“I love the way Ted’s and Ronnie’s perspectives and voices play off each other and support each other in this book. They provide honesty, humor, pointed commentary, earnestness, humility, and clarity. As someone who has been hurt by churches and who has doled out more hurt than I probably realize, I found Bride(zilla) uncomfortable but incredibly helpful therapy for my soul. Church leaders need this book. Those who have been hurt by churches need it too. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
—Barnabas Piper, author and podcast co-host of The Happy Rant with Ted and Ronnie
“This book was simultaneously all that I hoped and not at all what I expected. Without throwing the church under the bus or minimizing the hurt that can be caused in her midst, Kluck and Martin share their hearts, their scars, and great insights for believers who may be tempted to write off the church for good.”
—Zachary Bartels, author of The Last Con and Playing Saint; pastor of Judson Baptist Church, Lansing, MI
“Rather than lamenting for a return to the early church through misplaced nostalgia, or recommending magic bullet solutions for the pain in the church, The Bride(zilla) of Christ offers insights into the true wounds of consumerism, individualism, and materialism with healing balm of a gracious gospel, community church, and winsome worldview. Ronnie Martin and Ted Kluck bring weighty matters of forgiveness, honesty, and unity in Christ to the forefront to help solve the crisis of church members wounding one another.”
—Daniel Montgomery, lead pastor of Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, KY; founder of the Sojourn Network; and author of Faithmapping, PROOF, and Leadership Mosaic
“With pastoral care and passion, Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin walk us through the joys and sorrows of being a part of the body of Christ. Through this helpful work, they clear the fog from our eyes to see with renewed wonder that the church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.”
—Matt Boswell, pastor of ministries and worship, Providence Church, Frisco, TX; founder of Doxology & Theology
“Kluck and Martin have taken on a difficult task of addressing hurt within the church and have handled it with vulnerability and grace. They allow the truth of Scripture to be primary and encourage all of us to seek unity and reconciliation within the church.”
—Brad House, executive pastor of ministries at Sojourn Community Church; author of Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support
“Ted Kluck is one of faith literature’s unsung heroes. Always authentic, always funny, and nothing short of your best friend on every page.”
—Brian Ivie, head of storytelling at Arbella Studios
“Kluck and Martin ground their reflections on hurt with biblical and theological reflections, particularly utilizing the works of C.S. Lewis, and include practical advice on what to do when readers realize they’ve hurt others or have been hurt themselves. This is an engaging look from two distinct viewpoints on dysfunction within church communities.” —Publishers Weekly
“A great read that should be the subject of intense study in every church on the globe.”
—Christian Market magazine
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