How to Empty a Church: The Manual

“I love this book! All pastors, especially rookies, should read it. It is a delightful, tongue-in-cheek memoir of Pastor John’s wild, crazy, and wonderfully fruitful ministry in York, Pennsylvania. Swimming against the flow of the best ‘church growth’ advice of the day, he was a pastor that prioritized ministry over money, people over programs, racial diversity over popularity, service over celebrity, and relationships over numbers. Following his life and ministry for over forty years, I have witnessed his passion to remain faithful to Jesus and the Holy Scriptures.”


—Joseph Beach, pastor, Amazing Grace Church, Englewood, Colorado, and author of Ordinary Church: A Long and Loving Look





“This book is a must-read for all theology students, aspiring pastors, church planters, newly assigned pastors, elders, deacons, and tenured pastors. I came to Christ through John Oldfield’s ministry, my family and I were involved with Yorktowne Chapel for twenty-some years. . . . I experienced much of the history Pastor John recounts and truly admired him for the ways he handled the situations he faced. Reading the content has rekindled countless memories, provoking both laughter and tears.”


—Eric Garton, retired executive, Eastern Alliance Insurance Group, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and former instructor, Penn State York





“I started attending Yorktowne Chapel’s services as a teenager influenced by the Jesus Movement and found them open to the miraculous work of God’s Spirit, yet thoroughly anchored in God’s word. My parents’ interest was piqued, so they visited and soon became active members. As a pastor, I found this book filled with examples for honest self-reflection. Reading it, I felt nostalgia, empathy with John and Dagmar, and gratitude to God for enabling them to persevere through all the ups and downs.”


—Todd Witmer, senior pastor, Christ’s American Baptist Church, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania