Barefoot Church by Brandon Hatmaker, Book Review

For well over a century, the church in the West has swung like a pendulum between two unhealthy extremes. On one side stands the Gospel of Jesus—clearly annunciated, well-parsed, loudly proclaimed, and rarely lived out… at least outside of the walls of the church building. On the other side stands another version of the gospel, although whether it’s the Gospel of Jesus or not is constantly debated. This gospel is one of action, embodied among the poorest of the poor. Inherent in this gospel is the compassion and mercy that so often seems to be missing from the first. However, critics will argue that while the second may embody the ideals of the Christian faith, the message of Christ is strangely absent.

In Hatmaker’s new book, Barefoot Church, he seeks to strike the balance which thinking churchmen have constantly sought to strike: the embodiment of the gospel in social action without the reduction of the clearly proclaimed message of the gospel. Hatmaker, the pastor of Austin New Church (ANC), a church plant in Austin, Texas, would say that the church must be both “missional” and “attractional”. He argues early and often that these two elements, often divided in the church, are fully intended to coexist and in fact “[work] in perfect harmony by taking the focus off ourselves and placing it where it ought to be—on God and others.”

While Hatmaker’s writing may not always be smooth and artful, his arguments are compelling. More than any theoretical argument is the practical reality: he’s doing what he’s writing. The story of the beginning of ANC is wonderfully told and will certainly resonate with evangelical pastors in the West. Pastors can so often feel, like many disenfranchised church-goers, that there must be more. Hatmaker is living at least portions of what that “more” might be. While there may be disagreements with his practice, his passion, heart, humility, and even theology are quite solid and well laid out. His points are well-grounded in Scriptural truth, yet he comes across much more humble than dogmatic.

It’s Hatmaker’s humility that keeps Barefoot Church a winsome recording of ANC’s short history and the values that drive it, rather than descending into a dry recitation of church happenings. His heart is clearly seen throughout the book, which keeps us engaged despite some dry spots in his writing. The book’s biggest weakness is that at times it can feel like a summarized version of several other contemporary works. Extended quotes, multi-point outlines, and seeming chapter or even book summaries can, at times, leave one longing for the source material. However, the first-hand experience and stories of ANC are sprinkled in, which reminds us that this is a real story of a real church plant in a real place, not simply a literature summary.

The strength of the book, beyond the humility and transparency of Hatmaker himself, is chapter 8. The premise of the chapter is simple—the church should look to partner with non-profits, both Christian and non-Christian. Although many other sections of the book have various practical implications, this partnership strategy gives a path for any size church at just about any point in their development to make an incarnational connection both locally and globally. While the concepts are far from earth-shattering, they are presented clearly and can easily leave you thinking: “Of course that’s true. We could easily do that. Why don’t we do that?” While Hatmaker is careful to never present a one-size fits all, cookie-cutter strategy, this chapter contains great ideas and values that easily translate to any North American context.

In all, Barefoot Church is well worth reading. While it may not be a profound work, the changes called for in the church are certainly profound. Years ago, before digital tuning, radios had dials on them and in order to tune a station, you had turn the dial past the station to either side and continually re-correct it until you finally got a clear signal. This book feels like the “tuning” between these two versions of the gospel that rarely seem to coexist—but are finally starting to produce a clear signal.