By the world’s estimation, the church has been sliding – for several decades – down the track of obsolescence. Though once a pillar of Western society, the church no longer enjoys popularity or social approval. And increasingly, not just the world, but also the next generation of church members is asking “Why go to church at all?” Sam Allberry’s timely book, Why bother with the church?, offers sound, scriptural reasons why believers and their churches need each other. “God’s purpose,” he writes, “is not to have persons relating to him individually, but a people that, together, are his.”
Sam Allberry writes and pastors in Maidenhead, UK. He also serves with a number of organizations including Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and The Gospel Coalition. One would imagine that his Anglican view of church looks rather different from ours as Mennonites, but so far as fundamental doctrine is concerned, Allberry clearly marches to the beat of orthodoxy. (Sometimes his position – on plurality of elders, church discipline, and male leadership, for instance – sounds positively Anabaptist.)
Each of the six main chapters deals with a different question about church, while the gray boxes throughout give short explanations on choosing a church, baptism, etc. Some chapters (“What is a church?,” “How is a church run?”) define and clarify: A church is a “particular gathering” of believers, “the embodiment . . . of the universal church” in that particular place. Other chapters probe deeper, examining why we need the church and explaining how to be intentional church members.
Though the book targets those disillusioned and uncommitted, regular attenders will, by turns, be encouraged and challenged as well. After the chapters on good churches and church members, I found myself asking: Is my church characterized by prayer and studying the word? Does our fellowship consist of more than a fellowship dinner? Do I attend even when it’s inconvenient? Do I avoid serving rather than purposing to? Simple truth is often the most convicting.
Why bother with the church? is a worthy read, and at 95 pages, a short one too. Though occasional dashes of the Queen’s English may sound strange on our American ears, Allberry writes with simplicity and avoids theological jargon. As Allberry reminds us, “Church is not [Christ’s] hobby; it is his marriage – and it’s ours too” – a good reminder for every member of his bride.