EMQ » January–March 2022 » Volume 58 Issue 1
[memberonly folder=”Members, EMQ2YearFolder, EMQ1YearFolder, EMQLibraryInstitution”]By Tim Morey
IVP Academic, 2020
180 pages
US$22.00
Reviewed by Perlita Tan, who, by the grace of God alone, recently earned her Master of Theology degree in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary and started serving as lead pastor in her home church.
Many authors talk about success, but Tim Morey tackles failure, obscurity, suffering, and conflict. In almost every chapter, Morey openly shares his weaknesses and failures as a church planter and pastor. He writes, “If there is any one reality that led to the writing of this book, it is this: suffering is inevitable, and when it appears, it is going to reveal parts of us that are in need of healing, formation, and correction” (37).
The premise of this book is that “healthy leaders plant healthy churches,” therefore, “who a leader is and what a leader is becoming” are even more important than “what a leader does” (ix).
Morey emphasizes that all church-planters need to develop their spiritual competencies first so that they can pastor in healthy and sustainable ways. How does one become a spiritually formed pastor? By (1) creating a rule of life to grow spiritually and to avoid moral failures; (2) embracing suffering to become a deep-rooted and more fruitful pastor; (3) being someone who can be trusted with power; (4) serving joyfully even if unnoticed and unknown; (5) doing the right thing even if it hurts, courageously facing failure and shame; (6) practicing healthy and sustainable leadership that follows sacred rhythms; (7) empowering one’s team; (8) handling difficult people and opposition graciously; and (9) living and serving in such a way that one’s children and spouse grow to love the church. Morey ends with the encouragement that the church planter’s work is “vitally and eternally important” (172).
Planting a Church Without Losing Your Soul is very well-written. Each chapter deals with a specific topic and contains true-to-life stories, relevant Bible passages, biblical examples, practical tips, reflection and discussion questions for personal and group use, and related books for further reading. Insets containing testimonies and tips from other church planters and pastors can also be found within its pages.
Although Scott Sunquist mentions three times in the Foreword that this book is relevant for the West/North America, many of the principles within are also applicable to pastors and churches in other regions of the world. Probably the only debatable section in this book is the author’s narration and defense of why he decided to let a young man who impregnated his girlfriend play the church drums during worship service on the very day Morey announced to his congregation that the young man and his girlfriend had confessed to sinning (148–149).
This is essential reading for both new and experienced church planters and pastors. It can better prepare young people (who grew up in a generation described as being entitled, having low adversity quotient, and being too idealistic) for the difficult tasks of church planting and pastoring. This book can also help older pastors to prevent burnout, to end well, and to mentor younger pastors. Moreover, it can be a practical textbook in church-planting, pastoral ministry, and Christian leadership classes.
For Further Reading
Barton, R. Ruth, and Gary A Haugen. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry. Expanded ed. InterVarsity Press, 2018.
Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature. Updated ed. Zondervan, 2017.
