For a young pastor wrestling with questions of what success looks like for a church, this book is a godsend. I’m almost thirty and I see many Christians my age—pastors and laypersons alike—struggling to understand God’s purpose and plan for the local church.

How is the church supposed to act? What does it mean for a church to be faithful? And how can you tell whether or not you’re succeeding?

Today the most visible role models are the Jack Welches of Christendom—the high-powered pastors of super-sized churches whose success in building large congregations has made them sought-after sources of counsel. I’ve read some of their books. I’ve gone to a few of their conferences and listened to their tips on how my church can grow and excel. I’ve learned a few things. And the evangelistic zeal and passion for excellence that many of these pastors and their churches display has inspired me.

But I’m always left with questions and very deep reservations about the course they have taken—and that they encourage me to follow in. All of their advice and methodology seems premised on the belief that bigger is better. If there’s a crowd, then what you’re doing is working. The fact that a lot of people are attending is the proof that what they’re doing is right and blessed by God.

It’s hard to argue with numbers. Faced with attendance in the tens of thousands, mega-complex buildings, and budgets bigger than those of some small countries, it’s not easy to question whether this is really such a good idea. “Of course it’s a good idea!” the evidence seems to scream. “Look how BIG it all is!”

But is size the measure of success? We all know the right answer is no, but I wonder how many of us truly believe it deep down—or how many of us know what to use to measure success in its place.

The fact that something about this book’s title and description has drawn you in enough to crack the cover and begin reading makes me think you might be asking the same questions I have asked. Maybe you’re uneasy about the shallowness of the modern church. Maybe you’re looking for another measuring stick for true health. But whether you’re a pastor looking for a blueprint to build your church or simply a Christian asking what matters most in a church, I believe this book can help you.

Mark Dever loves the local church. He pastors a healthy, growing church in Washington, D.C. He has nothing against big churches. He is passionate about evangelism and reaching the lost. But he’s not enamored with size and growth. He wants to see God glorified. He wants to see the church faithfully representing the Gospel, not mirroring the culture. His study of God’s Word, his knowledge of church history, and his insightful thinking about church make him a valued source of wisdom. Stay home from the next flashy how-to church conference and read this book instead.

Mark isn’t worried about being hip or trend-setting. He wants to be faithful to God’s Word, and he’s courageously committed to the Gospel. And it’s precisely these qualities that today’s church so desperately needs. In this book Mark shows us from Scripture the characteristics of a healthy church. He helps us see past the hype and fanfare of numbers, statistics, and the latest methodology. He guides us back to the old paths and the simple, world-changing beauty of God’s plan for the local church.

Mark Dever is a pastor and friend whom I deeply respect. You can trust the counsel he gives in these pages.

Joshua Harris
Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church
Gaithersburg, MD

What makes for a healthy church? A large congregation? Plentiful parking? Vibrant music?

You may have read books on this topic before—but not like this one. This new expanded edition of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is not an instruction manual for church growth. It is a pastor's recommendation of how to assess the health of your church using nine crucial qualities that are neglected by many of today's churches.

Whether you're a church leader or an involved member of your congregation, you can help cultivate these elements in your church, bringing it new life and health for God's glory.

If you are a Christian leader, be careful of the work you are now holding in your hand: it may change your life and ministry.

—D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
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This is a foundational work which I highly recommend.

—John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher
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I want God's word about the church. I turn with hope and confidence to Mark Dever's radically biblical commitment. Few people today have thought more or better about what makes a church biblical and healthy.

—John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church
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This is the best book I have read on this topic of critical importance.

—C. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries
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Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is required reading for my students in ecclesiology.

—Paige Patterson, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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[This book] belongs in the hands of every faithful pastor and all those who pray for reformation in this age.

—R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is a biblical prescription for faithfulness.

—J. Ligon Duncan III, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS

Mark Dever is Senior Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. and Executive Director for 9Marks Ministries. Dr. Dever has contributed to several books on church health and church leadership, including Crossway's The Compromised Church and Reforming Pastoral Ministry, and is a visiting professor at both Beeson Divinity School and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Above Material Copyright © 2006 Crossway Books