Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow

Much of my reading has been spent on church growth, not just numerical but spiritual. Being a woman, I have often wondered why men, that claim to be Christian, would not pray aloud, take leadership roles, teach mixed classes in the church, or even be remotely interested in anything going on with the church. And... because I am a woman, I could not see through my eyes to reason or begin to understand. As in so many areas of our lives we must look through a different set of lens if we want the picture to clear up. David Murrow's, Why Men Hate Going to Church, became the lens to clear my vision, reality, of just how our churches operate. Never before has the problem in the church been addressed so clearly. We can walk around with our head in the sand but until we address the problem…the problem will never go away it will just worsen.

For years self-help books have addressed marital and relationship problems in terms of distinct gender differences and have sought to help men and women communicate and relate better by acknowledging their differences within their marriage. I have not read any book that has gone where Murrow has trod in such a way as to define the reason that men and boys are just not interested in church. He gives advice how to counteract these differences in communication style in regards to our view of Christ himself as Lion of Judah vs. Lamb of God, in worship and music styles, to the decoration of the church. He talks about how women and men react differently in their relationships with people.

While I must admit that he punched women pretty hard for the role that they have taken, his goal was to remind the church and its leaders that we must not just accept each genders way of expressing their worship, love and devotion to God but to include study, discipleship, and ministry that will fulfill each other’s emotional and spiritual needs so that both gender and all ages can learn worship God.

This book has challenged me to think more about my leadership role in the church in setting an environment so that all may be led to worship. This book is a must for believers (church staff and leaders, wives, and mothers) who want to see men and boys develop a deeper and more satisfying walk with God. It is a must for those interested in developing the church's delivery system to draw all to a commitment to the ministry that God called all of us to participate in. We cannot leave church growth up to “our own” preferences,we must be intentional about reaching all people. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Publishing, through the Book Sneeze book review program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255