Church Review - Church of the Apostles

Church name:  Church of the Apostles
Meeting place:  3585 Northside Parkway, Atlanta
Denomination:  Anglican
Worship Style:  Contemporary (piano led with several vocalist leads, backing vocals, band, and horns)
Dress:  Varies, with suits for the older and more wealthy and jeans for younger parents
Demographics:  Mostly white, almost completely upper middle class
Service times:  9:00 and 10:30


Dr. Michael Youssef is very well known and respected in evangelical circles.  And the history of Apostles is impressive.  It has grown from a small home church into a near-meagachurch with worldwide ministries.


While not quite as large as some churches in this city, the best way to describe this church is "big."  The music is big with every instrument imaginable.  Unfortunately the music is somewhat stuck in the late 1980's, complete with vocalists with hand-held mics and saxaphone.  Everyone on stage wears a suit (or similar for the ladies).  Of course, all of the music is played perfectly, and one of the vocalists had a studio-worthy voice.  For those who enjoy the music the best place to sit is in the center in front of the balcony.  Sitting under the balcony changes the acoustics for the worse.

Dr. Youssef is a dynamic speaker who comes from the older styled "preachy" preacher.  What surprised me as someone who has visited before is how much he resembles some charismatic preachers.  If it were ever possible to have an Anglican church that speaks in tongues, it would be Apostles.

Apostles offers nearly every program one could want, and there are numerous adult education (no one calls them Sunday Schools anymore) options.  It is a very well run church.

Perhaps the strangest part of our visit to Apostles was how I reacted.  I think this is more of a reflection on me than the church, but I bristled throughout almost the entire service.  After 15 years as a Presbyterian, I am not comfortable with the Charismatic movement, and I have become accustomed to discussions of how The Gospel impacts our lives today instead of what it means for the saving of our souls.  I know a lot of my friends love this church, and I am glad for them, but I have no intentions of going back anytime soon.  Besides, I prefer to go to church barefooted, and that would look strange when wearing a three piece suit.