Like many of you, I have been listening to Christianity Today’s podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. It is a sobering listen, and hopefully a powerful reminder that as ministry leaders, we need accountability both with God and with other leaders we can trust.
Chuck DeGroat, who is featured on the podcast, has laid out in great detail how narcissism can become so powerful in the context of the local church. If you are at all interested, you can read my review here or check out some significant quotes here.
In my opinion, it’s a must-read for anyone involved in ordination or the calling of a pastor, and can also help those of us in ministry to become aware of any narcissistic tendencies we might have, tendencies that if untreated, will become destructive over time.
Stu
This reflection first appeared in our weekly newsletter. To get content like this, along with our weekly selections from our library, click here.
Looking for More Inspiration?
Don’t Miss
The Latest From Our Blog
Check out articles, featured illustrations, and book reviews on all different topics related to ministry.
How Canonicity and Love Go Together
Love Loving the Word of God is a great pursuit, but it’s not always easy. Like most love relationships, there are inevitable highs and lows. And as teachers of the Bible, many of us walk a delicate balance between scouring and savoring the Scriptures. We carefully...
Preaching on Proverbs
How Will We Preach and Teach from Proverbs? Reading, let alone preaching, from The Book of Proverbs comes with its challenges. Sometimes those sayings can seem just plain obvious and not much help in making real life change. John Goldingay’s new commentary reminds us...
Four Years Later: Reflecting on Pandemic Ministry
Lessons Learned in Quarantine and Beyond Do you remember that first Sunday when you stayed cloistered in your home with the immediate family, when you exchanged your dapper church clothes for a pair of pajamas and made pancakes in the pan instead of preaching from the...