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We Have This Ministry: The Heart of the Pastor's Vocation
Proctor and Taylor share their insights and unravel the mysteries of how to be a pastor of integrity and character.
136 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 20, 2025
An eloquent, comprehensive account of pastoral ministry. It would be challenging not to be invigorated by the wisdom and prose of these two titans, who both had long tenures at historic congregations in New York City.
Yet, one wonders if the portraits are a bit too comprehensive? Pastoring is jack-of-all-trades vocation. Unique competence is required in preaching and soul care, perhaps above average competence is needed in administration. But rare is the pastor who is the hub of all things. There is some acknowledgement by Proctor especially that a pastor may be one of the most educated persons in his congregation. Paired with the broad swath of human life that falls under the moral domain, education and moral-leadership position the pastor to speak into many areas of life.
While it may be true that in some respects that we (especially predominantly white churches) expect too little of our pastors, acknowledging the variety of giftedness and vocation within the body of Christ is key for the whole swath of issues. What's difficult is calling those members to lead, entrusting them with various domains, and then calling the rest of the congregation to recognize and even to submit to the gifting of others in their midst. The challenge is getting the level of buy-in needed from the congregation to follow one another's gifting. It's probably true that having a strong, magnetic pastor contributes to broader congregational buy-in to a singular mission.
Occasionally, I had a quibble with granular facets of Proctor's articulation of a few issues. That being said, this is a trustworthy guide. It dignifies the calling of pastor by elevating and not lowering the bar. This would make a great guide to give to those exploring the pastoral call or those who need encouragement and renewal after years of ministry.
Yet, one wonders if the portraits are a bit too comprehensive? Pastoring is jack-of-all-trades vocation. Unique competence is required in preaching and soul care, perhaps above average competence is needed in administration. But rare is the pastor who is the hub of all things. There is some acknowledgement by Proctor especially that a pastor may be one of the most educated persons in his congregation. Paired with the broad swath of human life that falls under the moral domain, education and moral-leadership position the pastor to speak into many areas of life.
While it may be true that in some respects that we (especially predominantly white churches) expect too little of our pastors, acknowledging the variety of giftedness and vocation within the body of Christ is key for the whole swath of issues. What's difficult is calling those members to lead, entrusting them with various domains, and then calling the rest of the congregation to recognize and even to submit to the gifting of others in their midst. The challenge is getting the level of buy-in needed from the congregation to follow one another's gifting. It's probably true that having a strong, magnetic pastor contributes to broader congregational buy-in to a singular mission.
Occasionally, I had a quibble with granular facets of Proctor's articulation of a few issues. That being said, this is a trustworthy guide. It dignifies the calling of pastor by elevating and not lowering the bar. This would make a great guide to give to those exploring the pastoral call or those who need encouragement and renewal after years of ministry.
June 14, 2025
The chapters on pastoring and politics were particularly helpful.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews