Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church

I read this book at the start of the year as it seemed like a good one for my new station in life. I had heard a few talks by Paul Tripp in the past but I think this may have been the first book I've read of his. Throughout this book there is a mix of Gospel truths combined with pastoral care.

This book is kinda a sequel to Dangerous Calling as it deals with the culture of churches and the relationship the minister has with that culture. Tripp has talked to and cared for many ministers over his time, and this book has come out of his past experiences of crises that arise in ministry. Not issues really to do with hard external tragedies or other people's issues, but problems involving the minister themself. 

This book touches on the idea of achievement in ministry, limits and balance in the minister's life, how they define their identity,  character, along with some principles to help with longevity, grounding the role in the Gospel and framing it in a bigger context.

Some of the chapters were really no surprise, it said all the things you think a book like this should say. However the framing of this I found really helpful. Tripp contended that most ministers who fail in their role happened in an environment/culture that they were a part of and not in isolation too. The minister of cause is personally responsible for their actions and will be held accountable to God for what they do, but Tripp is seeking to help change not just the ministers' behaviour but the wider church culture on how it perceives ministers and their role. 

Generally when a minister has fallen and needs to be removed there were a thousand other little steps before that. Tripp wants to look at how did that get there. Does a church allow its leader to be aloof and away from the people? How does the minister personally serve the people they look after? Who gets to speak into the ministers' life, to get alongside them and hear their struggles and issues in a Gospel centred way? How easily is sin confessed and the Gospel spoken of? What demands does the church put on its leaders to succeed, how much pressure is there for the budget, or new converts or a bigger building to be filled is there? I thought this approach was helpful, as churches may be chewing through ministers just thinking they had a bad run when maybe there could be a culture within the church that made the ministry hard. Of cause it takes a leader to change this.

In some regards there could have been more said in each of these chapters. I felt this especially with the chapter on restoration. How do we deal with ministers who have "fallen". Did they have their one chance and then they are now unfit for the rest of their life? What do you do with a Baptist minister who is an alcoholic (his example not mine)? What are the parish council, deacons, elders, board etc... responsibilities for the minister vs the church in these circumstances? Where does the Gospel of reconciliation and restoration fit into this really tricky and messy situation? I would have loved to hear more on this topic, and Tripp did hint that he could write a whole book on this. I would like to read that.

Tripp explains his position well and perhaps even moves a bit too slowly (or repeats) in parts when making his points, but he is easy to read. In almost every chapter Tripp would quote a page or two of scripture back to back to make some of his principled points. I was rebuked a few times when he earnestly asked his reader to not just skim over the texts but instead to pause and remember these are words from God on this issue. 

I think this book would be especially helpful for church staff to read together, or the deacons or whoever are deemed as leaders whose role it is to support the minister do his job.