Portraits of a Pastor: The 9 Essential Roles of a Church Leader
Overview
As a pastor, do you feel like you’re wearing too many hats?
If you’re a pastor, you know the tension of balancing (or trying to) the many roles and expectations that come with leading a church. But are you able to distinguish which roles are truly essential? And can you measure how you’re fulfilling them?
Portraits of a Pastor features contributions from evangelical leaders like Jason Allen, Jared C. Wilson, Daniel L. Akin, and Owen D. Strachan on the essential roles and aspects of pastoral ministry. Together the book answers three important questions:
- What does it mean for the pastor to hold all nine roles?
- Why should the pastor fulfill these roles?
- How can the pastor most faithfully fulfill them?
A pastor must be a preacher, shepherd, missionary, evangelist, church historian, theologian, man of God, leader of his household, and leader of others—a tall order! After reading Portraits of a Pastor, you’ll:
- Have a clearer vision of the roles you should fulfill in the life of your congregation
- Be inspired to fulfill your calling by growing in new areas of leadership
- Know the unbiblical visions of pastoral leadership that may distract you from your core calling
It’s true: much is demanded of pastors. But it’s also true that too much is demanded of most pastors. Know what God has called you to, how to fulfill that calling, and what may be distracting you from it.
Key Features
- Examines 9 different aspects of pastoral ministry
- Provides Biblical references for each pastoral role
- Encourages pastors to examine the various aspects of their ministry and inspires them to grow in each
Contents
- Pastor as Shepherd
- Pastor as Husband and Father
- Pastor as Preacher
- Pastor as Theologian
- Pastor as Church Historian
- Pastor as Evangelist
- Pastor as Missionary
- Pastor as Leader
- Pastor as Man of God
Top Highlights
“ No man is a Bible-controlled man who fails to think deeply and often about what God has said.” (Page 174)
“Paul uses the word ‘outsider’ to describe unbelievers who are present in the worship gathering. He is making the case for our worship services to be intelligible, hospitable, and mindful of the unbelievers present, but his very use of the word ‘outsider’ tells us that the Lord’s-Day worship gathering is not meant to be primarily focused on the unbelieving visitor but on the believing saints gathered to exalt their King. In the attractional-church paradigm, this biblical understanding of the worship gathering is turned upside down. Consequently, mission and evangelism are actually inverted, because Christ’s command to the church to ‘Go and tell’ has been replaced by ‘Come and see.’” (Page 19)
“The task of the pastor-historian is not to reinvent the wheel, but to keep it spinning for new generations. It is better to be faithful than original. Originality, in fact, is usually the bedrock of heresy. Faithfulness is our ultimate aim—faithfulness in transmitting the victorious story of salvation and the ‘faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people’ (Jude 1:3 niv).” (Page 103)
“The church will never rise spiritually above the level of its leadership. A people will never become godlier than their pastor. The pastor is the pacesetter; that’s what it means to be an example.” (Page 169)
“First, if married, he must be a man who is devoted to his wife. Secondly, if a father, he must be a man who is committed to his children.” (Page 34)
Contributors
- Jason K. Allen
- Daniel L. Akin
- Jared C. Wilson
- Owen D. Strachan
- Christian T. George
- John Mark Yeats
- Jason G. Duesing
- Ronnie W. Floyd
- Donald S. Whitney
- Thom S. Rainer
Praise for the Print Edition
It is comforting and encouraging to find a book that takes pastoring seriously, that rightly prioritizes the character of the pastor, and that grounds the practice of pastoring in the words of Scripture. This is a wonderful book from Jason Allen, and his talented team of contributors, that will help equip the young pastor and encourage the established pastor.
—Micah Fries Pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church
Talk about a book that’s hard to put down; what pastor doesn’t want to be fully equipped? This book challenges, informs, and inspires.
—Johnny Hunt Pastor of Woodstock Baptist Church
The world at its worst needs the church at its best. Faithful churches require faithful pastors. Unfortunately, there are many who are confused about what the pastor is to be and do. Portraits of a Pastor paints a clear picture of the biblical role of the Christian pastor. Read this book!
—H.B. Charles Jr. Pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Tabernacle, Jacksonville, FL
Product Details
- Title: Portraits of a Pastor: The 9 Essential Roles of a Church Leader
- Editor: Jason K. Allen
- Publisher: Moody
- Publication Date: 2017
- Pages: 194
- Resource Type: Collected Essays
- Topic: Pastoral Theology
About Jason K. Allen
Dr. Jason Allen is the fifth and youngest president of Midwestern Baptist Seminary. He has served as pastor and interim pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Alabama and Kentucky over the past fifteen years. He currently serves the church more broadly through writing and preaching ministries, including his own website www.jasonkallen.com, where he writes on various topics including higher education, theology, preaching, and cultural and local church issues. He and his wife, Karen, have five children: Anne-Marie, Caroline, William, Alden, and Elizabeth.