(Part 1)

JBTM Book Reviews
157
seven potential objections to baptism as a requirement for membership. In particular, he
addresses this objection: “It’s wrong for a church to exclude anyone from membership whom
they’re confident is a Christian” (169). After providing readers with seven arguments against
open membership in chapter 10, Jamieson concludes Going Public with practical application.
He discusses how one can begin to require baptism for membership, how churches should
practice baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and how one can make membership meaningful
again.
Bobby Jamieson has written a timely and practical work. While Going Public is thoroughly
biblical and theological, it addresses practical ecclesiological issues that every pastor must
face. With the baptism-membership debate growing among Baptists, and Southern Baptists
in particular, Jamieson has provided theologians, pastors, and laypeople alike with a biblicaltheological
argument for why baptism should be required for membership. While some might
argue that Jamieson has not necessarily provided adequate biblical evidence for baptism
as a requirement for membership, one must see the strength in Jamieson’s work. Utilizing
Scripture and biblical theology, Jamieson has constructed a theological framework in which
to understand the ecclesial shape of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Jamieson’s Going Public has several excellent features as well, making it a valuable
resource on baptism and church membership. These include chapter summaries at the
conclusion of each chapter and an appendix which offers readers a three-minute explanation
of why baptism should be a requirement for church membership. While some will find areas
of disagreement throughout the book, Going Public will be a valuable pastoral and theological
resource for years to come.
- Dustin Turner, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and Vintage Church, New Orleans,
Louisiana
Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry: A Practical Guide. Edited by Cameron Cole and Jon
Nielson. Wheaton: Crossway, 2016. 224 pages. Paperback, $17.99.
Theology and practicality often occupy two ends of the ecclesiological spectrum where
youth ministry philosophy is concerned. To encourage theology is to jettison practicality and
vice versa. Yet even those who try to fuse these two unavoidable elements of ministry in their
publications focus more on the “theological” rather than the theology, often leaning toward
neo-orthodoxy. Thus, it has become a rare experience to find a book that combines these
important elements of ministry for those working specifically with youth. For this reason,
Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry is an unusual treasure. The authors of this self-proclaimed
guide have offered a thoroughly practical manual for youth ministry while concurrently
beginning where Scripture starts, theological truth.