Pastor as Person: Maintaining Personal Integrity in the Choices & Challenges of Ministry

by Gary L. Harbaugh

Book Overview

Harbaugh captures your interest with dramatic stories of the inner lives of working pastors, weaving these stories into patterns of meaning from his own reflection and research. An excellent study guide for the individual pastor, the pastor's support group, or the seminary class that really wants to come to grips with the dilemmas of being a person who is also a pastor.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080662115X
• ISBN13: 9780806621159
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.8" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

"The first ministry is from God to the pastor" (98).

I. Authors Purpose(s) According to the preface, Dr. Gary Harbaugh's intended purpose for this book is to write about the "thoughts, feelings and behaviors" of the pastor as a person. His intention is to shed light on the anthropological, behavioral sciences, theologies and philosophies that affect pastoral situations and perspectives (pg.9). However upon closer inspection Mr. Harbaugh reveals a slightly more personal objective . Although Harbaugh claims to be writing about a holistic approach to the life of the minister, in reality this is only secondary. Instead; as the book comes to a near end Dr. Harbaugh begins to reveal what he calls a much more "personal perspective" (pg.125). In the closing paragraph this objective is then revealed. In it Harbaugh writes, "It is my hope that your reading of this book, as a seminarian preparing for the ordained ministry or as a pastor in the midst of ministry, has resulted in your feeling less alone in your struggles and more affirmed as a person" (pg.150). II. Survey of Covered Topics / Agreement and Disagreement Chapter 1. The opening chapter of the book is an introduction to the book's characters. It is also an introduction into Dr. Harbaugh's view of holistic ministry. According to Harbaugh the pastor must reflect in his or her work a whole person of God. The assertion is that a pastor must be complete and must experience his work, life and ministry as a complete person or nephesh: a living soul, in order to minister in a proper and effective manor. *There is also a rather lengthy discussing on personal history, choice and context. Chapter 2. The second chapter of this book deals with the pastor as a physical person. Here Harbaugh writes about stress, and burnout. In telling the story of Hezekiah's Tunnel, the author exposes the underlining truths behind stress as well as both the pastor's common and proper reactions to stress. According to Dr. Harbaugh "Real Growth in life and in faith comes from accepting responsibility for doing what we can, and accepting our inability to do all that is necessary. We to must come to the point of recognizing that even our best efforts to control our lives are ultimately not good enough." Christ alone, he states "is the solid rock on which a (w)holistic response to stress can stand" (pg61). Chapter 3. Chapter three of this work discusses the topic of the pastor as a thinking person. In this section Dr. Harbaugh identifies a proper balance between the vocational role and the personal life of the parson. Interestingly this portion of the book does suggest a number of commonalities in the character of the cleric. However, while Harbaugh concurs that mutual traits exist he also asserts a necessity for individualism, room for change and a melding of ones personality and indeed ones whole self into ones ministerial experience. Chapter 4. In the fourth chapter, Dr. Gary Harbaugh introduces the character of Pastor John Jeffrich. This story of grief and its subsequent

Great resource

The case studies in this book are exceptional and real. If you are in pastoral ministry, this book is a must. Harbaugh unpacks the realities of ministry--and life as well, in a way that makes real sense. I would recommend this book to anyone who aspires to undertake pastoral ministry. Whether you are just beginning your ministry or if you are an experienced pastoral care provider, this book will resonate with you. It is a great read--it is one of the few that I find myself reading over and over again. Get the book--you'll be glad you did.