William J. Carl III

Being pastor of a church is a difficult thing to describe or understand, complicated because the demands and expectations of a good minister can vary widely from congregation to congregation. As such, ministry is as much an art as a science, if not more, meaning that good practice stems from both theological study and practical experience.

If ministry is indeed an art, wise counsel from thoughtful and long-time practitioners can be particularly useful, so that each pastor is not forced to learn every lesson through hard-fought personal experience. This is the assumption of several recent books on ministry, including "Best Advice: Wisdom on Ministry from 30 Leading Pastors and Preachers," edited by William J. Carl III, president of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Gathering together noted pastors and seminary professors -- most of whom have previously served as pastors, as did Carl -- the book offers essays on ministry aimed at newer clergy serving congregations.

The subtitle reveals a particular focus of many of these essays on preaching. Perhaps this is to be expected of a book edited by someone who also serves as a preaching professor (or, indeed, of a Presbyterian educator, given the centrality accorded to preaching in the Presbyterian tradition). More likely, though, this is a recognition of the current state of ministry, where congregations hunger for good preaching and some pastors find preaching to be a weekly dread and almost all ministers find faithful preaching to be a continual challenge. (To be fair, this assessment is influenced by my own beliefs about the importance of preaching for effective ministry.)

By and large, the essays in this book offer great wisdom for approaching key aspects of preaching, including an attention throughout to the challenge of preaching regularly over a period of time. There is realistic advice on how to keep preaching when the well seems dry and also how the congregation should shape the sermons preached in that congregation over time. The most intriguing suggestion is offered by esteemed preacher Fred Craddock, who suggests that a minister should work to develop a "signature sermon," revolving around a particular passion, that is preached -- virtually unchanged -- once every year as a sort of anchoring vision for one's ministry and congregational leadership.

A few essays provide guidance on ministry more generally, with an eye towards faithfully and humbly shouldering what might be termed the "pastoral mantle." Despite the presence of much good advice, including a not-unexpected gem from Eugene Peterson, "Embracing the Church that God Gave Me," the essays fail to offer insights covering the breadth of congregational ministry beyond the pulpit.

This short-coming may disappoint those hungry for such comprehensive wisdom, but it is hardly a reason to dismiss this worthwhile book. Frankly, if a pastor were to ask me what one thing he or she should focus on first to improve their ministry, I would almost certainly suggest preaching, partially because of its visibility in the congregation, but more importantly because good preaching necessitates that the pastor come to know the people and the shared ministries in a congregation better, in order to apply the wisdom of the Bible to their lives. "Best Advice" provides solid counsel on how to do this and should be particularly helpful to those in the first years of their ministerial careers and those needing some encouragement in the time beyond.

This review is also published at: http://alongthispilgrimsjourney.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-best-advice-wis...… (mere)