Review: Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson

I’m not big on reading. I have too short of an attention span. I start many books and finish few. I usually get bored and loose interest.

Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson was different. It held my interest from start to finish – I hardly put the book down (and when I did Liz picked it up!).  Maybe it’s because I grew up a pastor’s kid too and seen my dad take some punches over the years?

Some of the stories from other pastors and church staffers are shocking.  When compiling this book it is obvious that Anne has not only written from experience but also leaned on vast research and input from many other Christians across the country.

I’ve burnt-out in the past on a non-church related venture so I was able to relate to a lot of the symptoms that are outlined in the book.  I’m not a church burn-out victim but the insight that Ann provides is great – especially for those of us that want to avoid the traps that can lead to it.

I like the chapters on setting boundaries to protect yourself and your family. I also like the chapter on forgiveness and dealing with hurt.  Anne is very open and goes into quite some detail about her personal struggles in this area.

When you do read through it, you’ll need something to take notes.  I found myself underlining sentences and paragraphs that jumped out of the page at me.  Here’s just some of the sections I outlined.

“There are no perfect churches to serve in, no perfect pastors to work for, and no perfect environments.”

“Just because a church is growing in numbers doesn’t mean it is a healthy church.  A church, like anything else, can put on a great show and draw a crowd.  If you’re in an abusive environment, get out!  Just because the environment is church is no excuse to stay!”

“One of the main reasons people in America are leaving the church in droves is because there is severe biblical malnourishment in the body of Christ.  They’re leaving in droves not because we aren’t clever enough, not because we don’t have enough resources, but because people come to church, are entertained, and then leave starving, anemic, and utterly ineffective for the kingdom of God.  I believe this is a direct result of pastors not fulfilling primary responsibilities God designed for them through scripture.”

The final chapters deal with recovering from burn-out and living in the abundance that God promises us.  Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic is by far the best and most refreshing book I have read in a long long time.  It’s available now for pre-order on Amazon.com.