The Renegade Pastor

By: Nelson Searcy

Thank you to Regal for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

About the Book:

Break out of the trap of average and pursue God’s best for your ministry. The average church in America is declining by 9% every year, behind on budget and unable to move forward with the kingdom plans God has in store. The average pastor is stressed out and struggling to maintain healthy relationships and life balance. But while the cycle of average is strong, there is a way to overcome its pull and step into a life of impact and excellence. Drawing from Nelson Searcy’s decades of ministry experience, The Renegade Pastor is a relevant, step-by-step resource for church leaders who are ready to break out of the trap of average and step up in surrender to the pursuit of God’s best for his or her life and work.

Addresses issues of personal and professional growth including:

Managing Stress
Controlling Emotions
Dealing with Criticism
Setting Godly Goals
Planning with Purpose
Establishing Healthy Friendships
Developing Strong Church Systems
Personally Honoring the Sabbath
Becoming a Better Spouse and Parent

About the Author:

Nelson Searcy is the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church in New York City. Started in 2002, this groundbreaking church sees the majority of its growth coming from new believers and currently meets in several locations in Manhattan and Queens, with additional locations in San Francisco and Boca Raton, FL.

Nelson is an experienced church planter, coach and church-growth strategist. Before moving to New York, he served as the Director of the Purpose Driven Community at Saddleback Church. He is also the founder of ChurchLeaderInsights.com, the Church Leadership Training ministry of Nelson Searcy and The Journey.

My Review:

The Renegade Pastor is a must have for all Pastor’s. This book covers topics that are very important for pastors especially “Establishing Healthy Friendships” and “Developing Strong Church Systems.” The Pastor is the head of the church, the one everyone looks to and he should know how to handle stress and everything else that is on his plate.

Broken down into seven commitments a pastor should make, this book will help you become all you need to be to shepherd your flock. So many decisions are placed on a pastors shoulders and I love what Mr. Searcy said in commitment five: Shepherd Your Flock, “A mediocre decision that’s well implemented is far better than a great decision that’s poorly implemented.” This is so true; the pastor should stay engaged to be sure the decision is implemented properly. I have seen so many times decisions are made and the pastor puts someone else in charge to make sure it is carried out.

This book is a must have for all pastors, I highly recommend picking up a copy today for yourself or your pastor.