Piloting the strait: A guidebook for assessing changes in churches of Christ

by David L. Miller

A guidebook for assessing changes in Churches of Christ.

528 pages, Hardcover

Reviews

[Jennifer Abdo · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I'm admittedly reviewing this a decade or two later than reading it. I gave it some stars, but a rating is unfair in terms of "liking" it. I've grown up since then.

I read this in college at the time of a more conservative branch of the congregation broke off to form its own group. Being away at college, I wasn't as fully immersed in the situation as I could have been. I was confused as to what the reasons for the split were at the time (though I didn't wasn't to ask, fearing I'd think differently from my parents and then what do you do? Go home to visit and attend a different congregation on Sunday? I think not.) - the issue appearing to be discontent over entertaining the idea of women becoming more involved in some aspects of teaching and leadership, which ended up being partially correct, though the tip of the ultra conservative iceberg.

The short version is that I read the Bible and saw service to others, humbling oneself, generosity, spirit over letter, and peace. I saw similarities in both political parties, but quickly learned upon voicing such an opinion that that was the wrong opinion. It was the Republican party that God endorsed (or so I gathered). So the book, as I remember, will give you a way to search out politically conservative congregations without necessarily saying as much because that's not cool to point out that that's what you're doing...