SUSTAINING LEADERSHIP
You are more important than your Ministry
By Paul Swann
BRF 158 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978 0 857 466 518
Paul Swann served in two Anglican parishes in the Diocese of Worcester. In 2008, he retired early and spent two years existing on what he describes as ‘Planet Fragile’. Sustaining Leadership is his story, but much more.
In Part I, Swann describes the process of his own disintegration as he slipped into that slough of physical, mental and emotional despond we call ME.
In Part II, he offers us first his personal and theological reflection on reintegration and then, in Part III, a host of practical and life-enhancing measures towards beginning and nurturing that process.
Broken is best
Writing for a broader constituency than mine and drawing on an impressive range of sources and resources, the basic thesis of this short book is that ‘broken is best’ … that our human capabilities are often expressions of weakness rather than strength … that Father-God is more concerned about who we are in him than what we do for him. As Paul Swann rightly observes, we are ‘human beings’ rather than ‘human doings’. What we do should flow from who we are, rather than the other way round.
Physical, spiritual, emotional
The remedy for our pervasive passion for proving ourselves is to take a long hard look at the three dials on the dashboard of our humanity – our God-given physical, spiritual and emotional needs. It’s time for those of us who are pastors to take control of our self care and our soul care. If we can’t care for ourselves, how can we hope to care for those the Lord Jesus has entrusted to us?
We don’t have to do this on our own; we need both personal friends and the body of the local church to help and encourage us. Taking Sustaining Leadership to heart will fill us not with optimism, but with hope. As Paul Swann rightly observes: ‘What we hope for is secondary to who we hope in’.
Readership
Who should read this book? Every pastor on sabbatical who has time to think and pray. Every member of a leadership team that has responsibility for caring for its pastoral staff. And every church member who is concerned to encourage their pastors and help them to thrive in serving the Lord Jesus for the long-haul. This is a gospel issue. Humanly, the health of our churches and the spread of the Lord Jesus’ mission depends on the well-being of our pastors.
