The role of a pastor includes both carrying out the basic necessities of the Office of Holy Ministry and being present and engaged in one’s congregation. In his upcoming book, Pastoral Leadership: Shepherding and Caring for God’s People, Jamison J. Hardy explains how a well-rounded pastor must understand that in addition to the charge of the Office of Holy Ministry, he is also charged with being a present leader and an active participant in his congregation. Writing from more than twenty years of ministry experience, Hardy invites readers to learn more about how to be a phenomenal leader for their congregation.
“Being a leader is not separate from being a pastor,” writes Hardy. “In fact, being a pastoral leader is what God calls us to do when it comes to shepherding His flock and caring for His people. Pastoral care and leadership are not in competition with each other in the Office of the Holy Ministry. . . . There is no question in my mind that pastoral leadership begins and is dominated by preaching the Word of God, administering the Sacraments of Christ properly, and faithfully witnessing the message of Jesus Christ.”
Hardy will show readers how to think about the ways they currently lead as a pastor, and he will provide opportunity to take time to reflect. Insightful questions at the end of each chapter are presented to help identify with biblical figures, day-to-day life, personal pain, areas of growth, and goals for the future.
“Any pastor genuinely concerned for faithfulness in his calling will not only glean a deeper understanding of the fertile terms that define his vocation but will also discover insights that reveal the unique standing a pastor has as both undershepherd and sheep to the one true God, who has an intense burden of love for His flock,” says Rev. Christopher Thoma, senior pastor at Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in Hartland, Michigan.
Visit books.cph.org/pastoral-leadership for more information. Contact Erica Sontag to schedule an interview with the author.
Praise for Pastoral Leadership
There is a reason Jamison J. Hardy became a district bishop at an earlier age than most. His book Pastoral Leadership: Shepherding and Caring for God’s People is an accumulation of the relevant evidence. Any pastor genuinely concerned for faithfulness in his calling will not only glean a deeper understanding of the fertile terms that define his vocation but will also discover insights that reveal the unique standing a pastor has as both undershepherd and sheep to the one true God, who has an intense burden of love for His flock. This love leads through the valley to still waters that restore. But this isn’t just happening on Sunday morning. It extends into the parish’s daily life through humble but confident leadership. It happens during budget meetings. It happens during casual conversations. As it does, the centripetal nature of love for Christ is expressed through the centrifugal broadcasting of caring leadership’s unmistakable tones and tenor. If only to receive and then practice this insight inherent to Hardy’s book, the reader—and the ones served—will be blessed.
—Rev. Christopher I. Thoma, senior pastor, Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church and School, Hartland, Michigan; executive director of The Body of Christ and the Public Square Conference; author of Ten Ways to Kill a Pastor; The Cruciform Way, volumes 1 and 2; and The Angels’ Portion, volumes 1 through 4.
This book is a mature and winsome exploration of what life in the ministry looks like when God humbles His broken servants under spiritual attacks to sharpen them in the practice of faithful and effective spiritual care. Dr. Hardy draws powerful lessons from biblical narratives depicting leadership mishaps and blessings—and from his own pastoral ministry in the school of the Spirit we call the church. The author invites us on a journey to die to our inadequacies and overconfidence in leadership in order to be formed by God’s Word and Spirit as His Christlike servant leaders today. Highly recommended!
—Rev. Dr. Leopoldo A. Sánchez M., professor of systematic theology, director of the Center for Hispanic Studies, and Werner R. H. Krause professor of Hispanic ministries, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri
The most important aspect of Reverend Hardy’s insightful book is that he recognizes up front that pastors are leaders and, for them to be truly effective, must embrace and implement principles of leadership in their ministry. As a former parish pastor, student of leadership, and district president, Reverend Hardy provides a unique perspective as to how leadership principles are at the forefront of one’s pastoral vocation. He expertly describes how a pastor who embraces his role as a leader will have a more significant impact on his congregants and community than those who do not. Pastoral Leadership provides a wealth of techniques and strategies for pastors and their lay leaders to wrestle with and learn from. I highly recommend this book to all pastors, seminarians, congregational lay leaders, and those prayerfully discerning whether the Office of Ministry is their calling.
—Kurt Senske, author of The CEO and the Board: The Art of Nonprofit Governance as a Competitive Advantage
About the Author
Rev. Dr. Jamison J. Hardy is president of the English District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He has a master of public administration in leadership and management, as well as a doctorate of business administration in leadership and finance. His pastoral leadership has been molded by numerous experiences, including service as an elected member of his local school board, assisting in the merger of two congregations, and serving on the board of directors as secretary for Lutheran Federal Credit Union.
