DISCO D: BACKUP / TEOLOGIA
AYUDAS PASTORALES / CRECIMIENTO Y DESARROLLO PERSONAL

What if pastoral ministry was about following the latest trends? A quick look around the evangelical success stories would affirm the proposition, “cool pastor, cool church.” An engaging personality, a fascination with culture, current fads, movies, music, fashion and design all appear to be components of a successful pastor. The new guidebooks for ministry are irreverence, obscenity and immersion in culture. Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry bucks that trend. The book is a compilation of essays covering a range of topics; practical, theological and historical. John MacArthur serves as Editor and the faculty of the Master’s Seminary contribute chapters to the volume. The book is marked by unity of thought, philosophy and purpose. This is indicative of the approach of TMS. In fact, the work could be compared to an overview of the Master’s Seminary from 30,000 feet. Each author writes with a common understanding of an attainable, lofty, scriptural conception of shepherding God’s people. It is divided into four perspectives, biblical, preparatory, personal perspectives, and pastoral.
The direction of the work is clear immediately, the perspective is a biblical one. Mayhue opens the first chapter with a synopsis of the present state of pastoral ministry. Pastoral Ministry can and must be rediscovered because it is by in large lost in the churches of today. Mayhue presents only two alternatives, an approach to ministry that is characteristically man-centered and need driven, or a redemptively-centered, God-focused, biblically defined, and scripturally prioritized ministry.” The work is filled with several surveys of the teaching of the scripture on the content of the pastor’s work. This is true, of chapter two, wherein MacArthur identifies five categories Paul gave to Timothy and spends a chapter unfolding them. Paul commanded Timothy to be faithful in preaching truth, expose error, exemplify godliness, word hard in ministry, and be willing to suffer hardship for the Lord. Montoya concludes the first section with a wise and sensible take on the critical nature of operating within a philosophy of ministry that is Biblical and clearly articulated to your church.
The second perspective covered in RDP is that of preparation. The entire section seems to be geared toward a potential seminarian or one who may be considering pastoral ministry. It serves as an excellent introduction to the work of the ministry and the labor required, it also serves a s a warning to any who may approach lightly. MacArthur’s section on the character of the pastoral is strong and convicting. He raises the highest possible standard, for the pastor’s home, consumption of reconstituted grape juice and moral character. He especially drives home the significance of moral surety and blamelessness. James George, addresses the aspects of determining one’s call to ministry in the form of four questions. Training for a precise and prepared ministry ids covered by Busenitz and the process and background of ordination is explained by Mayhue and concludes the section.
The third perspective digs even deeper into the pastor’s personal and professional life. Prayer is covered in two chapters from both a personal and pulpit aspect. The highlight of the section is an intimate conversation transcribed between mentor and disciple as Dr. Thomas interviews John MacArthur on the use of the pastors study. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book. The final section is a broad but lengthy overview of the scriptural components of pastoral ministry. From worshipping to ordinances, discipline, to outreaching to modeling, the pastors duties are addressed briefly. It broadly introduces aspects of evangelism, ministerial associations, and effective reproduction of the ministry.
RPM is tremendously convicting. The weight of its emphasis is almost entirely on the high calling for the man of God. Character and prayerfulness, training, precision, as well as the fullness of the ministry are all emphasized. The work deserves a place on any pastor’s shelf who desires a biblical perspective on the task that God has called him to.

From Daniel Christensen