Great Commission

Ron Travis Sr. Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse, 2010.  187 pp. (Paperback).

Just reading the title of this book, the reader might assume the subject to be the quotation from Jesus in Matthew 28:19–20 when He was commissioning the apostles. As it turns out, though, the book is a defense of congregationalism in church governance, specifically in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The author takes issue with the tendency of churches, particularly megachurches, to adopt the CEO system of self governance. Travis makes the argument that congregationalism more closely resembles the New Testament Church and should therefore be the model used in all SBC churches today.

While Travis makes many solid points, the book at times takes on a strident tone when addressing aspects of church organization that he disagrees with. Ranging from his assertion that monthly, not quarterly, business meetings are necessary for a healthy church to the indictment of a large church in the state for discontinuing a specific fall outreach presentation, the book gives instruction in great detail about how the author believes an SBC church should be run.