Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome (Hughes)

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Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome
by Kent and Barbara Hughes
Crossway

Readability 9
Spiritual challenge 10
Doctrinal Agreeability 9

I found this book to be so refreshing compared to the market driven church growth books that dominate the shelves in Christian Bookstores today. It appealed to me especially as a church planter because church planting was the context that brought Hughes and his wife to challenge the popular idea of success in church ministry with a Bible-saturated view of success.

The first Part is written in two chapters the first by Kent, the second by Barbara. Hughes finds himself audibly doubting the goodness of God because he is doing everything he is supposed to do and yet experiencing a decrease in church attendance. His wife (Barbara) encourages him to continue to believe even if he has to just hang on to her faith.

The next eight chapters (Part 2) are an attempt to define success Biblically and to encourage the reader to change their view of success not by numbers but by 7 different areas of ministry: success is faithfulness, serving, loving, believing, prayer, holiness, attitude. Each of these chapters are well written, engaging and very convicting. If you read nothing else please read these.

Part 3 highlights five encouragements for the minister who finds himself needing to get out of the popular idea of success into the Biblical idea of success. We find help from God, from the call to ministry, from the ordinary, from fellow workers, and from future reward.

Part 4 is written to address pastor's wives (written by Barbara) and to address the congregation (written by Kent) in ways they can help their pastor deal with this issue of success in a Biblical fashion.

Great reading!  Should be required in any pastoral training program and is helpful for anyone not training for pastoral ministry as well.

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