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.
Book Review: Bono’s Surrender
We were 25 pubescent 13-year old boys in music class stuck to the straight-backed plastic chairs by our sticky sweat following a raucous hour of physical education at the parochial school we attended. We’d have a lecture on music theory, sing some corny songs, and...
The Banshees of Inisherin Movie Review
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or. what's a heaven for?" Robert Browning A part of our desire at The Pastor’s Workshop is to help pastors connect the stories in our culture with the stories taking place in culture. This is a somewhat fraught...
Working with a Church Board without Losing Your Mind
Do We Stay or Do We Go? It was June of 2020 and we had a major decision to make. As we went around our group of elders, each was given the chance to give their opinion: do we go back to worshipping in our sanctuary, or do we continue worshipping online? As the elders...