One Assembly

Rethinking the Multisite and Multiservice Church Models

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Pub Date 07 Apr 2020 | Archive Date 05 Apr 2020

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Description

This book considers a series of biblical and pastoral arguments against both the multisite and multiservice church model, making the claim that maintaining a single assembly best embodies the unity the church possesses in Jesus Christ.

This book considers a series of biblical and pastoral arguments against both the multisite and multiservice church model, making the claim that maintaining a single assembly best embodies the unity...


A Note From the Publisher

PDF may not be compatible with all reading devices

PDF may not be compatible with all reading devices


Advance Praise

“Evangelical churches that are multisite or multiservice are like that for good-intentioned, pragmatic reasons. Jonathan Leeman challenges us to think exegetically and theologically about a popular practice that may not be as strategic as so many assume.”

Andy Naselli, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament, Bethlehem College & Seminary

“Too often we don’t think about what it means to be a church or to do church together. Jonathan Leeman’s book, therefore, might shock our pragmatic and individualistic sensibilities. Still, Leeman makes an excellent case that the word church in the Scriptures means ‘assembly,’ and that two assemblies are by definition two churches. The matter is complex and people who love the Scriptures disagree, but I think Leeman’s case is the most plausible.”

Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

One Assembly is more than a critique of the multiservice and multisite movement. Leeman persuasively argues for the biblical faithfulness, beauty, and effectiveness of a single church service. Instead of slowing down gospel growth, the single-service model actually promotes the Great Commission by encouraging church planting. This is a must-read for anyone interested in church growth.”

Aaron Menikoff, Senior Pastor, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Sandy Springs, Georgia

“Jonathan Leeman clearly loves the church. He loves it enough to lay out here, with clarity and compassion, the one-assembly model that Scripture so consistently presents. Eminently engaging and stemming from deep personal experience, this book helpfully shows us not only what Scripture says a ‘church’ is but also how churches with multiple sites or services can move toward a single gathering. Leeman’s carefully considered treatment is timely and relevant to all Christians, not just pastors and scholars.”

Anne Rabe, Former Lecturer in Classics, University of Kansas

“Leeman convincingly shows from Scripture and plain reason that a mark of the local church is one assembly, and churches do well to practice this biblical norm. I plead with church leaders to prayerfully hear Leeman’s case so that Christ is more exalted, we are more faithful, and our churches most effectively advance the Great Commission.”

P. J. Tibayan, Pastor-Theologian, Bethany Baptist Church, Bellflower, California

“This book analyzes the multisite and multiservice models with tremendous commitment to Scripture, clarity, and precision. Jonathan Leeman brings to light the implications of the multisite and multiservice movement’s chronological and geographical fragmentation of the one assembly: the redefinition of the nature of the church and the reshaping of the church morally. Every pastor must seriously consider his arguments.”

Jonas Madureira, Senior Pastor, Word Baptist Church, São Paulo, Brazil

“Many churches take multiple services as a given. Increasingly, churches are embracing multisite models. With the boldness, courage, and zeal of a reformer, Jonathan Leeman invites us to submit our assumptions and practices in ministry to the scrutiny of what the Bible says about the church. Even if you don’t agree with everything that One Assembly concludes about the church, Leeman is surely correct to call the church to build her life, worship, and service upon the foundation of Scripture alone. Let One Assembly provoke you, challenge you, and, above all, drive you to God’s word.”

Guy Prentiss Waters, James M. Baird Jr. Professor of New Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi

“Jonathan Leeman has advanced significantly the discussion on what constitutes a local church. An ekklesia, most fundamentally, is what it does: it is a gathering. Those looking to defend an alternative approach (either multisite or multiservice) will likely find some previously unconsidered arguments and data here. Leeman has assembled the most thorough case for one service/one church. Not everyone will be persuaded, of course; but Leeman’s work was influential in our church’s decision to move from multiservice to a single service.”

Ryan Kelly, Pastor of Preaching, Desert Springs Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico

“The church of Jesus and the apostles cannot be redefined by our culture or our needs. This book describes the difficulties in my own experience of pastoring a multisite church that lost its building and was forced to split into six home campuses. Leeman provides an alternative for the multisite model, including the church-planting strategy our elders are preparing to follow. This book will challenge you and bless other church leaders in situations like mine.”

Victor Shu, Lead Pastor, Radiant Grace Church, East Asia

“Evangelical churches that are multisite or multiservice are like that for good-intentioned, pragmatic reasons. Jonathan Leeman challenges us to think exegetically and theologically about a popular...


Available Editions

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ISBN 9781433559594
PRICE $19.99 (USD)

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Featured Reviews

This book is truly unique, I'm unaware of another book that polemically tackles the topic of multi-site and multi-service churches. Jonathan Leeman offers a helpful critique on what many churches perceive as acceptable, and the reason is because nothing in Scripture prescribes the idea of multi-site and multi-service congregations. In fact, Leeman argues that these forms of congregations goes against the exact idea of "church," because the word literally means assembly and these congregations are never assemble as a whole. This book is rather short, consisting of only three chapters; as well as, preface material and appendixes. My favorite feature of the book are the little, gray thought blurbs that address practical questions readers may have. All in all, this book is incredibly timely, especially as the COVID-19 outbreak has caused just about every church to move online. Hopefully this book will fly off the shelves, and christian leaders will use it to wrestle with what we've commonly accepted.

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I am thankful to Crossway and Netgalley.com for an advance review copy of this book which has in no way influenced the review. We live in uncertain times, the Coronavirus Pandemic sweeping the world has left many churches floundering. What does a church that cant meet look like? Is it even a church anymore?

I think there is much in this book that is helpful in it Leeman has his sights set on the multi service, multi site evangelists who claim to be one church and yet those members at the different sites and different services never actually meet one another. Leemen spends some time defining what exactly a church is how the term is used in scripture and highlights very positively for us that it is almost impossible in Greek to have an ecclesia without actually meeting together.

He then in chapter three offers some helpful solutions to a church that is currently multi service or multi site what it might look like going forward, perhaps building a bigger building, perhaps planting another church and calling it such rather than just another service or another site of a present church. The most radical solution he offers is to partner with other good gospel churches in the area and help them out with the bigger resources that they have.

Whilst there is much in this book that is positive, I have to confess that for whatever reason i struggled to get into it. I dont know if it was the layout, the longish chapters or perhaps just the layout on my kindle but for whatever reason reading this book of 150 pages felt like a big of a slog at times. Perhaps another reader reading with a clearer fresher mind than mine would find it easier to get into.

There is much to commend this book, it wasn't disappointing in terms of content, and I enjoyed it if only for sharpening my own ecclesiology in these uncertain times.

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From time to time, among all of the mediocre books that get published, I find a book that is amazing. This is that book. The author is trying to make the point that assembling physically together is part of the definition of Church, and as soon as you split up an assembly into separate gatherings, whether in space or in time, you are creating multiple local churches.

The author succeeds in his intention, doing some serious linguistic and exegetical work, I expect this book to transform many churches.

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