Review: Pastors In Pain: How To Grow In Times Of Conflict

Pastors In Pain: How To Grow In Times Of Conflict by Gary Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Preston writes from a position of personal pain, and I appreciated how the authenticity and brevity made this such an engaging read. Both novice and advanced readers would enjoy this title and find the content highly relatable and maybe even thoroughly insightful.

Back in 2015 when I first read it, I had much of reflection to do as I leafed through the pages - I was confronted with having to extend forgiveness and come to a better closure when memories of past offences come to mind. I wrote that I'd recommend it to anybody "who still sees the sovereign God's hand in their lives and still would want to serve him in spite of the many seemingly evil shepherds he has in his service."

Now in 2018, (having read it again as a more mature student) I appreciate how Preston presents from his own experience how we ought to see our own contribution to any conflict in ministry. He writes the book not with an intention to vindicate himself or with a sense of animosity, but to act as an agent of healing and restoration for wounded ministry workers.

Notable concepts I would like to highlight would include:
-how "conflict is the norm and peace among the brethren is the exception" (p12)
-avoid justifying oneself from the pulpit even if you are using a parallel analogy or try to keep the offender anonymous (p52-53)
-Preston also used the analogy of an athlete “playing hurt” to illustrate how pastors have to “preach, pray, teach, visit, counsel… with wounded hearts” (p36) and even as “we’re still hurting and waiting to see how God will work” (p74)
-how most pastors overlook caring for their families, especially their spouses in times of conflict (chapter 6)
-discuss with church boards the importance of living a balanced life and to anticipate the rumblings that will come (p104)

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to anybody in Christian ministry (not just pastors). While it is a pity this book has gone out of print, you may use bookfinder.com to help you in your search for a used copy of the book.

View all my reviews