By Loren B. Mead
An Alban Institute Publication

Although a decade has passed since its initial publication, a recent reprinting of The Once and Future Church is timely as we struggle with a multitude of transitions into a new millennium.  Perhaps there is a readiness of mind and heart to consider what Loren B. Mead calls “reinventing the congregation for a new mission frontier.”

As one of the world’s preeminent church researchers, Mead grounds his perspectives both scripturally and theologically.  Historically our “Christendom Paradigm” has served us well, but Mead recognizes that “things aren’t working" and describes some crisis points in the church.

Although the book is deceptive in its brevity (only 87 pages), it holds great power for clergy and laity to understand and work with dynamics that are particular to their situation.   It is not a book for quiet reading and relegation to a bookshelf.  It begs for open discussion and boldness of faithful response.  Perhaps it should be “required reading” this year by pastors and administrative boards and councils.  A discussion of an assigned portion at each meeting this year would have far more impact on the 10-year or 100-year future of a congregation than the items that typically form the agenda.

If you believe as Mead does, that “God is always calling us to be more than we have been” and that “we have also been told that God’s time is now,” you will find this a helpful tool for theologically sound reinvention of the congregation that will necessarily involve both clergy and the laity.

Reviewed by Rev. Sanford Coon, President, New Mexico Methodist Foundation, and a former Stewardship Consultant with Texas Methodist Foundation.