Thoroughly researched and helpful for the pastor or elder who wants to know: “Why does the doctrine of The Church matter?” If you have not thought much about what the Bible teaches about the Bride of Christ read this and prepare to be challenged to think more biblically about this most precious of people: The Church ( )

This has quickly become one of my favorite books on Baptist ecclesiology, along with John Hammett's Biblical Foundations of a Baptist Church. Dever writes out of great knowledge and great experience. This is a true blessing for the church. ( )

The Church is a wonderful, compact, academic treatment of ecclesiology from Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church. This book is essentially a slightly expanded version of Dever's chapter in A Theology for the Church, a fantastic systematic theology edited by Danny Aiken.

Dever dares to ask the tough questions in this short book. He lays out a strong case for congregationalism and a plurality of elders in the local church. I particularly enjoyed Dever's discussion on multi-service and multi-site churches. I'm not sure I agree with his conclusions, but his thoughts are interesting and have caused me to think deeper about my own ecclesiological presuppositions.

I strongly recommend this book for the pastor, church leader, and advanced lay person. Again, if you already have A Theology for the Church, purchasing this book is unnecessary. ( )