An Army of Ordinary People by Felicity Dale

I requested this book thinking that it was about how God uses ordinary people to plant churches.  Unfortunately their definition of a church was not Biblically-based.  This book actually gives a bunch of examples of people starting what should be called Bible studies.

Dale talked about the "simple church" or "home church."  No one is the primary teacher.  There is not governmental structure.  The Bible is clear that churches are to have pastors (i.e. elders) and deacons.  Pastors are responsible as under-shepherds to care for the flock and the flock is responsible to obey those that have the rule over them (Heb. 13:17).  Pastors have the responsibility to study the Word and feed the flock (I Peter 5:2).  Dale however deemphasized the need for Biblical training or careful teaching of the Word.  

There also are times throughout the book where verses were taken out of context in order to promote the "simple church" idea.  One example is when Matthew 18:20 was used as a definition of the church.  This verse however is meant to encourage those that are in the middle of carrying out church discipline.  It is not definitive of what a church is.

There were some good points in the book.  Dale explained the need for more personal relationships within the church family as well as the need for more time and energy given to evangelism and discipleship.  I would heartily agree.  In conclusion, I have no problem with churches that meet in homes, however, what Dale described as a "simple church" lacks structure and key elements that the Bible emphasizes.
(Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair critique).

My rating:  1 out of 5 stars