Review: Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive
Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive by Thom S. Rainer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is painful. It is straightforward and plain. The book is a result of the study of fourteen churches that died, i.e. shut down or closed. Rainer has compiled some of the most common characteristics in those churches. Anyone who has pastored for any length of time, or if you’ve been a member of several churches, you have encountered some or all of these things. If you’ve been involved in church for any length of time, you probably know some churches that are dying or have already died.
Individual churches do die and most die from within. I could pick at some minor things here and there but this subject is serious. Acknowledging the problems in your own church are difficult but it must be done if there’s any hope.