"Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow." This call to pursue justice in Isaiah 1:17 is just one of many such exhortations in the Bible. And yet many churches view justice as secondary to, and distinct from, evangelism, discipleship, and worship. As vice president of church mobilization at International Justice Mission, Jim Martin helps churches understand and engage the biblical mandate to seek justice for the oppressed. His new book The Just Church (Tyndale, 2012) shares practical strategies for churches looking to respond to that call. BuildingChurchLeaders.com editor Laura Leonard spoke with Jim about why churches should prioritize justice issues and how they can meaningfully respond to the most pressing issues in our world.

The title of your book is The Just Church. What does a "just church" look like?

A just church is a church that has the concept of biblical justice in its DNA. Just as evangelism and ...