The Shepherd Preacher: A Practical Theology for Pastoral Exposition

by Mark Hallock, Timothy Witmer (Foreword)

What kind of preaching do our churches need most? As wonderful as many “big name” preachers are to learn from and listen to, there is nothing that can replace the ordinary, faithful preaching of a local pastor-shepherd. And for the care of his Church, the Lord not only cares about what is preached but how it is preached and who it is that preaches. In The Shepherd Preacher, Mark Hallock lays the biblical and theological foundation for the type of preaching that should mark the pulpit ministry of every local church pastor. This is the type of preaching that is God-centered, Christ-focused, and Spirit-empowered. This is the type of preaching that feeds and nurtures the unique flock put under a pastor’s charge, week in and week out, year in and year out. This is God’s design for his Church. This is the joy of the shepherd preacher. In the local church, the best preaching is always pastoral. It is preaching that flows from the heart of a shepherd who deeply loves God’s people. That is the heart behind this book. Alexander Strauch, Author of Biblical Eldership and Leading with Love I am always looking for books to train preachers and pastors. This book does both. Written by a practitioner, pastor and sharp theologian, this resource will be a blessing for those called to preach the Word. Harvey Turner, founding and Preaching Pastor of Living Stones Church in Reno, Nevada, Network Leadership Team - Acts 29 US West Mark Hallock lays the foundation of a vastly important issue still largely neglected within preaching in the local church. That is, the value in God's design of called shepherds preaching to feed precisely their own flock. I commend this book and the author's example of it to you. Brian Croft, Senior Pastor, Auburndale Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky; Founder of Practical Shepherding

262 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2018

Reviews

[Aaron Hand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, thinking it would be about SHEPHERD preaching. Virtually all (I estimate 95%) of the book was about why expositional preaching is the way to go. I agree with that but I was hoping for more of the “shepherding” aspect of the concept. By that I mean the local church pastor that shepherds the flock entrusted to him. There was next to none of that so that’s why I give this a 2. If it was on a defense of expositional preaching, then it would be higher.

Also, he often quotes from James MacDonald, which is a terrible look now. This book was published a year before his 2019 fall so I understand. Yet more strangely he quotes Mark Driscoll several times. He fell in disgrace and his Seattle church collapsed in 2014 … four years before this book was published. I could tell by his citations that he was working on this before Driscoll’s fall, so why didn’t Hallock cut the Driscoll references out entirely? Disappointed there.

Also, very Calvinistic and Reformed. Disappointing. An underwhelming book, in my opinion.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous resource

Mark brings his own heart as well as the heart of many gone by to show how crucial it is for preachers to shepherd their people with an expositor's technique but also that the text should exposit them! His chapter on the qualifications of a pastor are gold (ch. 5).