Portraits of a Pastor: The 9 Essential Roles of a Church Leader

by Jason K. Allen (Compiler), Jason G. Duesing (Contributor)

As a pastor, do you feel like you’re wearing too many hats? If you’re a pastor, you know the tension of balancing (or trying to) the many roles and expectations that come with leading a church. But are you able to distinguish which roles are truly essential? And can you measure how you’re fulfilling them? Portraits of a Pastor features contributions from evangelical leaders like Jason Allen, Jared Wilson, Daniel Akin, and Owen Strachan on the essential roles and aspects of pastoral ministry. Together the book answers three important A pastor must be a preacher, shepherd, missionary, evangelist, church historian, theologian, man of God, leader of his household, and leader of others—a tall order! After reading Portraits of a Pastor , you’ It’s much is demanded of pastors. But it’s also true that too much is demanded of most pastors. Know what God has called you to, how to fulfill that calling, and what may be distracting you from it. 

Genres: Leadership, Christian, Theology

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2017

About the author

DR. JASON ALLEN is the fifth and youngest president of Midwestern Baptist Seminary. He has served as pastor and interim pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Alabama and Kentucky over the past fifteen years. He currently serves the church more broadly through writing and preaching ministries, including his own website www.jasonkallen.com, where he writes on various topics including higher education, theology, preaching, and cultural and local church issues. He and his wife, Karen, have five children: Anne-Marie, Caroline, William, Alden, and Elizabeth.

Reviews

[Jack]

Whether you are a pastor or serve under one, this book will help to define what is sometimes a nebulous role. What is a pastor? Some things you don't think about and some you do. Some things we pressure them into being and some things we should. This book is a challenge, but also an encouragement to those who serve as pastors and those who care about them.

[Johnny]

When Thom Rainer says in the introduction of a book that it would be “pastoral malpractice to not read” a book, you read it. That book that he is referring to is Portraits 9780802416346of a Pastor: The 9 Essential Roles of a Church Leader, edited by Jason K. Allen and published by Moody Publishers. Jason K. Allen is the president of Midwestern Baptist Seminary where he has served since 2012. In bringing nine ministry leaders together to write individual essays in this book, he answers the questions of what a pastor is to be and do.

The first chapter was written by Jared C. Wilson, who holds several titles and responsibilities for Midwestern Baptist Seminary. He challenges the pastor to take up his role as a shepherd. I found the chapter challenging and comforting. Challenging in that he lays out in this chapter what a shepherd does and pretty much says that if you are not doing these things you’re not just a poor shepherd, but you’re not a shepherd. It is encouraging in that he reminds us that our righteousness is in Christ Jesus and not in ourselves. That was a blessed thought to me as sometimes I deal with insecurity in my own life.

Chapter 2 was penned by Daniel L. Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary since 2004 and Professor of Theology and Christian Preaching since 1999. He was given the task of speaking into the pastor’s heart concerning his role as husband and father. Akin grabs your heart when he poses this question on p. 40 of the book: “Are you committed to making your wife a success, not in man’s eyes, but in God’s? Have you determined that if you only shepherd one person in your entire ministry, it will be your wife? Then your children? Do you understand that shepherding begins in the home?” I like that he just doesn’t diagnose the problem, but he gives you practical steps to shepherd your family well. This was a very practical chapter.

Jason K Allen himself tackles the third essay in this book; his subject is the pastor as preacher. Although an entire book could be and has been written on this subject, he tackles this subject. He argues that preaching the Word is best done through biblical exposition, preaching where the sermon is driven by the text. Because this is such an exhaustive subject, I found myself wanting to hear more in this essay, but still he gives several tidbits of truth for you to chew on.

Owen D. Strachan is the Associate Professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the author of many books; his essay topic was the pastor as theologian. He begins his essay asking where the pastor fits in modern America? He points out that there are so many cultural tugs at the pastor to be something other than what God has called him to be. To do that he believes the pastor must be a theologian who finds the true source of his pastoral power in these days. Strachan takes the pastor back to his calling and all that truly entails: to the gospel and the joy to proclaim Christ no matter the cost and to God’s sovereignty, which will sustain the pastor when the gospel takes him into the lion’s den. Strachan finishes out his chapter with application for pastors to follow who wish to be faithful theologians. This essay made me stop, reread, and meditate as he showed how necessary this part of being a pastor truly is.

When I got to the fifth essay in this book written by Christian T. George on the pastor as church historian, I started reading it wondering why this even made the book. Church history, as I recall it, was nothing more than a bunch of dates and names to remember. George sucked me right in to his chapter, and I began repenting of my previous thoughts. His essay is full of tweet worthy quotes such as, “Church history comes to life when we realize that we are the history of tomorrow” or “Every pastor must become a church historian because he is part of the history he is studying.” Honestly this one chapter has made me want to pull out some biographies that have been collecting dust on my bookshelf or bring out Spurgeon’s sermons once again when I’m studying a particular text. This essay is worth reading the book.

John Mark Yeats believes that it is time for a “significant conversation” to take place about pastors taking up their role as lead evangelists in their churches. Yes, the title of this essay is the Pastor as Evangelist. Serving as Dean of Midwestern College and Associate Professor of Church History at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and College, Yeats believes that church needs to turn from its “come and see” mentality and take up what the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, Divine Mandate in Acts 1:6-8, and the Great Sending in Matthew 10 teach: all believers clearly need to go. The rest of this chapter has Yeats giving some practical ways to make evangelism great again in the local church. His contention is that the pastor should not only take the lead in this but should build an army of people with the same passion. Though this was not an exhaustive piece on evangelism, it was enough to cause you to go and dig in other places.

In the chapter entitled Pastor as Missionary, Jason G. Duesing answers the question as to whether the title missionary fits the work of the pastor as described in Acts 6:4 where the twelve saw their duty as focusing on prayer and preaching. Should the pastor add the title of missionary to his duties or could that be an outworking of the duties to which he is already focused on? Duesing is the the academic Provost and Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary & College. I will let you read the book to find his answer (it’s the latter). One of my favorite parts of his essay was his instruction on how to answer the critic who questions whether we should practice global mission efforts when there are many lost people so close to home. As a pastor I get this question quite a bit. I appreciate his reasons why we should. Overall this was once again a thought provoking chapter that would do well for pastors to read and consider.

Ronnie W. Floyd most certainly knows how to lead. He has successfully led Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas since 1986, lead the largest protestant denomination for two years as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and has recently been chosen as the President of the National Day of Prayer. For those reasons he was given the task of writing the essay entitled Pastor as Leader. In this chapter he talks about the brand of the pastor which is the gospel. He gives this vital advice, “You cannot let other people and what they say about you define. you. If you do, you will live a long and miserable life.” He then spends the rest of his chapter giving you seven solid pieces of advice that every pastor would do well to heed.

“Not every man of God is a pastor, but every pastor must be a man of God.” That is how Donald S. Whitney, Professor of Biblical Spirituality and Associate Dean at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and founder and president of The Center for Biblical Spirituality, started his essay entitled: Pastor as Man of of God. After showing that “Man of God” is an appropriate title for the pastor, he argues why the pastor should fulfill that title by actually becoming a man of God in practice. Taking from his years of meditating on this subject of how a person can grow in godliness, having authored the popular Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Whitney gives some very practical advice to the pastor as to how he can most faithfully be a man of God himself. Nobody, in my opinion, is more qualified to speak on this subject and Whitney doesn’t fail to deliver.

No, this is not an exhaustive book on pastoring, but it does give you enough truth with each essay to meditate on and perhaps pursue further. This is the kind of book that a pastor should keep around and read again from time to time just to keep him on course. My book is filled with highlighted sections that I will return to and meditate upon. With that being said, this is a book worthy of the pastor’s library.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

[Kyle Robertson]

Being a pastor is a burdensome job. Too often a pastor has to wear many hats and he ends up spread too thin, whether these duties are demanded by the congregation or are self-imposed. Either way, the result is often burnout: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Add to this the secularized culture that we live in, the lack of confidence in the church and the Word, and the demotion of the importance of the pastorate, and you can begin to see the struggles that they face on a daily basis.

This short, powerful book discusses nine different roles and expectations a pastor experiences: preacher, leader, missionary, evangelist, man of God, theologian, church historian, shepherd, father, and husband. Each topic is authored by a different evangelist so that you get many different perspectives. The chapters are both biblical and practical, designed to help the pastor to more faithfully, and more effectively, serve the local church with clarity and purpose.

This book highlights the joys and struggles of being a pastor, as well as the great honor that comes with preaching and teaching God's Word. Expository preaching is expanded upon in simple yet powerful terms. Thinking and leading missiologically is emphasized. Each topic presented in this book is thoroughly discussed. There may be a tendency to select and read only the topics you feel you might need a refresher on, but I urge you to read this book in its entirety. You will feel a deeper conviction and passion to be the pastor that God has called you to be.

I am not a pastor. I have been a deacon in my church for the past three years. I will take many points from this book and apply them to my own spiritual life, and I will also be more prepared to facilitate my pastor and church with any needs they may have. I recommend this book to all Christians, especially pastors and leaders within the church. I received this as a free ARC from Moody Publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Bob O'Bannon]

As is normally the case in volumes featuring various contributors, some of these chapters are better than others, but this book is very helpful in simply reminding pastors that what is demanded of them is not necessarily what is required of them. The book focuses on requirements you would expect (being a shepherd, preacher, theologian, and leader), but also includes one I wouldn’t expect — being a church historian.

I found it refreshing that the book included no call to the pastor to be a visionary, therapist or social activist. These tasks have their proper place, but so often their inflated importance obscures the more essential tasks that are unique to pastoral calling, yet often regarded as ineffective by the world. As Os Guinness once said: “Whenever I meet a Buddhist leader, I meet a holy man. Whenever I meet a Christian leader, I meet a manager.” (177).

The best chapter by far was the one by Donald Whitney on the pastor as man of God, especially the challenge he gives us on p. 168-169 about how a congregation will never rise above the spiritual passion of its leader. Gulp. These are convicting words for sure, but they are inspiring too. “

“Whatever the pastor wants his people to live out, he must do it the most.” (170). “There may not be many men of God in your church, but there better be at least one.” (176). And, in the words of McCheyne: “It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.”

[Jimmy Reagan]

Pastors, we need this book! The nine key roles of our work are beautifully discussed in this outstanding volume. By taking these nine traits we can re-calibrate to what the Lord intended us to be. All the things that are not on the list are almost as instructive as the nine that are. Pastors who have a different nine main spheres of work need to do some soul-searching. If that happens to be the case, this is the perfect book for you. Even if you already agree that these are the main nine areas of the ministry that God has given you, you have here the reminder you may be needing as well as the cheerleading to pick up the mantle of God’s design in a world of contrary voices.

Jason Allen is both the editor and one of the contributors. Danny Akin, Jason Duesing, Ronnie Floyd, Christian George, Owen Strachan, Don Whitney, Jared Wilson, and John Mark Yeats round out the list of contributors. Sometimes a book seems cobbled together when it is a group production. In this case, the work has been so beautifully edited that every chapter seamlessly connects with the others. My guess is that Mr. Allen pulled this off by assigning each contributor to his most passionate area. I repeatedly forgot as I read that the author of the chapter I was in was not the author of the chapter before.

Mr. Allen gives a brief introduction that describes the almost maddening situation that most pastors are thrown into. In other words, they are to fulfill more roles than any human being could. It’s that very same cauldron that pulls them away from doing what they’re supposed to do.

I loved how chapter 1 that described a pastor as shepherd gave this simple outline of our work: 1) shepherds feed the sheep, 2) shepherds love the Lamb, and 3) shepherds trust the Good Shepherd. Wow! The next chapter discussed the pastor as husband and father. Many pastors fail in this area and this chapter was a superb antidote. Chapter 3 discussed the pastor as preacher and described our primary work as preaching. There was a strong plea for expository preaching here.

The next chapter was on the pastor as theologian. It looked back and reminded us of the place pastors once held in society, and even if that is no longer true it is still our task to be theologians. The next chapter was on the pastor as church historian and I assure you it will make sense once you read it. The following chapter on the pastor as evangelist powerfully challenged us to remember our obligation to the lost. There was a chapter on the pastor as missionary that reminds us of our need to help missionary efforts around the globe. You would expect the chapter on the pastor as a leader, as was the subject of the next chapter, but it was not the self-help type material that has flooded the market for the last 40 years. No, it looked at the need for us to lead in living out the Christian life. The final chapter on the pastor as the man of God, which is a term that has fallen out of use for some but will be appreciated in the context given here, again calls us to personal holiness and is a reminder of the big picture of what we do. Mr. Allen gives a fine conclusion that further ties together what we have just read.

This book is less than 200 pages, is easy-to-read, but don’t let that fool you. It packs quite a punch! Every pastor would do well to grab and read this book.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Wesley Roth]

"Portraits of a Pastor" was recently promoted in an email last month from the Westminster Theological Seminary Bookstore, so I decided to get a copy. I recently was accepted into the graduate program at the Talbot School of Theology @ Biola University, so I thought this would be a timely book to read, written by pastors for pastors (or those considering the ministry field). The "9 essential roles" were outlined and defined, written as an encouragement with clear-eyed clarity what it means to pastor a church!

Pastors must be Biblically qualified and also meet the high standards set forth in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5. But more importantly "the foundation of pastoral ministry is not based on {my} righteousness, but on the righteousness of Christ.". In the chapter "Pastor as a Man of God," Pastor Whitney expresses the idea written in 1 Tim 3:16-17 that to "be a man of God means to be a man of God's Book. A pastor ought to live in and by the Bible so much that through it the Holy Spirit constantly teachers, reproves, corrects and trains him." I underlined and noted in the margin: "my long-term goal". :)

Each chapter covering a different role that every pastor must take on provides great teaching and instruction based on Scripture, along with advice from each pastor authoring the chapter. I jotted quite a few notes and underlined key Scriptures throughout. The last chapter, by Jason K Allen (the editor), provides an excellent summary of the book, speaking to pastors. That they are "called by God, to be a minister of the Word, and are held to a higher level of accountability, and will face more intense temptation and unique pressures, while in the end tend to the flock of God." (pages 180-182).

This book will remain in my library for future use, where ever the Lord leads me!

[Shaun Lee]

I realised that these compilation/collaborative essay type of type of theological titles tend to be of very high quality. Because, perhaps for the purposes of brevity, each contribution is essentially a summary that brings out the cream of the subject matter. Often a single author, when given about 200 pages, tend to not be as succinct as when they are given only tens of pages to convey that same message.

While not all volumes were as well written or engaging as the others (possibly because the topic assigned was not their subject specialisation or interest), they were the minority amongst many very well-written essays. As a whole, the essays laid out what is demanded and how daunting the role of the pastor is. And yet strangely at the end of my read, I was encouraged and heartened not because I knew I was able to meet every single criterion, but because I was in awe of the beauty and wonder of how a godly pastor would be like. Furthermore, the propositions and substantive matter were grounded in Scripture (in contrast to airy-fairy opinions) and peppered with illustrations aplenty. Significantly for me also, I'd imagine that other readers who are unsure of their call, would be more clear if they were called to pastoral ministry or not, once having read the job description of a church leader.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

[Peter Butler]

Portraits of a Pastor: The 9 Essential Roles of a Church Leader, edited by Jason K. Allen, is a collection of nine essay with a conclusion on the being or the essence of being a pastor. Shocking as it may be to many in the twenty-first century church, “administrator,” and “sexton” did not make the list.

The authors of this book identify the biblical roles of the pastor to be those of shepherd, husband and father, preacher, theologian, church historian, evangelist, missionary, leader, and man of God.

I found these essays encouraging – affirming what I believe about the ministry – and precise – drawing clear boundaries around what the ministry is not.

In a time when many believe that the pastor’s role is to be a social worker or a social justice warrior, this book is a welcome tonic.

Besides affirming things I believed about the pastorate, I was encouraged when one of the authors argued that Peter sinned in denying Christ, but was restored to the ministry, so there is no sin, other than apostasy that disqualifies a repentant return to the ministry after sin.

This is one of the books I would recommend to anyone considering a call to ministry.

[This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

[W. Russell]

As a pastor I always enjoy reading the way other people think about pastoring. The format of this book is phenomenal. Thinking about the different roles a pastor plays and fleshing them out from chapter to chapter made for a great read. Most pastors acknowledge that within these different roles there are some places where they excel and some where they do not. This book will give you biblical reasons for why you should be fulfilling each role and give you wisdom on how to strengthen yourself where you are weak. For the church member this book is still very valuable as it will give you insight into the many different areas that your pastor applies himself. It will help you pray and come alongside the pastors in your life. Great book all around.

[Matthew]

Portraits of a Pastor is a collection of essays edited by Jason K. Allen. Allen himself wrote the introduction, the conclusion, as well as the chapter titled “Pastor as Preacher.” Other contributors include Thom S. Rainer (Foreword), Jared C. Wilson (Pastor as Shepherd), Daniel L. Akin (Pastor as Husband and Father), Owen D. Strachan (Pastor as Theologian), Christian T. George (Pastor as Church Historian), John Mark Yeats (Pastor as Evangelist), Ronnie W. Floyd (Pastor as Leader), and Donald S. Whitney (Pastor as Man of God). A great book for pastors! Recommended.

[Dr. Jake Brock]

An outstanding, encouraging, and convicting read beneficial for any pastor - whether just beginning the work of pastoral ministry or a seasoned veteran with decades of pastoral experience. Each “portrait” is written by imminently qualified pastor-theologians who ground their points and perspective in Scripture, offering a thoroughly biblical framework for understanding the pastor’s work and calling while also offering insightful practical advice and wisdom for pastoring and the serving the Lord’s church well. The book is brief, but powerful, and a worthy investment of time and reflection.

[Jody]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I believe this book should be given out to every young man in seminary and then they should be tested on it just to make sure they read it. Very interesting and written in a way that can be understood with any level of education and experience. Highly recommend for anyone currently in pastoral ministry but especially for those who are headed that way.

[Kirk Weikart]

While an interesting idea (separating a pastor's vocation into 9 separate traits), the advice was often overlapping. The chapters by different authors also was characterized by different structures to the chapters. The topics were narrowed only to pastors; I would have preferred a broader perspective to church leaders and how to gain a new perspective on pastors.

[Cyndi Beane-Henry]

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I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy action, adventure, mystery, crime, and just a bit of the paranormal.

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[Matthew Bonzon]

Great book. Very readable and full of wisdom. Not densely academic, just after the heart of the pastor by looking at “him” in the different facets he should be.
Reading this was very edifying and if you read it. I pray it’s the same for you.
My favorite chapter was “Pastor as a man of God” though all of them were good.

[Peter Somervell]

Best book on what a pastor truly is that I have read for a long time. Loved the wisdom and godly insight from a variety of contributing authors. Could be a great resource for mentoring younger pastors.

[Joel Griffis]

Pretty good. #vtReadingChallenge (One down, fifty-one to go.)

[Brandon McClure]

Every single chapter of this book was helpful and convicting. This should be on the shelf of every pastor!

[Joe Valenti]

A fine little book on the vital roles of biblical pastoral leadership. It was not extraordinary in any way - rather basic.

[David Cowpar]

A helpful book to focus your mind on the key tasks/roles from Scripture for pastoral ministry.

[Jandré Vorster]

Great book for gaining understanding into the different roles a pastor should play in a church. Recommended for anyone working in ministry or leading a group of Christians.

[Jordan Litts]

Decent.

[Preston McCollister]

Not much I disagree with in this book. Great principals.

[Jeremy Alford]

Well written by several authors. Pastors primary responsibility is to preach the Word of God but there are many other aspects to being a pastor. This gives great insight into those categories.