Christian Leadership Essentials: A Handbook for Managing Christian Organization

by David S. Dockery

Christian Leadership Essentials finds university president David S. Dockery assembling a great wealth of tried and true insights on the distinctive methods of leading Christian organizations and institutions. No matter how much experience a faith-based leader may already have, there are plenty of fresh thoughts and indispensable guiding principles here on topics including finance and budget planning, mission and vision, employee relations, theological foundations, mentoring, crisis management, and more. 

A majority of the nineteen contributors are active academic presidents, including Robert B. Sloan (Houston Baptist University; "A Biblical Model of Leadership"), Judson Carlberg (Gordon College; "Managing the Organization"), Jon Wallace (Azusa Pacific University; "Financial Oversight and Budget Planning"), Evans Whitaker (Anderson University [South Carolina]; "Development, Campaigns, and Building Projects"), Carl Zylstra (Dordt College; "Accreditation and Government Relations"), Jim Edwards (Anderson University [Indiana]; "Relationships with Multiple and Various Constituencies"), Phil Eaton (Seattle Pacific University; "Employee Relations in a Grace-filled Community"), Barry Corey (Biola University; "Engaging the Culture"), and Randall O'Brien (Carson-Newman College; "The Leader as Mentor and Pastor").

Genres: Leadership, Education

368 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2011

Reviews

[James Harmeling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dockery edits this collection of brief essays covering prominent issues in leadership and management for Christian ministries, especially educational institutions. Almost all the authors work in higher education or parachurch ministries. This book contains a lot of great insights in a variety of areas that I as a pastor of a local church benefit from. I especially enjoyed Thom Rainer's chapter on building teams for ministry, Evans Whitaker's, "Development, Campaigns, and Building Projects," and Kimberly Thornbury's insights in "Crisis Management." This is a solid volume that a seasoned leader will immediately understand and benefit from.

[Tommy Kiedis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comprehensive handbook may be the best one-volume work of its kind I have read. While slightly dated in a few places, it is encyclopedic in scope, focused in purpose ("a leadership resource for leaders at various levels"), distinctly Christian in worldview, and practical without being scripted.

The authors, with a combined 350 years of Christian organizational leadership experience, are experts or qualified practitioners in their respective areas of focus. How much did this help me? There is hardly a page of my book that does not include an underline, highlight, margin summary, or notation for future reference.

Christian Leadership Essentials: A Handbook for Managing Christian Organizations addresses the following: A biblical model of leadership, Organizational identity, Vision and strategic planning, Governance and board relations, Organizational management, Finance and budgeting, Development, Campaigns and building projects, Foundation relations, External relations, Relating to a varied constituency, Teams, From peer to manager, Employee relations, Engaging the culture, Crisis management, Leader as mentor and pastor, Leadership for a global world, Transitions.

As with any text one can always ask for more. For my part, I think the work would be improved by adding segments on organizational communication and enhancing organizational culture, though chapter 13, "Employee Relations in a Grace-Filled Community" was outstanding. Otherwise, both items were touched in a few places, but additional treatment would help.

My takeaways were many. Here are five (not in order of priority):

1. Links to additional reading: I love to know what others are reading. Since each chapter is well referenced and some authors cite book favorites, my "To Read" list increased significantly.
2. Dependence focus: Leaders must seek a spiritual understanding, a revelation of the unique work that God calls them to that is more than just the appropriation of best practices of successful models of others.... page 41. Dependence married to resiliency! See chapter 12, "From Peer to Manager."
3. Leadership presence and pacing: "Who who is available all the time is not worth being available when he is available." D. Elton Trueblood H.A.L.T. (page 282)
4. The necessity of the Board: Select the best. Leverage their expertise. Determine appropriate President-Board relations, 3 hats.
5. Relationships: "There can be no leadership apart from relationships." Randall O'Brien; "Everyone has something to offer." Philip W. Eaton (page 238)

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book written by a variety of experienced Christian leaders. They discuss principles of organizations and how to lead them. Very helpful to think through organizational aspects that the average member would not think about.

[Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be pretty dense, but that’s a given provided it was a class textbook. There were some good nuggets scattered throughout the book.

[Shelby J Holloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Holly Anne Smith Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a series of essays. Some I really like the content and style. Others had important but boring to me content.

[Lane Corley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great primer on Christian leadership from different perspectives of ministry. A few of the chapters are out of date, due to our changing ministry context in North America. However, this is a book to refer back to regularly.