Book Recommendation: “Inalienable” by Matthew Soerens

The American church is at a critical crossroads. Our witness has been compromised, our numbers are down, and our reputation has been sullied, due largely to our own faults and fears. The church’s ethnocentrism, consumerism, and syncretism have blurred the lines between discipleship and partisanship.

Pastor Eric Costanzo, missiologist Daniel Yang, and nonprofit leader Matthew Soerens find that for the church to return to health, we must decenter ourselves from our American idols and recenter on the undeniable, inalienable core reality of the global, transcultural kingdom of God. Our guides in this process are global Christians and the poor, who offer hope from the margins, and the ancient church, which survived through the ages amid temptations of power and corruption. Their witness points us to refocus on the kingdom of God, the image of God, the Word of God, and the mission of God.

The path to the future takes us away from ourselves in unlikely directions. By learning from the global church and marginalized voices, we can return to our roots of being kingdom-focused, loving our neighbor, and giving of ourselves in missional service to the world.

Who is Matthew Soerens?

Matthew Soerens is a Christian pastor, author, and advocate for immigration reform in the United States. He is currently the US Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief, an international Christian relief and development organization.

Soerens is a leading voice on immigration issues within the Christian community and has written extensively on the topic, including co-authoring the book Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis, Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate and the recently released Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church.

In his role at World Relief, Soerens works to educate and mobilize churches and Christian communities around the country to advocate for policies that promote compassion and justice for immigrants and refugees. He has also testified before Congress on immigration issues and has been a frequent commentator in the media on this topic.

Overall, Soerens is a well-respected and influential voice in the immigration reform movement, particularly within the Christian community.

Why Erick Widman Recommends Inalienable

This is a hopeful, inspiring book that points us to timeless truths about the real source of spiritual power for the church. Soerens and others show that enduring strength and influence come from humble service, often exemplified by new immigrants to the U.S. I personally am inspired every day by my immigrant clients along with the multi-ethnic church I attend with my family in the Portland metro area in Oregon. This book provides an essential framework for how the U.S. church should follow the lead of immigrants. They are showing the way forward.

Buy Matthew Soerens’s nalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church: https://www.amazon.com/Inalienable-Marginalized-Kingdom-Voices-American/dp/B0B72FRMHX/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Matthew+Soerens&qid=1677546856&s=audible&sr=1-2