Character Forged from Conflict: Staying Connected to God During Controversy (Pastor's Soul) [Hardcover]

Gary D. Preston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999 | Series: Pastor's Soul (Book 6)

Conquer the Pitfalls of Controversy

From THE PASTOR'S SOUL SERIES

One of God's most effective tools for shaping your character as a pastor or church leader are the hardships and difficult times you experience through controversy in the church. Though it is not easy to hear, ministry will get tough. That is a reality that is important for you both to understand and to overcome.

In Character Forged From Conflict, author Gary Preston explores how the church though still the Bride of Christ can sometimes seem to steal what's most precious to you: your desire to serve God and people. Using scripture and illustrative stories, Preston addresses the key issues for recognizing, avoiding, or appropriately handling conflict including:

Reaching out to those who may be in opposition to you Preaching through controversy Resisting the urge to strike back Meeting the important needs of your own family

Character Forged From Conflict, like the other books in THE PASTOR'S SOUL SERIES, will prove itself a valuable resource for you. Developed in partnership with Leadership, each book addresses key issues and needs of the modern church.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Preston, through more than two decades in ministry including work both here and overseas has both seen and been a part of a wide variety of churches. Having completed his undergraduate work at Westmont College and his Master's of Divinity at Denver Seminary, he spent time in Europe as a missionary working in both Naples, Italy and Vienna, Austria. During his service in Naples, he met and married his wife, Suzanne, and they moved to Vienna where Preston pastored the International Chapel of Vienna for six years.

His numerous and varied experiences have provided a deep well of inspiration and that provide practical and practiced advice in his new book for THE PASTOR'S SOUL series. A witness to miraculous times as well as moments of struggle and suffering, Preston is dedicated to sharing his own triumphs and missteps in the hope that others may learn without having to undergo the difficulties that form the basis of his book.

The main catalyst for his writing of Character Forged From Conflict was a forced resignation from a pastorate here in the United States. Drawing on the lessons learned from those difficult times, Preston allows today's pastors to look over his shoulder as he explores the foundational truths that can be learned through times of suffering. His own experience taught him that few people in ministry are adequately prepared to deal with conflict properly and his hope is that by sharing his own experiences he may help others before their own controversial situations become critical.

The ultimate promise though is that in seeking God a church which is able to manage conflict will grow strong and unified. It is his desire that pastors find the peace and presence of God amid all the various experiences of ministry.

Currently, Preston is serving as Senior Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Boulder, Colorado. He previously was pastor of Mountain Christian Fellowship in Golden, Colorado, and a staff pastor at Bear Valley Fellowship in Denver. His free time is spent with his family wife, Suzanne and two teenage sons exploring and adventuring in the Colorado wilderness.

David L. Goetz is editor of LEADERSHIP Resources, a division of LEADERSHIP (a publication of Christianity Today, Inc.), the most respected journal in America for pastors and church leaders. size : 5.6 x 8.5

Product Details

• Hardcover: 172 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556619731
• ISBN-13: 978-1556619731
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,720,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Help from one down the path a few more steps, May 4, 2000

By 

Jay Abernathy ""Lion's Hope"" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Character Forged from Conflict: Staying Connected to God During Controversy (Pastor's Soul) (Hardcover)

My first question was, "Did he bug my office and spy on me for year to get the material for this book?" Serving in a rural area, it is easy to feel as if you are alone in pastoral leadership. Especially when it comes to conflict. After all, you are the new one in town. Gary Preston shares his personal experience (failures and successes) in a brotherly way that is helpful, not condescending. Specific anecdotes and ideas for living in conflict and loving in conflict are much better than just a list on how to deal with conflict. The author addresses two much needed areas: family balance and preaching during controversy. I find these (as did he)difficult but necessary mountains to scale in ministry.

Good job, Gary.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Help from one down the road a few steps, May 4, 2000

By 

Jay Abernathy ""Lion's Hope"" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Character Forged from Conflict: Staying Connected to God During Controversy (Pastor's Soul) (Hardcover)

My first question was, "Did he bug my office and spy on me for year to get the material for this book?" Serving in a rural area, it is easy to feel as if you are alone in pastoral leadership. Especially when it comes to conflict. After all, you are the new one in town. Gary Preston shares his personal experience (failures and successes) in a brotherly way that is helpful, not condescending. Specific anecdotes and ideas for living in conflict and loving in conflict are much better than just a list on how to deal with conflict. The author addresses two much needed areas: family balance and preaching during controversy. I find these (as did he)difficult but necessary mountains to scale in ministry.

Good job, Gary.