A friend graciously gifted me “Faithful Leaders” by Rico Tice, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Here are 5 reasons those in ministry should add it to their reading list.
1. It’s short.
This isn’t the most spiritual of reasons, but it’s a very practical one. The Lord has hedged me in on every side with blessings that bring responsibility, and time – not to mention brain power – is in too short supply to read a magnum opus. I know most of my friends in ministry face similar constraints. At just over 100 pages, Faithful Leaders took less than a week to finish.
2. It’s pithy.
Short doesn’t have to mean shallow. The Proverbs pack a punch, and so does Faithful Leaders. If you’ve been properly mentored, you won’t find a lot of new concepts here. But you will find potent truth expressed in axioms and adorned with personal experience. The formula works because its biblical as well as authentic.
3. It’s biblical.
I know, I know! This should have been first, right? But you shouldn’t expect me to recommend a book that isn’t biblical. You won’t find ministry hacks in Faithful Leaders. Tice heads straight to the heart of a pastor’s great responsibility before God. If you want to know how to double the size of your congregation in three easy steps, this is not the book for you. If you want to be ready to give an account of your ministry to God, then this book will point you in the right direction.
4. It’s Personal.
While holding pastors to a high standard, Tice also speaks from the humility of personal experience. I never felt beat down as though someone were telling me to just “Pastor Better!”. Instead, I felt encouraged by a brother in Christ who well knew his own fleshly infirmities. This is neither a diatribe nor a textbook, but a brotherly exhortation.
5. These quotes. Just to wet your appetite.
To explain simply, you have to understand very deeply.
Page 22
Find a fallen pastor and you will usually find a pastor who simply did not let God speak into one area of his life – and that is one area too many.
Page 51
Resentment is the child of envy, and envy is how idolatry feels.
Page 65
That’s the cycle: sin, grace, joy, service. You can’t short-circuit that without getting into problems.
Page 67
Conclusion
I think all pastors should periodically read something that reminds us of our calling, of our Savior, of our Gospel, and of our reward. Faithful Leaders is a great choice.
Nathan Writes 