Rev. G. Jeffrey MacDonald, pastor and journalist, is the author of the new book “Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul.” This challenging book chronicles a significant shift within Christian culture. MacDonald suggest that a majority of American churches, in an effort to entertain and impress, have bought into a consumer culture that stands in direct contrast to the teachings of Christ.

MacDonald writes, “Faith has become a consumer commodity in America. People shop for congregations that make them feel comfortable rather than spiritually challenged… In 1955, only 4 percent of Americans had switched religious affiliation in their lifetime. By 1985, it was one in three. By 2008, the number had reached a whopping 44 percent…What does all this restlessness mean for spiritual development and character formation in America? …I’ve found that today’s religious marketplace obscures a basic truth: the Church isn’t a business.”

MacDonald will be the keynote speaker at the Massachusetts Council of Churches annual meeting on Saturday April 9, 2011 at Elms College in Chicopee, MA. Join Christians from across the commonwealth of Massachusetts to wrestle with these hard issues. For more information about the event and to register visit Mass Council’swebsite.

To preview more of Rev. MacDonald’s writing, see his most recent op-ed on reclaiming the disciplines of Lent in the Boston Globe:http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2011/03/13/why_lent_must_rise_again/