"It is astonishing that the apostle Paul describes the local gathering of Christians as ‘the church
of God, which he obtained with his own blood’ (Acts 20:28, ESV). That raises the stakes of church
life and health and mission about as high as it can be. We are dealing with a blood-bought body
of people. I do not want human ideas. 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. I thank God for the book and
for Nine Marks Ministries."
- John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis
"Books on the church are a dime a dozen. This one is different. Only rarely does a book on the
church come along that marries responsible biblical and theological reflection to godly, experienced, good judgment and practical application. This book is one of them. 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
"Books that affirm the priority of the church are rare. Books that define the practice of the local
church from the pages of Scripture rather than from cultural trends are even more rare. Mark
Dever has given us just such a book. Written by a pastor and theologian who has built a strong
local church in Washington D.C., this is the best book I have read on this topic of critical importance."
- C. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries
"Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is one of the very best, most readable, and useful books for learning how to lead a church into spiritual change. Its focus is not on church growth but on church
health, which is the proper goal of a God-centered ministry. Each chapter gives the biblical rationale and offers practical suggestions for preaching, evangelism, discipleship, or some other aspect
of church life. These principles and practices have been tested in Dever’s own dynamic ministry
as senior pastor of a thriving urban congregation."
- Philip Graham Ryken, Senior Pastor, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia
"For a young pastor wrestling with questions of what success and faithfulness look like for a
church, Mark Dever’s book is a godsend. It helps you see past the hype and fanfare of numbers,
statistics, and the latest methodology. Instead it guides you back to the old paths and the simple,
world-changing beauty of God’s plan for the local church."
- Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church, Gaithersburg, Md.
"Postmodern America is awash with spirituality—but not with authentic Christianity. Clear evidence of this fact is seen in the loss of a biblical ecclesiology in so many sectors. Reformation is
always directed to the church—and we must pray to see the church reformed in our age. Mark
Dever points toward a truly biblical recovery of the New Testament church in his manifesto,
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Every page is loaded with thoughtful analysis and careful consideration. It belongs in the hands of every faithful pastor and all those who pray for reformation in this age."
- R. Albert Mohler, President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"The future of biblical Christianity in the Western world is inextricably bound to the future of
the local church. Mark Dever knows this, and his Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is a biblical prescription for faithfulness."
- J. Ligon Duncan III, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Miss.
"Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is required reading for my students in ecclesiology. Even though
I do not always come to the same conclusions as the author, the book is one of the few recent
serious engagements with trenchantly important ecclesiological issues. This is also a great book
for pastors to share with their congregations."
- Paige Patterson, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
"A powerful and passionate call for congregations to take seriously their responsibilities, for the
glory of God and the saving of lost souls."
- Timothy George, Executive Editor, Christianity Today
"In a day when a church is most likely evaluated on her cosmetics, it’s vital to know how to assess
her true health. They put cosmetics on corpses! Mark Dever gives the biblical criteria for discerning the spiritual well-being of a church, not what it looks like on the outside before the
world, but what it is on the inside before God. This is a foundational work which I highly recommend."
- John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher
"In the tradition of Martyn Lloyd-Jones and John Stott, Mark Dever calls the church to rediscover her biblical heritage. Perhaps never in history has the church tried so hard to be relevant to a culture and become less relevant in doing so! While many modern church gurus encourage us to be ‘in the world,’ Mark reminds us that our calling is to do so without being ‘of the world.’ This volume is consumed with church ‘being’ rather than church ‘doing.’ After all, being comes before doing, for what we ultimately ‘do’ is always determined by who we ‘are.’ Let the church be the church! Read it and reap!"
- O. S. Hawkins, President, Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
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