I received "The Search Committee" by Tim Owens for free from Tyndale Media Center. This novel is about a church in North Carolina that is searching for a pastor. Theirs has gone on to the "big time" and they now have a temp. The group is 7 people who are supposed to represent the congregation in age, sex, and relationship status. They travel every week to different churches that the minister is interested in the job to see him (or in one case, her) in action. During this period, the author leads us to get to know the members of the search committee and the temporary minister on a personal level.
This is a really good book and a think piece. I kept thinking through out the book, "how well do I really know my fellow congregation?" I don't really. I don't know what they have nightmares about, I don't know who has a crush on who, I don't know who was abused by their father's as children, I don't know who is abusing their children now. The characters are portrayed as real church members. Goody-goody, holier-than-thou while at church (admit it, we all do that), but at home they are broken, nervous, funny, sad, dependable, not dependable, stupid, smart, regular people. This novel also shares some of the sermons that the search committee hears while on the road. I like this one. It is Tim Owens' first novel and I hope he writes more.
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