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Where Are All the Brothers?: Straight Answers to Men's Questions about the Church

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Pastor Eric C. Redmond writes with a burning passion for revitalization in the African American church. For Pastor Redmond, such revival begins with theology. While that word (theology) may terrify some, Pastor Redmond realizes how relevant theology is to everyday life.

In fact, "Where Are All the Brothers?" is "theology in disguise." It is a practical manual written with wit and wisdom in particular for the black male who has a litany of reasons for being unchurched.

Chapter by chapter in bite-size chunks, Pastor Redmond helps men to digest biblical and practical answers to questions they have about the value of Christianity and the Church. He challenges men to give him ten minutes for nine days. His prayer is that his male readers will be transformed by truth and in turn African American churches will experience a reformation as an army of African American men march back into leadership in church and society.

In many ways, Pastor Redmond writes like the great African American pastors of the past--Rev. Richard Allen, Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne, Pastor Peter Randolph, Pastor Lemeul Haynes, and so many other stalwarts of the faith. They share in common the courage of their conviction that God's truth sets men free.

Day by day, Redmond disabuses men of lies about Christ, Christianity, and the church. Day one: addressing hypocrites in the church. Day two: explaining the inspiration of Scripture. Day three: interacting about the role of men and women in the church. Day four: exploring the preacher's calling. Day five: contrasting what Islam claims to offer Black men and what Christ offers all men. Day six: discussing the church and money. Day seven: defending organized religion. Day eight: honoring the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Day nine: outlining eight marks of a healthy church.

What we have here is the ability to communicate. Pastor Eric Redmond has penned an "ecclesiology for everyday life" (a practical defense of the relevance of the church--especially for the black male who has his doubts).

But this book is not only for the black brother. It is for all brothers and sisters. And it is not only for those who are not attending church. It will strengthen the faith and resolve of church members also. "Where Are All the Brothers?" is enticing, educating, equipping, and empowering reading for all believers.

Reviewer: Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

Eric C. Redmond addresses many of the various excuses that men have for not attending church. Rather than dispute their reasoning, he confronts them. He doesn't try to justify reasons or behaviors of "church folk"; rather, his position is to point out the many reasons why men should attend.

Redmond tackles these issues head on. Instead of overwhelming the reader with scripture the reader may not quite be theologically ready for, he breaks it down into bite size morsels. He sets the pace by recommending they take ten minutes a day to read each chapter individually. This allows the lesson to marinate before he takes you into the next chapter.

This tiny book is packed full of valuable insights into the "how and why" it's important for men to take their appointed roles in today's church. The recommended reading at the end of the book were also excellent choices.

While the book is written almost like a tract - something to give to someone to convince them of something - I found it worthwhile to read as a future pastor who will have to wrestle with the diminishing number of "Y" chromosomes in the church. Redmond has given me, and all of us, some very good, solid, reasoned answers to a number of questions that can keep men from fully engaging in our churches; not to mention just showing up.

Good: I found this book not only informative and challenging, but extremely easy to read. Redmond begins with a basic plea for readers to give just 10 minutes a day for 9 days, and that is an adequate amount of time to cover this book. If you were to give it to somebody you were trying to persuade to come to church, any church, then that is a reasonable request, and could easily get through the book. If that is your reason for reading the book, make sure you follow it up with some good conversations regarding each chapter.

Not-so-Good: While I don't want to be nit-picky, I am not a big fan of reading books that overly dialogical. However, I think for what Redmond was trying to do, I don't know how you could have written it any other way. Its meant to be used as a resource to give to men you have friendships with over concerns regarding church involvement. The dialogical nature works for this purpose.

Highlights/Quotes: By far, Redmond does a great job all around. I think his chapters dealing with the allure of Islam for men, and the all time favorite, "Doesn't the church just want my money?" are his most insightful contributions to the issue.

I would say that if this is a concern for you, either in current church praxis or because of friendships you have where this is an issue, then Redmond's book is a great resource, well worth having. If your interest level is more on the intellectual, sociological plane, then this may be a book worth checking out, though it will not give you the detailed background and academic breadth you're probably searching for.

I have to confess I don't read a lot of books for entertainment. I read books to find answers to life's riddles. I buy books like mechanics buy tools. I get them to show me how to fix stuff. I guess that's a man thing. But that's why I wanted to get this book.

All of us have noticed this problem, but we rarely say anything about it. It's huge, but too few try to solve it. Men have become an endangered species in the church! When I have been asked about the problem, I've searched my brain for deep ecclesiological, anthropological answers. But from now on I am going to tell churches to stockpile Eric Redmond's new release "Where are All the Brothers?"

The book is ingenious for its simplicity. Redmond doesn't write to pastors and theologians so they can pontificate about the problem. Why do that? These brothers are already in church. He writes directly to men who are playing hooky--and not in a scolding, or demeaning way, but like a smooth lawyer who's never lost a case because he knows his jury. Redmond knows his brothers, and he knows why they've stopped coming to church. So with honest answers, he point by point overcomes all of their objections. And the amazing thing to me is that he accomplishes this with chapters any brother will read because they are only a couple of pages long! If I ever get to meet Redmond, I am going to ask him to teach me the skill of being profound while keeping it real, clear, and brief.

If you are concerned about getting men back into the church, do what I am going to do. Stop talking about the problem, buy this book in bulk, and give it out to all of your male new visitors, your "come alone to church" married sisters, and then pray for God to bring a rain of men back into His church.

Pastor Robert S. Scott, Sr.
General editor of Secret Sex Wars: A Battle Cry For Purity
www.secretsexwars.com

Where Are All the Brothers was not at all what I expected. I thought it might be just another man bashing book, but boy was I wrong. It is an informative and insightful discussion that really helps men find answers they may have about faith. I going to give a few copies to some friends.

I am still trying to grasp this whole concept of the missing Black men in church...

Where Are All the Brothers? Straight Answers About Men's Questions about the Church.

All men who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are Brothers in Christ. The title to this work has a double meaning in the word Brother. Many African American men call any other African American man brother whether he is or the other individual is a Christian. In any Church one can survey the proportion of men and women in attendance with the result of farther women attending over men. The proportion of woman attending men in a church that has an African American congregation would be far greater. The title claims to address men's questions about the church, but I think it would be good for a small group with only woman in it. The book is divided in nine days and two appendixes that easily could be used for two other sessions. Each chapter ends with discussion questions.

Day 0ne Is Not the Church Full of Hypocrites? This should lead to a thought provoking discussion about the falleness of man, Man's rebellion to God's Will as a Christian and non-Christian: Whether the individual is male-female and/or Christian-pagan. If one is leading the group one should limit discussion to particular sin in the Church and not whole congregations who really worship another God. That discussion should be left for day 9: What to look for in a Good Church?

Day 5 is the only chapter that is particularly written to the African American. It is an interesting chapter, but very weak in apologetics. This chapter does not deal with the truth claims of Christianity over the Nation of Islam. Let me be perfectly clear this chapter is talking about the Nation of Islam not the Faith taught in the Koran. It is more a discussion what the Nation of Islam does for the African American male's Character and society as oppose to the Christian Church. It also talks about black Christians in the New Testament and post Biblical times.

Other Days discussing points:

Day 2 Wasn't the Bible written by men? A presentation why one should accept the word of God as being inspired by God and not the Wisdom of men. The Bible is authoritative and the Truth.

Day 4 Is Not the Preacher Just a Man? Comes back to day one is not the Church full hypocrites? Yes the minister in any church any time any where is lead by a sinner who has his weaknesses and faults. Do not seek out a congregation led by the perfect individual.

Day 8 Jesus Never Claimed to be God Did He? The author clearly declares Jesus is God and clearly declared He and the Father are one. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus claimed to be God, demands repentance and obedience.

Day 9 What to look for to Find a Good Church? Number one in finding a good church is being theologically sound. Number Two is the church organized in a way the theology is being taught. The author shares three Web sites in which a church uses as statement of Faith and consistent with God's word:

The Westminster Confession of Faith reformed.org/documents/index_docu.html

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp

Confessional Statement of the Gospel Coalition thegospelcoalition.org/confessionalstatements.php