Where Are All the Brothers?: Straight Answers to Men's Questions about the Church

Where Are All the Brothers was not at all what I expected. I thought it might be just another man bashing book, but boy was I wrong. It is an informative and insightful discussion that really helps men find answers they may have about faith. I going to give a few copies to some friends.

While the book is written almost like a tract - something to give to someone to convince them of something - I found it worthwhile to read as a future pastor who will have to wrestle with the diminishing number of "Y" chromosomes in the church. Redmond has given me, and all of us, some very good, solid, reasoned answers to a number of questions that can keep men from fully engaging in our churches; not to mention just showing up. Good: I found this book not only informative and challenging, but extremely easy to read. Redmond begins with a basic plea for readers to give just 10 minutes a day for 9 days, and that is an adequate amount of time to cover this book. If you were to give it to somebody you were trying to persuade to come to church, any church, then that is a reasonable request, and could easily get through the book. If that is your reason for reading the book, make sure you follow it up with some good conversations regarding each chapter. Not-so-Good: While I don't want to be nit-picky, I am not a big fan of reading books that overly dialogical. However, I think for what Redmond was trying to do, I don't know how you could have written it any other way. Its meant to be used as a resource to give to men you have friendships with over concerns regarding church involvement. The dialogical nature works for this purpose. Highlights/Quotes: By far, Redmond does a great job all around. I think his chapters dealing with the allure of Islam for men, and the all time favorite, "Doesn't the church just want my money?" are his most insightful contributions to the issue. I would say that if this is a concern for you, either in current church praxis or because of friendships you have where this is an issue, then Redmond's book is a great resource, well worth having. If your interest level is more on the intellectual, sociological plane, then this may be a book worth checking out, though it will not give you the detailed background and academic breadth you're probably searching for.

I have to confess I don't read a lot of books for entertainment. I read books to find answers to life's riddles. I buy books like mechanics buy tools. I get them to show me how to fix stuff. I guess that's a man thing. But that's why I wanted to get this book. All of us have noticed this problem, but we rarely say anything about it. It's huge, but too few try to solve it. Men have become an endangered species in the church! When I have been asked about the problem, I've searched my brain for deep ecclesiological, anthropological answers. But from now on I am going to tell churches to stockpile Eric Redmond's new release "Where are All the Brothers?" The book is ingenious for its simplicity. Redmond doesn't write to pastors and theologians so they can pontificate about the problem. Why do that? These brothers are already in church. He writes directly to men who are playing hooky--and not in a scolding, or demeaning way, but like a smooth lawyer who's never lost a case because he knows his jury. Redmond knows his brothers, and he knows why they've stopped coming to church. So with honest answers, he point by point overcomes all of their objections. And the amazing thing to me is that he accomplishes this with chapters any brother will read because they are only a couple of pages long! If I ever get to meet Redmond, I am going to ask him to teach me the skill of being profound while keeping it real, clear, and brief. If you are concerned about getting men back into the church, do what I am going to do. Stop talking about the problem, buy this book in bulk, and give it out to all of your male new visitors, your "come alone to church" married sisters, and then pray for God to bring a rain of men back into His church. Pastor Robert S. Scott, Sr. General editor of Secret Sex Wars: A Battle Cry For Purity www.secretsexwars.com

Pastor Eric C. Redmond writes with a burning passion for revitalization in the African American church. For Pastor Redmond, such revival begins with theology. While that word (theology) may terrify some, Pastor Redmond realizes how relevant theology is to everyday life. In fact, "Where Are All the Brothers?" is "theology in disguise." It is a practical manual written with wit and wisdom in particular for the black male who has a litany of reasons for being unchurched. Chapter by chapter in bite-size chunks, Pastor Redmond helps men to digest biblical and practical answers to questions they have about the value of Christianity and the Church. He challenges men to give him ten minutes for nine days. His prayer is that his male readers will be transformed by truth and in turn African American churches will experience a reformation as an army of African American men march back into leadership in church and society. In many ways, Pastor Redmond writes like the great African American pastors of the past--Rev. Richard Allen, Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne, Pastor Peter Randolph, Pastor Lemeul Haynes, and so many other stalwarts of the faith. They share in common the courage of their conviction that God's truth sets men free. Day by day, Redmond disabuses men of lies about Christ, Christianity, and the church. Day one: addressing hypocrites in the church. Day two: explaining the inspiration of Scripture. Day three: interacting about the role of men and women in the church. Day four: exploring the preacher's calling. Day five: contrasting what Islam claims to offer Black men and what Christ offers all men. Day six: discussing the church and money. Day seven: defending organized religion. Day eight: honoring the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Day nine: outlining eight marks of a healthy church. What we have here is the ability to communicate. Pastor Eric Redmond has penned an "ecclesiology for everyday life" (a practical defense of the relevance of the church--especially for the black male who has his doubts). But this book is not only for the black brother. It is for all brothers and sisters. And it is not only for those who are not attending church. It will strengthen the faith and resolve of church members also. "Where Are All the Brothers?" is enticing, educating, equipping, and empowering reading for all believers. Reviewer: Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.