Customer Reviews

Pastors in Transition: Why Clergy Leave Local Church Ministry (Pulpit and Pew)

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As a pastor in transition, I found this book somewhat helpful. It was good to hear other people's stories. The main thing I did not like about this book, however, is that it was pretty boring. While statistical information can be helpful, I found the analysis pretty dry. Personally, I learn a lot from anecdotes (and also find them more interesting to read!), so if you're looking for a good read, this is not it. But if you are a pastor in transition, it may be helpful for you. Also, the 5 denominations the authors looked at were: Assemblies of God, ELCA, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Presbyterian Church USA, and UMC. I am not in one of those 5 - I am UCC - so some of the information was relevant, but not all of it.

Pastors in Transition: Why Clergy Leave Local Church Ministry-is an excellent and accurate assessment of the prevailing pressures exerting itself on pastors in churches of all sizes and denominations here in the US. I work for a ministry that specializes in ministering to pastors and I have found that the data and narrative set forward in this book, accurately reflects what we hear first hand from the pastors who come through our ministry.

If you are looking for a book that was written with great care so as to reflect accurately the current state of pastors here in the United States, this is a book that you will want to read.

I am not too crazy about this book. Part of it might be that I am not the target readership. I thought I was when I ordered it.

Since the book was published by Eerdmans, I thought it would focus on the pastorate from a more conservative, evangelical angle. This book might be somewhat helpful if you are ELCA, PCUSA United Methodist (denominations not dominated by evangelicals ), or Assemblies of God or LCMS (the only two evangelical denomonimation given any significant attention, but denominatons not really in evangelicalism's theological center). If you are GARB, Evangelical Free, Baptist General Conference, CMA, nondenominational (which is what I am), or even SBC, it becomes more difficult to connect to this book. Even though the authors occasionally mention the SBC and more so, the Assemblies of God, it seems to me that they are not comfortable outside the mainlines....almost as though they tacked on these groups becasue they felt they must. I wonder if they really understand (or countenance) the more conservative groups or even know what to do with non-denominationals.

Although we are all human beings, I think this book is probably more relevant to pastors in these denominaitons and will probably be enjoyed by more seminary professors and denominational leaders than by pastors. A much, much better read for evangelical pastors who want clear cut direction is H.B. London's, "Pastors At Risk."