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by Jonathan Welton (Introduction by), Brian Hogan (Foreword by), Jan McLarty (Editor)
"Jonathan Brenneman in I Am Persuaded provokes, jabs and challenges our sacred cows of church leadership. Yet, the jabs are not hurtful because they come from Scripture.
This is not a reactionary book filled with leader bashing but a graceful and excellent presentation of mostly forgotten principles concerning how Jesus and the early church taught and practiced leadership. All the key and at times controversial words are discussed: rule, obey, submission, apostles, authority, and spiritual covering. Excellent exegesis on these words is provided and is foundational to the author's conclusions. If you find yourself disagreeing, then, by all means, do a better exegesis. I think that will be difficult.
Jonathan Brenneman has personally made a paradigm shift in his life and shares it with us. Will you? 'I Am Persuaded' is more than a fine Bible study, it is filled with real life stories which illustrate servant leadership. It is well written, fast paced, and provokes fresh thinking. I believe the reader and the church will be healthier when these principles are put into practice. Will you be persuaded? Will you undergo a paradigm shift? Read and find out. This is a good book and its message needs to be heard."
DR. STAN NEWTON Missionary in Bulgaria Author of "Glorious Kingdom" and "Glorious Covenant"
"This stuff is pure gold! It is potential dynamite to the status quo of church as we know it-exactly the church as we know it that Brenneman urges us to consider 'letting go' of in order to follow Jesus into Church as God desires it.I had personal experience in planting the Church in absolutely virgin soil in Outer Mongolia in the early 1990s. The entire story is in my book: 'There's a Sheep in my Bathtub: Birth of a Mongolian Church Planting Movement.' Our church planting team worked very hard to leave the 'heavy package' of Westernized institutional church at home and use the New Testament as a filter for practices we introduced among the Mongolians. We were largely successful and were led by the Spirit into a number of the concepts found within Brenneman's book. I would, however, have considered 'I Am Persuaded' an absolute treasure had it been available at the time."
BRIAN HOGAN Missionary and Church Planting Coach with YWAM Author, There's a Sheep in my Bathtub and An A to Z of Near-Death Adventures
Author Biography
Jonathan Brenneman was born in Rochester, New York and raised in Pennsylvania. Although a very troubled child, he was at the same time very religious. He read the Bible from cover to cover when he was seven years old, all the while questioning and wondering about the existence of God.
When Jonathan was nine years old, he woke up one morning with bad back pain. His mother prayed for him, and to his surprise, he felt something like a hot ball of energy rolling up and down inside his back, and the pain melted away. It was shocking to say the least, but it convinced him God did exist! He later told his friends, "I know that God is real. I felt his hand on my back."
In spite of this experience, Jonathan still had no peace. He prayed the "sinner's prayer" but with no change until two years later when he had a "born again" experience. It felt like heaven opened and unexplainable joy and peace descended upon him! He was different, and knew it! The things he had felt so guilty about that he tried unsuccessfully to change, were simply gone.
After this time, Jonathan dedicated his life to the Lord as a missionary, going on his first mission trip at age fourteen. As a teenager and young adult he continued to travel and learn languages. Then, in a time of desperation when he was twenty years old, Jonathan went to a Christian conference where the Lord touched and encouraged him. It was the start of a supernatural lifestyle and growing in spiritual gifts, during which time many amazing miracles and healings began to happen.
Jonathan worked in construction, but in between jobs he began to visit churches in the United States and Canada as well as in Latin America and Eastern Europe. Jonathan has encouraged the believers, shared testimonies, and spoken with unbelievers and prayed for them. He's also worked with children and seniors. Jonathan believes it's a wonderful and tremendous privilege to be able to serve the people for whom Jesus gave his life.
Jonathan is now a missionary in Rio de Janeiro Brazil with his wife Elizabeth, and daughter Rebekah. He loves people, enjoys being with them, and rejoices at seeing what the Holy Spirit does in their lives. He likes to minister in the role of teaching, laying hands on the sick, visiting the elderly, and working with children-always loving them so they in turn will learn to love others with the love of God.
