Tom Nelson, The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership. IVP, 2021. 248 pages.
Tom Nelson’s book The Flourishing Pastor is a helpful diagnostic tool for church leaders. It’s like a thorough examination at a doctor’s office; it’s good for you, but it may also make you uncomfortable at times and reveal some trouble spots. However, in the end, it delivers some helpful advice for thriving in pastoral ministry.
Nelson builds his case for pastors as shepherd leaders from the Psalms, especially Psalm 78:72, “He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands.” The first two parts of the book, The Shepherd and Integrity of Heart, deal with the internal/unseen life of the pastor. The third and final part of the book, Skillful Hands, is about the public ministry of pastors.
SUMMARY
In part one, Nelson deals with what he calls a calling in crisis. He writes with urgency, warning church leaders of the “great perils” and “painful ironies” of pastoral ministry. Some of the perils that Nelson mentions are celebrity pastor culture, the visionary leadership model, and lone ranger pastors. He is careful to show that leaders in any context and any
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