It’s true: people are leaving churches in record numbers. Who is leaving? Why are they leaving? Is there anything churches can do to stem the tide? These are the questions that drove Julia Duin to research and write Quitting Church.
Since I pastor a church, these sorts of questions intrigue me too. Unfortunately, this book left me flat.
The research in this book consists largely of: (a) snippets quoted from other researchers; (b) Julia’s conversations with her friends who have stopped attending church; and (c) Julia’s observations on what “connected” for her at the various churches she has attended. In other words, this book doesn’t present a whole lot of original information. Even the subtitle—why the faithful are fleeing and what to do about it—is misleading, in that I read very little about how to keep the departing from fleeing.
Save your money; take a pass on this book.
Craig T. Owens 