The most exciting book announced at the recent Christian Booksellers Convention was The Church Janitor’s Bible Commentary, published by Boiler Room Press of Kokomo, Indiana. The editor, Claude Faucett, was kind enough to give me a free copy and explain the merits of the book.
“People think church janitors are illiterate,” he said, “but we listen to more sermons than the deacons do. We have to be in church—they don’t! This commentary is especially for church janitors because they need special help.”
“How scholarly is the material?” I asked.
“Well, there’s no Greek in the book,” Claude explained. “Greek is an Attic language, and church janitors spend most of their time in the basement. But the contributors have done their homework.”
“Who are the contributors?”
“We chose 66 church janitors from 25 different denominations, and assigned each one a different book of the Bible. We insisted on choosing men who had been janitors at least 10 years. Anybody who’s been taking care of a church building for 10 years ought to know something about the Bible.”
Claude was especially enthusiastic about the special emphases in the book.
“Any Bible passage that has anything to do with janitorial work gets a full treatment,” he said. “We have 10 pages on the landscaping in the Garden of Eden. We have 25 pages on the ark, with a special essay on windows. The tabernacle gets over 200 pages, with a lot of new material on how to hang curtains. The information on furnaces in Daniel 3 is worth the price of the book. We didn’t want to put a damper on that one.”
But Claude Faucett has one great anxiety.
“I’m afraid other trades will pick up this idea, and then we’ll have a lot of commentaries being published. There might be a Farmer’s Bible Commentary, or a Doctor’s Bible Commentary. We might have too much of a good thing.”
Boiler Room Press is now hard at work on The Church Janitor’s Own Hymnal. Songs like “Open the Gates of the Temple,” “The Church’s One Foundation,” “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night,” and “Just Outside the Door” will receive special treatment. “Janitors know a lot about keys, so this hymnal should be a success,” Faucett confided. “I can’t read music myself, but I love to sing. I can hardly wait for the book to come out.”
As for me, I could wait a long time.
EUTYCHUS X
Black and Beautiful?
The article “The African Church Struggles into Her Third Century” by Tokunboh Adeyemo (July 20) is the finest thing I have read on the church in Africa. It was worth the price of a book and certainly contains as much truth and information as one would receive in most books. It will certainly help us to pray more intelligently for the church and for the people of Africa.
DICK HILLIS
Overseas Crusades, Inc.
Santa Clara, Calif.
As a former Peace Corps volunteer in Nigeria, I can say that most Africans would rather American Christians do less analysis of Africa and more honest soul-searching of our own selves, to eliminate the color and race stereotypes which infect our outlook so profoundly that the disease has become commonly accepted as normal.
REV. GORDON DALBEY
Seaside Community Church
Torrance, Calif.
Church Management
Norman Shawchuck’s article “Church Management: The Architecture of Ministry” (July 20) was superb. It makes this old veteran’s heart rejoice to see a respected periodical picking up this theme on a consistent and competent basis. I am more convinced now than ever before that not all of our problems are spiritual—many are managerial.
OLAN HENDRIX
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
Pasadena, Calif.
For years evangelicals have accused liberal theology of allowing secular thought to dictate its doctrinal content. Let us beware lest we find ourselves occupying the same position with regard to principles for running the church.
CRAIG DIBENEDICTIS
Souderton, Pa,
Talk about mixed emotions. I was so delighted to see an article on church management as we face a revolution of changing styles and techniques in this area. Yet, you missed so much.
There was no mention of the National Association of Church Business Administrators, or of the wide variety of certification programs associated with this professional association. Excluded were the long-established training programs of the National Institute for Church Management, the Church Management Seminars at Memphis State University, and the Candler School of Theology program for Church Finance and Administration.
I know the value of your contributions in your July 20 issue; I merely trust that you will expand your coverage.
R. RONALD BURGESS
Coordinator of Religious Affairs
Memphis State University
Homosexuality
Robert Johnston’s reviews of books available on homosexuality and the church probably run counter to a good many readers’ views. But I’m voting with him on the titles he’s covered. Not enough is being said that points to the redemption possible in Christ for the person struggling with homosexuality, or the change that can come to the person whose life is surrendered to the Lord. And plenty is being said otherwise.
Nationally there is a growing number of believers who are willing to step forth and say, “Yes, I was a homosexual. But I’m not gay any more.” The implications will be far-reaching. The effect this can have on the way the Christian community handles sexual problems alone boggles the mind. We are finally getting to the place where we can see that Christians do struggle with sexual sin in a variety of forms. Adultery, incest, and premarital sex also need to have the light shined on them so that we can deal with them—and be assured of God’s forgiveness.
ROBBI KENNEY
Director, Outpost
Minneapolis, Minn.
Dialogue with Moonies: Lunacy
I was shocked when I read your news report on the dialogue between Moonies and evangelicals (“The Moonies Cross Wits with Cult-watching Critics,” July 20). How could such a thing be deemed possible?
The whole thing seemed to be just another ploy by Moon to attain respectability for a movement that is diametrically opposed to our Lord and the spread of his kingdom.
MICHAEL PERKINS
North Hollywood, Calif.
I think Sawatsky’s statement that “the [Moonie] movement as a whole may become slightly more orthodox” is a lot of rhetorical hot air. I think down deep most “orthodox Christians” would concede Hell having a better chance of freezing over.
REV. RON CARTER
Open Bible Church
Bloomington, Ill.
