the local church. He writes clearly and winsomely about these ten marks, encouraging Christians to be committed and to remain committed to their local churches. He gives them a list of marks, a list of characteristics, that they can use to gauge their effectiveness in serving Christ through His church.

While the book is valuable to individual readers, it is also ideally suited for small group study. In my church we often read books together and I am sure this is the kind of book the leadership is likely to consider for future study.

What Is A Healthy Church Member? is a valuable little volume and one I commend to you. Those who read it are sure to benefit from it.

I received this book yesterday and read it in 1 sitting... I plan to begin leading the congregation through it in a few weeks, as well as integrating it into our new members classes. As a pastor there is little more I could say to encourage members to healthy participation in the church. This book is a must read for every church member.

Provides a deeper understanding of what it means to become a church member. I was surprised only that tithing was not mentioned.

IX Marks has once again done a great job putting an important subject into a very understandable format. Anyabwile issues powerful suggestions and doesn't mince words. He truly hits at the core of what it means to be a healthy church member in a very readable way.