The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church (Timothy Witmer)

The Shepherd Leader

Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church

The Shepherd Leader is a book that strives to bring the importance of shepherding to the forefront of our thinking about what church leaders should do and, therefore, what they should be. Too many church leaders perceive of themselves as a “board of directors” when the Bible is clear that they are to know, feed, lead, and protect the flock entrusted to their care.

Endorsements

“We plan to use The Shepherd Leader as a primary resource for all of our candidates, interns, elders, and pastors—our shepherds and shepherds-in-training.” —Philip G. Ryken

“Tim Witmer’s book could not have come at a better time. So many are ‘slipping into the darkness’ and most of us don’t know what to do about it. Now we do! Churches all over America will ‘rise up an call him blessed.'” —Steve Brown

“For leaders who long to be faithful in the field, this book offers a wealth of theological and practical insight that will strengthen your hand.” —Dave Harvey

“Examines issues the church desperately needs to consider. We so deeply desire to organize and lead our churches by biblical principles, but can be confused or distracted by secular work or educational ones instead.” —Bryan Chapell

About the Author

Timothy Z. Witmer is professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He was made pastor emeritus at Crossroads Community Church, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, after serving there for more than twenty-five years.

Review from a Reader:

“The Shepherd Leader does an excellent job unpacking what God desires from men. Though this book is targeted at church leaders it is laymen friendly and would be profitable for husbands and fathers to read and consider how they view their responsibility to lead their family.

Today there are many men in the church who love a position, who love having influence, who love to preach and teach and train and at the same time fail to meet the standard of leadership modeled by Jesus. There are a lot of books that deal with the tools a leader needs yet few books deal with the heart a leader needs. The shepherd leader takes puts a proper emphasis on the heart of a leader as well as the role and responsibilities. Ministry is not simply preaching, administrating, having influence or holding a position those things are to be the overflow of a heart that is passionate about people. Elders are self-sacrificing men who lay down their lives and pour themselves out to care for the souls of the sheep.

I recommend this book to all who are in church leadership that it may sharpen their thinking and soften their hearts to conform to the heart of Jesus.” — Jason Valicott