Theology and Reading
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 52, No. 2 – Spring 2010
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Michael Todd Wilson and Brad Hoffman. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2007. 265 pages. Paperback, $16.00.
Can common ministry failures such as burnout, ineffectiveness, and moral failure be prevented? Can the factors and patterns that lead to such failures be predicted? Brad Hoffman, senior pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in Baytown, TX, and Michael Todd Wilson, a licensed professional counselor, have spent years working with pastors who have been removed from their areas of service because of such ministry failures. Based on their experiences of working with such pastors, Hoffman and Wilson believe that by becoming aware of some common potential danger areas in ministry and learning to avoid these pitfalls, ministers can become more effective in shepherding those under their supervision (9).
After years of working together with a Florida-based residential program that serves ministers who have been removed from ministry, Wilson and Hoffman discovered seven areas of consistent failures among these former ministers that had led to the ministers’ terminations (9):
- Lack of genuine intimacy in relationships with God, spouse, and others
- A distorted sense of calling
- Inadequate stress-management skills
- Lack of appropriate boundaries
- Failure to prioritize recreation
- Insufficient people skills, and
- Underdeveloped leadership skills
Based on these findings and a desire to develop a more proactive ministry to help those still serving in ministry positions, Wilson and Hoffman formed ShepherdCare to work with ministers to provide resources that would help them be more effective in long-term ministry positions. After extensive meetings with ministers at the CareGivers Forum in 2003, where many of the participants shared their stories of helping to restore ministers who had quit prematurely, become burned out, or experienced moral failure, Wilson and Hoffman were able to compile a “preventative self-care plan” for ministers to promote long-term effectiveness and prevent ministry failure (11).
This new proactive approach transformed the issues behind the seven problem areas into seven “foundation stones” for helping ministers to stay longer and be more effective in ministry (11). These seven foundation stones provide the framework for the chapters and general flow of the book and cover the following areas: intimacy, calling, stress management, boundaries, recreation, people skills, and leadership skills. The material is intended to be covered in a period of six months to one year, and it is organized to allow the reader to participate with a small group and accountability partner(s), or with a chosen mentor, ministry coach, or protégé (12).
Each respective chapter offers a definition of the foundational principle, consequences of not developing in this area, and practical steps to help ministers do their best to develop long-lasting and effective ministry as they develop these principles in their own lives and ministries. Each section ends with a series of diagnostic questions designed to allow the minister to take a critical look at his own life in regard to each specific potential problem area, and each chapter ends with a section entitled “Wrap Up,” which is intended to help the minister work toward his own specific personal self-care plan (63). A short group of appendices are also included, covering areas such as a feelings list, counseling resources, stress inventory, and a personal strength inventory, as well as a few ideas for balanced breathing exercises for relaxation.
Wilson and Hoffman’s purpose and thesis are very clear right from the beginning of the book: great ministers do not just happen; they are developed (9). Ministry failures can be prevented if ministers are willing to learn from the mistakes of those who have fallen before them (9). The workbook structure of Preventing Ministry Failure gives immediate credence to the idea that this book contains a process for long-term ministry effectiveness that must be integrated into the minister’s lifestyle if it is to have any lasting effect on the minister or his ministry. However, the overall perspective of Preventing Ministry Failure struggles at times to remain positive.
Preventing Ministry Failure is a very practical resource, written by ministers for ministers. Though some ideas and issues seem overly simplified, the overall content of the book is easily readable, practical, and feasible, especially in the areas of time management, intimacy, family involvement, and recreation. The book is very systematic in its approach, and it is fairly comprehensive. The diagnostic questions contained within each section and the “Wrap Up” section allow the minster to reflect and record a proactive plan for avoiding ministry pitfalls that cut short both the effectiveness and longevity of many ministers.
