Preventing Ministry Failure

by James Guthrie, James Durham

Preventing Ministry Failure is an updated version James Guthrie’s A Humble Acknowledgement of the Sins of the Ministry (1651), together with extracts from James Durham’s Commentary on Revelation that emphasize the necessity of pastoral holiness and the encouragement Christ provides to serve Him well. The result is a guide for pastors to openly discuss their common failings that also holds out hope for putting things right. Beyond updating the language, the editors add Bible verses to assist in meditation as well as questions to stimulate reflection and discussion. Here is help, encouragement, and counsel for ministers to shine in the midst of the prevailing darkness.

Table of
1. The Necessity of Holy Ministers
2. The Duty of Confessing Ministerial Sin
3. Sins before Ordination
4. Sins of Personal Life
5. Sins in Public Conduct
6. Sins in Relation to Preaching
7. Sins in Relation to Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
8. Sins in Relation to Visitation and Catechizing
9. Sins in Relation to Church Government
10. Sins in Relation to National and Political Affairs
11. What Should a Minister Do If He is in a State of Deadness?
12. How Churches Can Put Wrongs Right
13. Incentives for Ministers to Pursue Holiness
14. Reassurance that Christ’s Work Will Succeed
15. Encouragement for Ministers to Shine

109 pages, Paperback

Published December 23, 2022

Reviews

[Zach Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the smallest, yet heaviest book I’ve ever read. James Guthrie and James Durham press deeply into ministerial holiness, addressing everything from ordination to preaching to church politics. They leave no stone unturned in the pastor’s heart as they present a multi-faceted exercise in self-examination.

However, as good Scottish Presbyterians, their heavy dose of conviction is followed by some of the best expositions of the gospel. They point the pastor away from his sin to the heart of his Savior who forgives ministerial failure.

This is one of the few books I read annually. I’ve given away over ten copies, and I’ve never received negative feedback. If I could, I would put a copy in the hands of every pastor and potential pastor. We have a dire need for true repentance and greater ministerial holiness. Christ’s Church would “be blameless and innocent, without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom [we would] shine as lights in the world.” (Phil. 2:15)

[Andrew Canavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to spur a pastor or elder on in self-examination and growth in grace. It’s helpful, in part, because it arises out of a different time and place (17th century Scotland) that it helps the reader to consider his own context with slightly different eyes.

[Joshua Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated and very Presbyterian in places but also some very convicting sections that lead me to prayer and repentance. Definitely a book I will reread in a few years.

[Jared Baergen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone in or entering the ministry!