Transforming Pastoral Leadership

For many congregations, change creates discomfort. Pastoral leaders are often expected to be experts who manage and control realities beyond their expertise, experience, and ability. That expectation, a product of modern approaches to leadership, views the pastor as responsible for maintaining the status quo. Transforming Pastoral Leadership responds to this context by challenging readers to rediscover key biblical themes around the shepherding metaphor as well as key theological themes steeped in our historical faith narratives. Readers are challenged to consider the origins of our dominant leadership practices and to reconsider how Christ's preeminence as the leader of his church requires us to reconstruct leadership practices that are faithful to his preeminence. To assist congregations, Transforming Pastoral Leadership suggests two processes that might help congregations discern God's missional promptings as they move forward into God's future and experience conflict as opportunities for transformation. ""Transforming Pastoral Leadership is a prescient critique of pastoral leadership styled in the manner of executive professionalism. Kinnison's alternative embeds leadership in the mutuality of Triune relationship. As a full participant in the community of faith, the pastor models leadership given to interpretation, relationship, and implementation. This book will challenge the church to rethink its most basic assumptions about what it means to lead, follow, and participate in the unfolding reign of God. Highly recommended."" --Kevin S. Reimer, School of Education, University of California, Irvine ""In this thoughtful and provocative book, Quentin Kinnison argues that if the local church is to regain its prophetic voice it must restore the biblical 'bell-sheep,' 'under-shepherd' leader and eject the Western 'expert-driven,' 'pastor-centric' ruler. This book is Henri Nouwen's In the Name of Jesus meets Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and is a must-read for pastors, seminary professors, and lay people, preferably together."" --Maxie B. Burch, Chair and Professor, Division of Biblical Studies, John Brown University ""Kinnison invites to use the biblical metaphor of pastor to help us envision a new way of thinking about pastoral ministry in this postmodern world. This book is an excellent tool for those who want to think about pastoral leadership in a way that is biblically framed and geared toward our rapidly changing world."" --Juan Francisco Martinez, Vice President for Diversity and International Ministries, Fuller Theological Seminary ""Transforming Pastoral Leadership offers a penetrating assessment of the leadership situation facing congregations today. The vision advanced within its pages is hopeful, insightful, and accessible. As a pastor, I am invigorated by the challenge I have received in reading this book. As a professor, I am eager to see a generation of emerging leaders grapple with its contents. As a practical theologian, I celebrate it as a noteworthy contribution to our field of study."" --Cory L. Seibel, Point Pastor, Central Baptist Church, Edmonton, AB; Affiliate Professor, Sioux Falls Seminary Quentin P. Kinnison, PhD, is Associate Professor of Christian Ministry & Leadership at Fresno Pacific University at Fresno, CA. He is coauthor of Welcoming Children with Special Needs: Empowering Christian Special Education through Purpose, Policies, and Procedures (2014).