Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive

Thom S. Rainer

May 2014 · B&H Publishing Group

About this ebook

No one wants to see a church die. And yet, far too many churches are dying. For more than twenty-five years, Dr. Thom Rainer has helped churches grow, reverse the trends of decline, and has autopsied those that have died. From this experience, he has discovered twelve consistent themes among those churches that have died. Yet, it’s not gloom and doom because from those twelve themes, lessons on how to keep your church alive have emerged.

Whether your church is vibrant or dying, whether you are a pastor or a church member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church will walk you through the radical paths necessary to keep your church alive to the glory of God and advancement of Christ’s Kingdom!

Ratings and reviews

This book can be a real eye opener. It clearly describes the problems many churches face. The examples are poignant and give weight to what the author is describing. The book is short, making it a easy read for anyone wishing to grasp the problems their congregation maybe facing. My only issue is the author gives few tangible ways for a church to revive itself. This seems to have been done intentionally to get the reader to by another book. Good marketing but questionable ethics, since the author's has other books less than 250 pages.

Thom Rainer is a well-known name in the field of Church Revitalization. What I appreciate about this book is the often-heard stories of churches that had gone through the stages of death and have died. These stories are a wake-up call for churches that are moving toward the precipice of death and don't even know it. The book is a quick read and is a very helpful guide in terms of how to think about the health of the church and things to look out for. Moreover, there is a thread of realistic hope strung through the entire book, that at every point of the life stage of a church, they can do something to glorify God, even if they are at in the season of their last breaths. Church revitalization is not always about saving dying churches, but thinking about how even churches who are dying can die with dignity and in turn, bless other churches (chapter 14). When it comes to church revitalization, there is always hope, even if that hope means that a particular church has to close down. There is always greater hope for The Church.

This book really was an eye opener for me as I feel the church I belong to is dying and beyond being revived I have to leave my church but I can't save it alone this book helped me make the decision to move on with dignity and no regrets and to accept that my church is dying.

About the author

Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers. Prior to Church Answers, he served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. He also served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He has been a pastor of four churches and interim pastor of ten churches. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Rainer has written over 30 books, including three that reached number one bestseller: I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, and Simple Church.

He has spoken in hundreds of venues and led over 500 church consultations. He can be reached at www.ChurchAnswers.com.

Rainer and his wife, Nellie Jo, live in Franklin, TN, and have three grown sons: Sam, Art and Jess, who are married to Erin, Sarah and Rachel respectively. The Rainers have ten grandchildren: Canon, Maggie, Nathaniel, Will (with the Lord), Harper, Bren, Joshua, Collins, Joel, and James.