The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life and Ministry

by Nelson Searcy, Jennifer Dykes Henson

Break out of the trap of average and pursue God's best for your ministry. The average church in America is declining by 9% every year, is behind on budget, and is unable to move forward with the kingdom plans God has in store. The average pastor is stressed out and struggling to maintain healthy relationships and life balance. But while the cycle of average is strong, there is a way to overcome its pull and step into a life of impact and excellence. Drawing from Nelson Searcy's decades of ministry experience, The Renegade Pastor is a relevant, step-by-step resource for church leaders who are ready to step up in surrender to the pursuit of God's best for his or her life and work.

Addresses issues of personal and professional growth

-Managing Stress
-Controlling Emotions
-Dealing with Criticism
-Setting Godly Goals
-Planning with Purpose
-Establishing Healthy Friendships
-Developing Strong Church Systems
-Personally Honoring the Sabbath
-Becoming a Better Spouse and Parent

Genres: Leadership

176 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2013

Reviews

[Luke Watts · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was some practical wisdom in this book, but any positives in the first half were cancelled for me in the second. The commitments are sound (and even biblical) though out. The fleshing out of these commitments becomes more and more, well, unbiblical the longer he writes. The stress on financial stewardship being a priority in shepherding (by stewardship meaning tithing) was overt, uncomfortable, and so adversely against instructions for shepherds in the church that it left a bad taste and impression of the author in general, especially when it all ends with a pitch to employ him as a coach. Extremely disappointing. He mentions in one section about a good principle of using time wisely might be not finishing a book. I wish I hadn’t with this one.

[Aaron Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I approached this book expecting to wade through Searcy's ceaseless promotion of his products, and I was not disappointed! I was, however, surprised by how many powerful and helpful points he makes along the way. The bottom line is that pastoral ministry can all too easily sink into mediocrity if we are not constantly forging ahead, pursuing excellence, and Searcy pulls no punches in identifying many areas in which pastors can be too lax. He sometimes builds on questionable use of Scripture, and he espouses principles that are only barely biblically defensible. What I mean is that some of the material sounds like it was pulled from the popular business leader section of the library and given a biblical veneer. There's nothing wrong with learning best practices from others, but let's not claim to derive it directly from Scriptures either. Apart from that and an encouragement for pastors to compare this cautiously with Scripture (a good reminder all the time), I recommend this book as a helpful, practical, kick in the pants.

[Jon Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some good, practical ideas in this books, particularly the chapters on time management and church systems. It was an easy read. I'll admit that I took one star off because I didn't like the average pastor/renegade pastor dichotomy. I agree that all pastors need to be taking the time for thoughtful evaluation of their hearts, their relationships, their ministries and also having others speak into those areas. But the vibe from the book is that if the church is not getting bigger than the pastor must have settled for being average. I also took off a star because while an easy read, the book is one big infomercial for other Nelson Searcy products. It's like, "Here's this area to think about and you can find out more about it in my (book, webinar, etc.)" At least, he didn't list the prices for those items. I am not against him pointing out useful helps but listing them all one time at the end of the book would have removed the distraction of an ad every other page.

[Christopher Sweet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book had basic leadership tips, but it basically serves as an advertisement for multiple other books and a coaching subscription that Dr Searcy offers. I am unable to attest to the effectiveness nor ineffectiveness of the referred resources contained within, but it would be more beneficial to find Dr Searcy’s website and find the listing of resources and services rather than reading this book as a glorified sales pitch.

[Jacob Sabin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Searcy spends too much time promoting his other books/services in this book. Some described this as an infomercial in book form and it felt that way at times. It did have some redeemable qualities/advice, but it is not great. On page 80 he advises people to never waste time reading a bad book...it is ok to trash it. Be careful with giving advice on this book, though I suspect the author could care less once he has your money.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book. An encouraging reminder for those in ministry. The downside is the constant infomercial about his other resources.

[Crystal Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Renegade Pastor is a must have for all Pastor’s. This book covers topics that are very important for pastors especially “Establishing Healthy Friendships” and “Developing Strong Church Systems.” The Pastor is the head of the church, the one everyone looks to and he should know how to handle stress and everything else that is on his plate.

Broken down into seven commitments a pastor should make, this book will help you become all you need to be to shepherd your flock. So many decisions are placed on a pastors shoulders and I love what Mr. Searcy said in commitment five: Shepherd Your Flock, “A mediocre decision that’s well implemented is far better than a great decision that’s poorly implemented.” This is so true; the pastor should stay engaged to be sure the decision is implemented properly. I have seen so many times decisions are made and the pastor puts someone else in charge to make sure it is carried out.

This book is a must have for all pastors, I highly recommend picking up a copy today for yourself or your pastor.


Thank you to Regal for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

[G.P. Hintz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed. A book packed with resources and one that I will use as reference in the years to come. If you are a pastor or church leader, this is a must read. I have been challenged in many areas and am working at applying the principles that I've learned through it.

[Jackie Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book for pastors and ministry leaders! A must read.

[Jon Morrissette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Book but...

I really enjoy Nelson's books, but they are increasingly becoming infomercials. Essentially, this is an overview and promotion for a lot of his other materials.

[Yula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more subtle than the title suggests, it was catchy enough to draw me to it. It's a useful, practical read.