Thabiti Anyabwile - Reviving the Black Church

Some have argued the Black Church is dying or, even worse, dead. Others staunchly defend her and her indomitable spirit. In this well-written book, my brother and friend Thabiti Anyabwile cuts through the conjecture and anecdotes and offers a loving critique and hopeful encouragement for the church he loves and desires to see revived and faithful. Reviving the Black Church is both timely and refreshing. If you love the Black Church like I do, you will want to read this book and hope our beloved churchs obituary has proved false.

Tony Carter, Lead Pastor, East Point Church (East Point, GA)

Thabiti Anyabwile is one of my favorite authors (as well as one of my favorite people), so it is saying quite a bit for me to say that I think this is his best book yet. His powers of analysis have been clear in earlier workshis love and appreciation and hopes for African-American churches come to the fore in this book. Reviving is Gods work we know, but the appearance of a book like this suggests that He is at work doing it even as we ask. Read this book and pray in hope.

Mark Dever, Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church (Washington, DC)

This is a must read for anyone who wants to know the truth of how we as a people gravitated toward emotional religion, instead of an expository relationship with our Savior. This book puts us back on track.

Don Hayes, Pastor, Oakland Baptist Church (Alexandria, VA)

With her tradition of annual weeklong preaching services, the historic Black Church has always in some way been interested in being revived. Thabitis Reviving the Black Church points the way forward for her with biblically clear, precise, and extremely hopeful insights. I grew up in her, came to Christ in her, was married, licensed, and ordained to gospel ministry by her. If you love her as I do, then pick up several copies and pass them along to everyone you know, who is interested in the future of this sacred institution.

Louis C. Love Jr., Pastor, New Life Fellowship Church (Vernon Hills, IL) and Contributor, The Front Porch

Every now and then a book is written that is truly on time and speaks to a critical need in our lives. Every now and then a book is written that truly speaks what many of us in the body of Christ are thinking. Well, Reviving the Black Church is such a book. Thabiti Anyabwile has written a book that should be required reading for every pastor, every leader, and every member of a black church! For a lot of reasons, the Black Church is not as effective in our communities and our cities as she once was. Therefore our communities and cities are suffering the consequences of a church that seems to be sick and unhealthy. However this book gives us the prescription we need to revive the Black Church. As God asked the prophet Ezekiel once, can these bones live? Well Anyabwile through this book would say YES!! I highly recommend this life-giving book!

Fred Luter Jr. Pastor, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church (New Orleans, LA) and Former President, Southern Baptist Convention

Though many have grown discouraged, the Black Church is ripe for revival! Remaining faithful to our historical tradition and our biblical foundation, Thabiti Anyabwile is a prominent voice in the area of church health. Reviving the Black Church is a thoughtful, respectful, and challenging treatment of the viability of the African-American church. This book renews excitement and zeal for the great move of God taking place in our local faith communities.

Dr. Bobby Manning, Pastor, First Baptist Church of District Heights (MD) and author of Saving Our Sons: Effectively Engaging Young Men of Color

Reviving the Black Church makes me as jealous as it does joyous: How I have longed to express these ideas for my people in such simple terms! Thabiti provides a blueprint for refashioning the Black Church to make a transformational impact in the African-American community and the world. Its loving, biblically-guided, yet biting, no-nonsense, manifesto calls the Black Church away from a syncretistic association with the culture to a redemptive relationship with the culture. Unflinching in his call to recover a New Testament church, Thabitis proposal is sure to draw naysayers and enemies as he prioritizes identifying the people of God over seeking social significance. But such critics should give the work a full and judicious hearing, for the sake of the exaltation of our people, and for the salvation of people everywhere. Out of deep love for the Black Church, Thabiti has spoken up loudly and timely, with grace and truth.

Eric C. Redmond, Assistant Professor of Bible, Moody Bible Institute, and author of Where Are All the Brothers? Straight Answers to Mens Questions About the Church

This is the book for which Ive longed. Anyabwile takes seriously the scholarly and activist chastisements of the Black Church, while himself offering a hopeful, gospel-driven challenge to black congregations on spiritual life support. The prophetic word is sure: dry bones can live again if we hear the word of the Lord and receive afresh Gods invigorating breath. Reviving the Black Church should be read critically and receptively by everyone who loves Gods blemished yet beautiful Black Church. If nothing else, it will convict us to pray for revival! Let it begin in me.

CJ Rhodes, Pastor, Mount Helm Baptist Church (Jackson, MS)

Churches can die, because Jesus said they can. He warns that the church in Sardis was on the verge of death. Europe, the birthplace of Protestantism, is strewn with once vibrant but now spiritually dead churches. Like Thabiti, I fear that the Black Church is not well and is in dire need of revival. The question that every pastor must answer is how can I help ? But unfortunately, pastors, like most men when were lost, dont like to stop and ask for help. Ive had a lot of how do we help the church? questions, and I think Thabiti answered all of them and more. This is simply the most helpful handling of the Scriptures about reviving the church that I have ever read. So if you are burdened with a concern for the urban church, please, please, read Reviving the Black Church and apply it.

Bobby Scott, Co-pastor, Community of Faith Bile Church (Los Angeles, CA)

As pastor of a predominantly African-American church established by free slaves more than 150 years ago, I cannot express how encouraged I was to read Reviving the Black Church . This book speaks to the heart of every person who has a passion to see black churches thrive in the truth of the gospel. But this is not just a book to be read, but a reference tool to be consulted for guidance on how any church, but particularly the African-American church, can experience true revival. Thabiti pours into this book his personal experience, pastoral concern, sound wisdom, biblical support and a knowledge of the history, tradition, and culture of the Black Church. I highly recommend this book for those considering the call to ministry, newly installed into the ministry, pastoral search committees as well as church members.

Victor G. Sholar, Senior Pastor, Main Street Baptist Church (Lexington, KY)

Thabiti Anyabwile speaks as one who loved the Black Church, left the Black Church, was saved in the Black Church, and still loves (and hopes for!) the Black Church. His experience and biblical fidelity should merit a readers attention. This book sounds like that old hymn, Revive Us, Again.

Kevin L. Smith, Assistant Professor of Christian Preaching, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Reviving the Black Church is an excellent resource for any pastor or lay member. Chapter by chapter and line by line, the reader can hear the cry of Thabiti Anyabwiles heart to recover a biblical approach to pastoral ministry and authentic Christian living. Brother Anyabwile provides innovative responses to the challenges that face not only the Black Church, but also the church community at large.