Jim Davis is teaching pastor at Orlando Grace Church (Acts 29). He
is the host of the As in Heaven podcast on The Gospel Coalition
podcast network and serves as a writer for The Dechurched
Initiative. Jim writes frequently for The Gospel Coalition, Acts
29, and Family Life. He and his wife, Angela, speak for Family
Life’s Weekend to Remember marriage getaways.
Michael Graham is Program Director at The Keller Center for
Cultural Apologetics. He is also the executive producer and writer
for the As In Heaven podcast. He received his MDiv at Reformed
Theological Seminary in Orlando. He is a member at Orlando Grace
Church. He is married to Sara, and they have two kids.
Ryan Burge is an associate professor of political science at
Eastern Illinois University, where also serves as the graduate
coordinator. He has authored over thirty peer-reviewed articles and
book chapters alongside four books about religion and politics in
the United States. He written for the New York Times, and the Wall
Street Journal. He has also appeared in an NBC Documentary, on Full
Frontal with Samantha Bee, as well as 60 Minutes which called him,
"one of the country’s leading data analysts on religion and
politics." He has served as a pastor in the American Baptist Church
for over twenty years and has been married to his wife Jacqueline
for over fifteen years. They have two boys.
'Few things break my heart like watching friends leave the church
behind. The Great Dechurching starts with bad news: I'm not alone.
But there's still hope. Using insights drawn from Jim Davis and
Michael Graham's writing, we've welcomed hundreds of dechurched
people into our local church community, where they can encounter
Jesus and construct life-changing relationships.'
* Patrick Miller, pastor, author, and cohost of Truth over
Tribe *
'In The Great Dechurching, Jim Davis and Michael Graham with
researcher Ryan Burge do just that, and their diagnosis is
generally not encouraging. But the book does far more than offer an
empirical diagnosis. They offer a plan of care for the church that
can lead to renewed life in our churches, the return of many
dechurched, and a greater gospel impact in our world. '
* Ed Stetzer, PhD, professor and dean, Talbot School of
Theology *
'Many Christian leaders and commentators have commented on trends
in American church life. All of them will find something in The
Great Dechurching that surprises them. But the appeal of this book
isn't just bound up in the data it shares, as valuable as that is.
Graham and Davis offer much in the way of shrewd analysis of the
data and sober reflection on what it means for the life of the
church in America. That analysis and reflection both elevate the
book and offer to followers of Jesus a vision for how the next
chapter of the Christian movement in America can be better than the
one now coming to a close.'
* Jake Meador, editor-in-chief, Mere Orthodoxy *
'If you know someone who used to go to church and now doesn't, this
book is for you. Jim Davis and Michael Graham have written a
timely, necessary, and extremely beneficial resource that will
compel and prepare those of us in the church to reach out to those
who have left. The Great Dechurching is full of robust research
that offers real hope and true help. This might be one of the most
significant books you will read. May God use it to call many back
to his beloved bride, the church.'
* Courtney Doctor, director of women’s initiatives at The Gospel
Coalition, Bible teacher, and author of From Garden to Glory, In
View of God’s Mercies, and others *
'Every church leader--either lay leader or ordained--needs to read
this book to understand who is leaving churches, why they are
leaving, and what it will take to bring them back. The Great
Dechurching overflows with practical wisdom about the sobering
reality of dechurching. While there is top level assessment of the
numbers, the heart of the book is about people we all know and
love. I am giving copies of this book to the clergy in the diocese
where I serve, and I will assign it for the seminary courses I
teach.'
* Justin S. Holcomb, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central
Florida, seminary professor, and author *
'This book is a clarion call, but it is not without hope or
counsel. Instead of the mere pragmatism that often characterizes
projects like this, the authors offer theological, confessional,
and catechetical recommendations with ecclesiological convictions.
The reader will still have to do the hard work of application to
his or her own situation, but the reflection and action this book
will spark could be significant. God is always up to something in
moments like this, and we want to respond in wisdom and
faithfulness to be instruments for his good purposes.
* Ligon Duncan, chancellor and CEO, Reformed Theological
Seminary *
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