Good ministries fail. Churches, megachurches, parachurch organizations, and whole denominations can find themselves in crisis or decline even though they are doctrinally sound, spiritually energetic, and divinely commissioned. Or sometimes they plateau. Like the airliner that loses its engines at 35,000 feet, the passengers may be unaware that anything is wrong. But the pilot knows. Something needs to be done very soon, or the flight will come to an unscheduled and unpleasant conclusion. Leaders need to do more than just steer the ship. Though the waters may seem smooth, they need to see the...

In the holds of slave ships, Africans brought with them a hope for liberation, a strong oral tradition, and a sense of connectedness between their spiritual and physical lives. When Blacks converted to Christianity, these characteristics contributed to a Christian community that was, and is, distinctly different than the White church. In Breaking Down Barriers, Dwight Perry provides a brief history of the Black church in America and shows how it has survived as a shelter from a hostile world. He offers an introduction to Black evangelicalism, placing it in the context of both the traditional...