New York's Best Church

OK--got your attention. I actually don't think Redeemer Presbyterian (PCA) is New York's "best" church. I wouldn't even know what that means.

But Redeemer does do two things that kill all of my hard-working, diligent pastor friends in New York: 1) it draws tons of 20/30-something Manhattanites and 2) it gets lots of press from a New York media that wouldn't bat an eye if I preached naked every week. Per the latter, see this week's New York Magazine piece. Good piece. Covers lots of ground. No surprising sex scandals to report; not a hagiography of Keller, nor is it a hatchet job, accusing Redeemer of being gay-hating or woman-loathing (which, sadly, the Presbyterian Church of America's policies are...).

I've been to Redeemer a couple of times when I was a student at Union. I have a good number of friends who go or have gone. It's one of the great success stories in church planting and I have a lot of respect for what they've accomplished.

Here, in my opinion, is why they've done well:

1) A major financial and spiritual investment from the start (late 80s) from evangelicals desperate for a foothold in NYC
2) Great roots and connections to "feeder" institutions like Campus Crusade have funneled young people there for years
3) Low liturgy, decent contemporary music (not a "churchy" church)
4) Just counter-cultural enough to hold people looking for something different out of life (wow! Jesus does ask you to distinguish yourself from the prevailing culture just a bit; the article talks about this)
5) Small groups for people seeking community and depth
6) Keller's smart enough for NYC; very professorial, extremely well read and literate; not charismatic--a logician
7) New church development process gives it an edgy, entrepreneurial feel ("we're doing somethign new"--which New Yorkers fetishize)

The thing people miss about Redeemer is that they see it and think that the 4000 people every week came out of nowhere. The church is 25 years in the making. It was conceived, designed, executed, and financed so as to succeed in New York City.

It's not a miracle or a mystery. Nice planning and execution, coupled with dogged persistence and probably no small amount of prayer. Every church should be built on such a firm foundation.

BTW... my church is still New York's best--and that's even with me preaching with my clothes on!