Jennifer Adams-Massmann

Northern Lights

Church Leadership & Ministry

“In Northern Lights, Byassee brings together the investigative skills of a journalist, the storytelling craft of a preacher, and the intellect of a scholar to paint a compelling portrait of Christian mission for the twenty-first century. With humor and honesty, Byassee explores how a diverse set of communities in northern England works at the center and the edges of society inspired by the Spirit, distilling insights for churches in North America and elsewhere. The book pulses with a colorful cast of characters brought to life—from the formidable former Archbishop of York to a tattooed barber who accidentally started a church to the down and out. Above all, Byassee brings the freshness of an outsider who refuses to take sides, listening to a diversity of voices and shining light on the raw energy, diversity, and innovation he encounters. This is a book I wish I had read years ago, crackling with insight not only into the English church, but asking bigger questions about what the church’s mission might look like as a community of communities inviting people into God’s work of making all things new. I can highly recommend it for anyone interested in the future of the church.”