From counseling parishioners and visiting the sick to leading worship services and preaching sermons, pastors must become specialists in a variety of ministry duties. While seminaries can help with some of the training necessary to prepare these pastors, there’s only so much they can do. What then can a young pastor do to learn some of the skills necessary to be a faithful and fruitful minister? One thing he can do is read The Pastor’s Book, written by longtime pastor R. Kent Hughes with help from Douglas Sean O’Donnell, senior pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Elgin, Illinois.
Currently the professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and former pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, Kent Hughes provides a sound and accessible resource that pastors can use in their day-to-day ministry—especially during their early years (although veteran pastors can also benefit from the many suggestions and examples). As the subtitle suggests, this resource helps pastors gain a more comprehensive understanding of the main aspects of pastoral ministry and provides practical guidance in the wise application of them.
The book is divided into three main parts: “Christian Gatherings” (part 1), “Parts of the Worship Service” (part 2), and various “Ministerial Duties” (part 3). The book ends with an appendix with sample wedding services from diverse Protestant churches and a helpful bibliography for further reading.
In part 1, the authors cover specific topics: the weekly Sunday worship service, annual services such as Christmas and Easter, and occasional services such as weddings and funerals. Prior to providing sample services and liturgies, the authors begin by carefully presenting their foundational convictions on these aspects of pastoral ministry. They rightly argue that ministry and worship must be rooted in the trustworthy Scriptures and centered on the gospel. They also devote several sections to provide both the biblical and historic reasons why they endorse certain practices. These are helpful to the pastor seeking theological rationale for the unique elements and circumstances of the worship service.
In part 2, the authors discuss the important place of public prayers, historic creeds, hymns and songs, baptisms (both credo- and paedo-), and Communion found in the worship services. This reviewer is especially thankful for the section on infant baptism, as the book is primarily written from a free-church perspective (as opposed to Reformed/Presbyterian). While O’Donnell does not provide a full covenantal defense from the Old and New Testaments regarding infant baptism, he nonetheless provides a winsome and practical description of the main positions as well as some practical liturgies.
In the last section, much wisdom is dispensed regarding the two main “private” areas of pastoral ministry: counseling and hospital visitation. With decades of experience under their belts, these discerning pastors provide sage advice not only on the possible problems a pastor may encounter in counseling but also the potential pitfalls. Younger pastors will gain much from listening to and learning from these experienced men.
Although comprehensive in its scope, the book does not cover several important aspects of pastoral leadership in the church. While the authors recognize that they cannot cover every aspect of pastoral life and ministry, one wishes they were able to provide some wisdom on two often-neglected topics—namely, the pastor as leader and the pastor as peacemaker (several books on leading a pastoral staff and working with elders are listed in “Books for Further Reading”). Whether they want to or not, pastors are often called on to lead the church, sometimes providing and executing a long-term vision or staffing and managing employees and volunteers. Furthermore, the pastor is often the primary person involved in resolving the many conflicts that occur in the life of a church, from broken marriages to dysfunctional committees. It’s understandable, however, that some topics didn’t make the cut, since the book is already about six hundred pages long!
Finally, several other resources may be helpful to supplement what may be lacking in this otherwise helpful and practical book. For example, pastors serving in Reformed or Presbyterian churches may want to consult several other books on worship, starting with those by Hughes Oliphant Old. From his magisterial seven-volume series The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church to his eminently practical Leading in Prayer, Old provides many resources for pastors within this tradition. Other helpful resources include Worship by the Book edited by D. A. Carson and Leading in Worship by Terry Johnson.
All in all, Hughes and O’Donnell provide a comprehensive, clear, wise, and practical resource for busy pastors within various traditions. In spite of some minor caveats, this book will provide not only young pastors but also experienced ones with helpful categories and tools to navigate the many complex issues and challenges that are part and parcel of pastoral ministry.
Julius J. Kim is dean of students and professor of practical theology at Westminster Seminary Escondido in California.
