Good Pastors, Bad Pastors

Good Pastors, Bad Pastors

Author: Dela Quampah

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2014-08-20

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 162564051X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The emergence of Pentecostalism in Ghana has attracted a massive following and generated institutions that have significantly impacted Christian discourse and national life. The movement has produced prominent leaders who have developed exemplary Christian education programs and generated volumes of Christian literature unprecedented in Ghanaian Christianity. Nevertheless, public opinion often upbraids church leaders for unethical conduct. Despite the concern for high moral standards set by Pentecostal church polity and ministerial ethical codes, reports of Pentecostal ministerial misconduct appear regularly in the media. Although congregation members and perceptive public observers appreciate the constructive moral impact of Pentecostal ministers, instances of promiscuity, power abuse, financial misappropriation, and superstition reveal a gap between ethical ideals and practice. As this research reveals, factors behind unethical ministerial conduct include inadequate training, poor accountability, and a general low level of ethical reflection. Good Pastors, Bad Pastors suggests that a multidimensional approach of responsible reportage, emphatic moral education, appropriate but sympathetic response to moral failure, and peer-review accountability could help uphold a higher standard of ministerial ethics.


Book Synopsis Good Pastors, Bad Pastors by : Dela Quampah

Download or read book Good Pastors, Bad Pastors written by Dela Quampah and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2014-08-20 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The emergence of Pentecostalism in Ghana has attracted a massive following and generated institutions that have significantly impacted Christian discourse and national life. The movement has produced prominent leaders who have developed exemplary Christian education programs and generated volumes of Christian literature unprecedented in Ghanaian Christianity. Nevertheless, public opinion often upbraids church leaders for unethical conduct. Despite the concern for high moral standards set by Pentecostal church polity and ministerial ethical codes, reports of Pentecostal ministerial misconduct appear regularly in the media. Although congregation members and perceptive public observers appreciate the constructive moral impact of Pentecostal ministers, instances of promiscuity, power abuse, financial misappropriation, and superstition reveal a gap between ethical ideals and practice. As this research reveals, factors behind unethical ministerial conduct include inadequate training, poor accountability, and a general low level of ethical reflection. Good Pastors, Bad Pastors suggests that a multidimensional approach of responsible reportage, emphatic moral education, appropriate but sympathetic response to moral failure, and peer-review accountability could help uphold a higher standard of ministerial ethics.

Bad Pastors

Bad Pastors

Author: Anson D. Shupe

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2000-08

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 0814781470

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Child-molesting priests, embezzled church treasures, philandering ministers and rabbis, even church-endorsed pyramid schemes that defraud gullible parishioners of millions of dollars: for the past decade, clergy misconduct has seemed continually to be in the news. Is there something about religious organizations that fosters such misbehavior? Bad Pastors presents a range of new perspectives and solidly grounded data on pastoral abuse, investigating sexual misconduct, financial improprieties, and political and personal abuse of authority. Rather than focusing on individuals who misbehave, the volume investigates whether the foundation for clergy malfeasance is inherent in religious organizations themselves, stemming from hierarchies of power in which trusted leaders have the ability to define reality, control behavior, and even offer or withhold the promise of immortality. Arguing that such phenomena arise out of organizational structures, the contributors do not focus on one particular religion, but rather treat these incidents from an interfaith perspective. Bad Pastors moves beyond individual case studies to consider a broad range of issues surrounding clergy misconduct, from violence against women to the role of charisma and abuse of power in new religious movements. Highlighting similarities between other forms of abuse, such as domestic violence, the volume helps us to conceptualize and understand clergy misconduct in new ways.


Book Synopsis Bad Pastors by : Anson D. Shupe

Download or read book Bad Pastors written by Anson D. Shupe and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2000-08 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Child-molesting priests, embezzled church treasures, philandering ministers and rabbis, even church-endorsed pyramid schemes that defraud gullible parishioners of millions of dollars: for the past decade, clergy misconduct has seemed continually to be in the news. Is there something about religious organizations that fosters such misbehavior? Bad Pastors presents a range of new perspectives and solidly grounded data on pastoral abuse, investigating sexual misconduct, financial improprieties, and political and personal abuse of authority. Rather than focusing on individuals who misbehave, the volume investigates whether the foundation for clergy malfeasance is inherent in religious organizations themselves, stemming from hierarchies of power in which trusted leaders have the ability to define reality, control behavior, and even offer or withhold the promise of immortality. Arguing that such phenomena arise out of organizational structures, the contributors do not focus on one particular religion, but rather treat these incidents from an interfaith perspective. Bad Pastors moves beyond individual case studies to consider a broad range of issues surrounding clergy misconduct, from violence against women to the role of charisma and abuse of power in new religious movements. Highlighting similarities between other forms of abuse, such as domestic violence, the volume helps us to conceptualize and understand clergy misconduct in new ways.

Pastors in the Classics

Pastors in the Classics

Author: Leland Ryken

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2012-01-01

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1441235884

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Throughout the history of English literature, church ministers have figured prominently in novels, plays, morality tales, and even poetry. Pastors in the Classics is a unique, unprecedented collection of relevant literary masterpieces in which the pastor's experience is a major part of the story. Part 1 is a reader's guide to twelve important classics written over four centuries and covering seven different nationalities. Each chapter not only describes and interprets the work in question, it also highlights a specific feature of pastoral ministry explored in the work. Part 2 is a handbook that defines the canon of literary masterpieces that deal with the pastor's experience, offering reading suggestions for both ministers and lovers of literature. From the familiar (The Canterbury Tales; Cry, the Beloved Country; and The Scarlet Letter) to the lesser-known (Silence, Witch Wood) to the surprising (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man), this collection uncovers the good, the bad, and the ugly ways in which pastors have been presented to the reading public for the past half millennium.


Book Synopsis Pastors in the Classics by : Leland Ryken

Download or read book Pastors in the Classics written by Leland Ryken and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the history of English literature, church ministers have figured prominently in novels, plays, morality tales, and even poetry. Pastors in the Classics is a unique, unprecedented collection of relevant literary masterpieces in which the pastor's experience is a major part of the story. Part 1 is a reader's guide to twelve important classics written over four centuries and covering seven different nationalities. Each chapter not only describes and interprets the work in question, it also highlights a specific feature of pastoral ministry explored in the work. Part 2 is a handbook that defines the canon of literary masterpieces that deal with the pastor's experience, offering reading suggestions for both ministers and lovers of literature. From the familiar (The Canterbury Tales; Cry, the Beloved Country; and The Scarlet Letter) to the lesser-known (Silence, Witch Wood) to the surprising (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man), this collection uncovers the good, the bad, and the ugly ways in which pastors have been presented to the reading public for the past half millennium.

Calvin's Company of Pastors

Calvin's Company of Pastors

Author: Scott M. Manetsch

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 445

ISBN-13: 0190224479

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In Calvin's Company of Pastors, Scott Manetsch examines the pastoral theology and practical ministry activities of Geneva's reformed ministers from the time of Calvin's arrival in Geneva until the beginning of the seventeenth century. During these seven decades, more than 130 men were enrolled in Geneva's Venerable Company of Pastors (as it was called), including notable reformed leaders such as Pierre Viret, Theodore Beza, Simon Goulart, Lambert Daneau, and Jean Diodati. Aside from these better-known epigones, Geneva's pastors from this period remain hidden from view, cloaked in Calvin's long shadow, even though they played a strategic role in preserving and reshaping Calvin's pastoral legacy. Making extensive use of archival materials, published sermons, catechisms, prayer books, personal correspondence, and theological writings, Manetsch offers an engaging and vivid portrait of pastoral life in sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century Geneva, exploring the manner in which Geneva's ministers conceived of their pastoral office and performed their daily responsibilities of preaching, public worship, moral discipline, catechesis, administering the sacraments, and pastoral care. Manetsch demonstrates that Calvin and his colleagues were much more than ivory tower theologians or "quasi-agents of the state," concerned primarily with dispensing theological information to their congregations or enforcing magisterial authority. Rather, they saw themselves as spiritual shepherds of Christ's Church, and this self-understanding shaped to a significant degree their daily work as pastors and preachers.


Book Synopsis Calvin's Company of Pastors by : Scott M. Manetsch

Download or read book Calvin's Company of Pastors written by Scott M. Manetsch and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 445 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Calvin's Company of Pastors, Scott Manetsch examines the pastoral theology and practical ministry activities of Geneva's reformed ministers from the time of Calvin's arrival in Geneva until the beginning of the seventeenth century. During these seven decades, more than 130 men were enrolled in Geneva's Venerable Company of Pastors (as it was called), including notable reformed leaders such as Pierre Viret, Theodore Beza, Simon Goulart, Lambert Daneau, and Jean Diodati. Aside from these better-known epigones, Geneva's pastors from this period remain hidden from view, cloaked in Calvin's long shadow, even though they played a strategic role in preserving and reshaping Calvin's pastoral legacy. Making extensive use of archival materials, published sermons, catechisms, prayer books, personal correspondence, and theological writings, Manetsch offers an engaging and vivid portrait of pastoral life in sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century Geneva, exploring the manner in which Geneva's ministers conceived of their pastoral office and performed their daily responsibilities of preaching, public worship, moral discipline, catechesis, administering the sacraments, and pastoral care. Manetsch demonstrates that Calvin and his colleagues were much more than ivory tower theologians or "quasi-agents of the state," concerned primarily with dispensing theological information to their congregations or enforcing magisterial authority. Rather, they saw themselves as spiritual shepherds of Christ's Church, and this self-understanding shaped to a significant degree their daily work as pastors and preachers.

Shameless

Shameless

Author: Steve Geyer

Publisher: Word Alive Press

Published: 2016-01-27

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1486612911

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Are you plagued with memories of past failures? Do you ever feel like everything that goes badly is your fault? Do words like worthless and unacceptable describe how you feel about yourself? You’re not alone. Millions of people struggle with these same thoughts, including people who might surprise you. These thoughts and feelings cause people to put on a variety of masks to cover up the dark and hidden places inside that they are terrified others may see. This book seeks to shed light on shame—the shadowy force that has controlled people’s thoughts, actions, and lives for centuries. Comedian and pastor Steve Geyer will take you on a personal and poignant journey as he peels back his own mask and shares insights, life lessons, and a few well-timed laughs along the way. Reading Shameless will help you reader feel the weight of shame less and less. “Steve, I’m sitting in a questionable carwash in a less than desirable neighborhood and reading your book for the third time. The ‘ugly cry’ that happened with the first two readings has surfaced again and is scaring my fellow patrons. Thank you for your candor and transparency.” —Cameron Winton, Pastor of Discipleship Woodlawn United Methodist Church, Panama City, FL


Book Synopsis Shameless by : Steve Geyer

Download or read book Shameless written by Steve Geyer and published by Word Alive Press. This book was released on 2016-01-27 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you plagued with memories of past failures? Do you ever feel like everything that goes badly is your fault? Do words like worthless and unacceptable describe how you feel about yourself? You’re not alone. Millions of people struggle with these same thoughts, including people who might surprise you. These thoughts and feelings cause people to put on a variety of masks to cover up the dark and hidden places inside that they are terrified others may see. This book seeks to shed light on shame—the shadowy force that has controlled people’s thoughts, actions, and lives for centuries. Comedian and pastor Steve Geyer will take you on a personal and poignant journey as he peels back his own mask and shares insights, life lessons, and a few well-timed laughs along the way. Reading Shameless will help you reader feel the weight of shame less and less. “Steve, I’m sitting in a questionable carwash in a less than desirable neighborhood and reading your book for the third time. The ‘ugly cry’ that happened with the first two readings has surfaced again and is scaring my fellow patrons. Thank you for your candor and transparency.” —Cameron Winton, Pastor of Discipleship Woodlawn United Methodist Church, Panama City, FL

The Pastor's Family

The Pastor's Family

Author: Brian Croft

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2013-08-20

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 0310495105

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Pastoral ministry is more challenging than ever with unique, complicated burdens and expectations some have not experienced in previous generations. Because of this, the number of pastors who start with a great zeal for the work, quickly crash and burn and are left with a battered faith and family. This book seeks to identify those unique challenges, diagnose the problem, propose a biblical solution, and then guide the pastor and his family to embrace these challenges while shepherding the family through them.


Book Synopsis The Pastor's Family by : Brian Croft

Download or read book The Pastor's Family written by Brian Croft and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2013-08-20 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastoral ministry is more challenging than ever with unique, complicated burdens and expectations some have not experienced in previous generations. Because of this, the number of pastors who start with a great zeal for the work, quickly crash and burn and are left with a battered faith and family. This book seeks to identify those unique challenges, diagnose the problem, propose a biblical solution, and then guide the pastor and his family to embrace these challenges while shepherding the family through them.

Pastors Are People Too

Pastors Are People Too

Author: Jimmy Dodd

Publisher: David C Cook

Published: 2016-05-01

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1434710092

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What are your top twenty expectations for your pastor? Now multiply your list by the number of people who attend church with you. Is it any wonder pastors are overwhelmed and underappreciated? They’re expected to know every member by name, preach a “home run sermon” every Sunday, condemn sin without hurting anyone’s feelings, and be available to serve others 24/7 while not neglecting their own family. The intensity of these expectations and lack of appreciation can and does bring the majority of pastors to a place of despair and ultimately departure from pastoral ministry. This practical field guide offers tangible ways to better understand and care for the pastor who cares so deeply about you.


Book Synopsis Pastors Are People Too by : Jimmy Dodd

Download or read book Pastors Are People Too written by Jimmy Dodd and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2016-05-01 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What are your top twenty expectations for your pastor? Now multiply your list by the number of people who attend church with you. Is it any wonder pastors are overwhelmed and underappreciated? They’re expected to know every member by name, preach a “home run sermon” every Sunday, condemn sin without hurting anyone’s feelings, and be available to serve others 24/7 while not neglecting their own family. The intensity of these expectations and lack of appreciation can and does bring the majority of pastors to a place of despair and ultimately departure from pastoral ministry. This practical field guide offers tangible ways to better understand and care for the pastor who cares so deeply about you.

Rich Wounds

Rich Wounds

Author: David Mathis

Publisher: The Good Book Company

Published: 2022-02-01

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 1784986887

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Profound reflections on the cross that help you to meditate on and marvel at the sacrificial love of Jesus. This book can be used as a devotional, especially during Lent and Easter. These profound reflections on the cross from David Mathis, author of The Christmas We Didn’t Expect, will help you to meditate on and marvel at Jesus’ life, sacrificial death, and spectacular resurrection-enabling you to treasure anew who Jesus is and what he has done. Many of us are so familiar with the Easter story that it becomes easy to miss subtle details and difficult to really enjoy its meaning. This book will help you to pause and marvel at Jesus, whose now-glorified wounds are a sign of his unfailing love and the decisive victory that he has won: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) This book can be used as a devotional. The chapters on Holy Week make it especially helpful during the Lent season and at Easter.


Book Synopsis Rich Wounds by : David Mathis

Download or read book Rich Wounds written by David Mathis and published by The Good Book Company. This book was released on 2022-02-01 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Profound reflections on the cross that help you to meditate on and marvel at the sacrificial love of Jesus. This book can be used as a devotional, especially during Lent and Easter. These profound reflections on the cross from David Mathis, author of The Christmas We Didn’t Expect, will help you to meditate on and marvel at Jesus’ life, sacrificial death, and spectacular resurrection-enabling you to treasure anew who Jesus is and what he has done. Many of us are so familiar with the Easter story that it becomes easy to miss subtle details and difficult to really enjoy its meaning. This book will help you to pause and marvel at Jesus, whose now-glorified wounds are a sign of his unfailing love and the decisive victory that he has won: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) This book can be used as a devotional. The chapters on Holy Week make it especially helpful during the Lent season and at Easter.

Now That I'm a Christian

Now That I'm a Christian

Author: C. Michael Patton

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2014-02-28

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1433538075

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

How do we help our friends who have just become Christians or are young in the faith? In this concise and accessible book, Mike Patton unpacks the basics of the Christian faith, helping new believers think rightly about God and live fully for God as they begin their new life in Christ. In ten easy-to-read chapters, Patton introduces readers to the foundational teachings and life-giving practices of Christianity—from the doctrine of the Trinity to reading and understanding the Bible. Designed for individual use or small group discussion, this handbook on the Christian faith has the potential to become the go-to guide for new believers wanting to follow Jesus with their heads and their hands.


Book Synopsis Now That I'm a Christian by : C. Michael Patton

Download or read book Now That I'm a Christian written by C. Michael Patton and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2014-02-28 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we help our friends who have just become Christians or are young in the faith? In this concise and accessible book, Mike Patton unpacks the basics of the Christian faith, helping new believers think rightly about God and live fully for God as they begin their new life in Christ. In ten easy-to-read chapters, Patton introduces readers to the foundational teachings and life-giving practices of Christianity—from the doctrine of the Trinity to reading and understanding the Bible. Designed for individual use or small group discussion, this handbook on the Christian faith has the potential to become the go-to guide for new believers wanting to follow Jesus with their heads and their hands.

When Bad Churches Happen to Good Pastors

When Bad Churches Happen to Good Pastors

Author: David Frisbie

Publisher: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780834133600

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Why do so many pastors leave ministry?The average pastor stays at a church for only three and a half years.Studies show a pastor's most effective ministry begins after five to seven years at a church.We have a disconnect. How can our churches grow when our leaders are leaving before their ministries can bear fruit?In When Bad Churches Happen to Good Pastors, David and Lisa Frisbie address these and other thought-provoking issues relating to clergy attrition, including: When one family controls the churchHandling conflict in a difficult pastoral assignmentDealing with a church bossMinistering to wounded pastorsWhether you're a church leader whose pastors are departing or a pastor who has moved from church to church, you'll discover insights to help you handle the situations when pastors leave ministry.


Book Synopsis When Bad Churches Happen to Good Pastors by : David Frisbie

Download or read book When Bad Churches Happen to Good Pastors written by David Frisbie and published by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do so many pastors leave ministry?The average pastor stays at a church for only three and a half years.Studies show a pastor's most effective ministry begins after five to seven years at a church.We have a disconnect. How can our churches grow when our leaders are leaving before their ministries can bear fruit?In When Bad Churches Happen to Good Pastors, David and Lisa Frisbie address these and other thought-provoking issues relating to clergy attrition, including: When one family controls the churchHandling conflict in a difficult pastoral assignmentDealing with a church bossMinistering to wounded pastorsWhether you're a church leader whose pastors are departing or a pastor who has moved from church to church, you'll discover insights to help you handle the situations when pastors leave ministry.