The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church

by Timothy Z. Witmer

Leaders in the church are called to be shepherds, not a board of directors. This requires involvement in a personal shepherding ministry among the people. The Shepherd Leader unpacks the four primary ministries of shepherds -- knowing, feeding, leading, and protecting -- on macro (churchwide) and micro (personal) levels, providing seven elements to be incorporated into an effective shepherding plan.

Genres: Leadership, Theology, Church, Christian, Christianity, Ecclesiology, Christian Living

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2010

About the author

Timothy Z. Witmer, MDiv, DMin is Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary where he serves as Coordinator of the Practical Theology Department and Director of Mentored Ministry and Master of Divinity Programs. He has also served for thirty-five years in pastoral ministry, most recently completing twenty-seven years of service at Crossroads Community Church (PCA) in Upper Darby, PA having been designated Pastor Emeritus. Tim is the author of The Shepherd Leader and The Shepherd Leader at Home. He and his wife Barbara have threechildren, four grandchildren and reside in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[j.j. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the most helpful book that I’ve read on the role of an elder. Witmer writes clearly, richly, and practically on what an elder’s main responsibility to their church is: to shepherd the flock of God under their care. It gave me pause many times to think through how thankful I am for my current elders and how, if Lord willing, I should ever be an elder again, I can better care for the church I am called to care for. Thank you, Timothy Witmer. This book is a gift to the church.

[Stephen Hoogerhyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

At a time when there is a diminishing understanding of and appreciation of the office of elder in the church, Witmer's book is a clarion call to those who are now or who might be elders to consider seriously the nature and requirements of the office. He desires that the sheep, the people of God's church, be cared for, nurtured, and protected.

He states clearly in the introduction that "The fundamental responsibility of church leaders is to shepherd God's flock." First he looks at Old Testament themes of the shepherd, concentrating on Moses, David, and Ezekiel 34. Next he looks at the fulfillment of the Good Shepherd in Jesus, and how both Peter and Paul emphasized the shepherding role of elders. Then he takes us through church history to see how the role of elder has been conceived or carried out.

The middle part of the book focuses on what Witmer calls the four primary ministries of elders: knowing the sheep, feeding the sheep, leading the sheep, and protecting the sheep. He shows how they are to do each of these on both the macro level (i.e., congregation-wide) and the micro level (i.e., in personal ministry). This section contains an excellent chart which summarizes these activities at a glance.

The final section gives seven essential elements of a shepherding plan, some implications of having a shepherding ministry, and suggestions for how to implement such a plan. The book also contains an appendix of John Murray's arguments against term eldership (very convincing arguments, by the way).

I have to say that this book challenged me and showed me how I need to be a better elder myself. It also made me grateful that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and that he can and will use even weak vessels to shepherd his flock.

[Cory Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The macro shepherding aspects of this book are really helpful, but fairly standard.

The micro shepherding elements are the points to really hone in on. This was the area the book was most convicting, challenging, and useful for me.

[Ethan McCarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and helpful book required to read for seminarians at SBTS. This and Al Mohler's book on leadership are both quite helpful for those looking to be leaders, whether pastoral or laity, within the church. Highly recommended, though at times a bit dry as far as writing style goes. Books on leadership can often come off as dry and dusty, this book escapes most of those traps while still slipping into a few.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon my second read-through (in 2024), I “upped” my rating to five stars. This biblically grounded and faithful manual for how churches officers must cooperate to provide pastoral care to congregations is exceptionally helpful. Use this book!

[Connor Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Context: I’m reading this for a pastoral residency through my church.

This was by far my favorite Christian leadership book for the semester. I think the definition of shepherd-leader was clear and biblical and only took up four chapters of the book which felt very appropriate.

The other half was absolute gold, a Chinese buffet of pastoral wisdom for effectively and lovingly caring for the sheep. Good book for referencing or even recommending to other pastors or men who aspire to the office of elder.

[Gus Crotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, practical advice for shepherding in the church. Also applies to any leadership role.
I greatly enjoyed the lengthy background and defense of church structure and elders, specifically to the effect of reaching each member of the church.

Anyone in a position of leadership among Christ’s flock can easily grow from a book like this.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Simply Wonderful.

[Henry Holmberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gonna come back to this one.

[Luke Randolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not only extremely beneficial and practical but also extremely interesting. Very helpful on the role of shepherds in the church with tons of wisdom from our reformed forefathers. Extremely historical and rooted in biblical truth, and the historical bits about shepherds in church history were so fascinating! From a church layman's point of view I walked away from this with a much greater appreciation for the shepherds in my own church and a greater desire to help make disciples through member-to-member care and help them be more effective in their role. Praise God for His Word that guides us, and for resources like these.

[Jonathan Mcleod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably in my top-3 of books on church elders. It not only tells you what an elder should be doing, but also gives practical suggestions as to how they can do it.

[John-Jennifer Divito · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a pastor, I am always looking for helpful resources to grow in my understanding of what it means to serve Christ's church as well to help me shepherd His sheep according to God's Word. Since several pastors encouraged me to read Timothy Witmer's The Shepherd Leader, I picked up a copy. I am glad that I did. Witmer has provided us with a biblically faithful look at what it means for pastors to shepherd the churches entrusted to their care.

I appreciated several aspects of Witmer's book. First, he begins with a strong Scriptural foundation. Witmer begins with the Old Testament and our Lord the Shepherd of His people along with the human shepherds who oversaw Israel. Then He moves to the New Testament and shows how Christ is our Good Shepherd and appoints faithful and mature men to serve as undershepherds of His church. Next, he develops what it looks like to pastor Christ's church, with four aspects of our shepherding ministry: shepherds know the sheep, shepherds feed the sheep, shepherds lead the sheep, and shepherds protect the sheep. Each element of this comprehensive matrix was then split into the macro- and micro- levels of ministry. This biblical survey of shepherding was richly rewarding to me as I consider my calling as a pastor.

Second, I am thankful for Witmer's practical focus. He doesn't want to simply explain what an effective shepherding ministry looks like, but he wants to assist pastors and elders in forming an intentional plan to practice this shepherding ministry. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter, the action plan laid out in part three, and additional resources in the appendices, this work would be a useful tool for pastors to develop what this shepherding ministry would look like in their local church.

Third, Witmer includes all pastor/elders in the shepherding ministry of the church. This responsibility is not only for vocational pastors, but includes all elders called by Christ to shepherd His church. This is an important biblical truth which needs to be incorporated into the pastoral ministry of many churches today. If you are called to serve as an elder, then you are called to shepherd the flock of God.

Still, I have my criticisms. The author is a Presbyterian and presents a history focused on their tradition. While I understand this focus, his book would serve a larger audience by including a broader history. Furthermore, there are aspects of his ecclesiology with which I would differ as a Reformed Baptist pastor. I don't find the division between teaching and ruling elders biblical. Of course, I also hold to associational elder-led congregationalism, not Presbyterian connectionalism. So there are times when I would find certain arguments internal to a different tradition and irrelevant to my own.

Witmer's book is also oriented towards larger churches. He assumes certain sizes in shepherding ministry which would require a church of several hundred members. Especially as he assists in developing an action plan, you can see this assumption coming through. Therefore, as a pastor of a small congregation, some of his recommendations and suggestions were not helpful.

However, I don't want these issues to keep pastors and church leaders from reading Witmer's book. I was encouraged and challenged in my own ministry, and I hope that many other pastors and elders will be helped to become more effective shepherds of Christ's church.

[mpsiple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very practical, but reads a bit like a manual. Starts with big picture advice and gives it legs with great recommendations for how to implement.

[Tyler Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where the church is a social club of religious experiences marketed to the consumer, where leadership teams function like a non-profit board of directors, and where pastors cultivate celebrity-like followings on every online platform, Witmer's vision of a middleeastern shepherd caring for a vulnerable animal as the picture of pastoral leadership is refreshing. I'm currently ordained into parachurch ministry, so much of this is thought for some other moment in ministry, but overall, I'm sold on the need to restore the paradigm of shepherding as the primary role of the elders.

Here are some of the strengths.
- Shepherding > decision makers. Witmer is spot on (in my experience) that too many elders view themselves as something other than an under shepherd.
- Know, love, feed, protect is a beautiful fourfold summary of what elders are called to do with the office they are called into.
- Macro-micro distinction. It is so helpful to think in terms of the temple courts and from house to house when thinking about the four duties above. In case you can't tell, the second section of the book was my favorite.
- Proactive not reactive. Witmer has one line where he says that most times that members hear directly from the pastors are when they have 1) done something wrong or 2) there is a financial need. What a shame! But I 100% see how that becomes the reality.
- Small groups aren't enough. For years my church tried to make membership in a small group the way we approached membership care and community mission. I still love these groups, but Witmer's push back was really helpful.

All that being said, there are a couple pragmatic questions floating around my head, especially as he discussed implementing this plan.
- "A sheep retained is as valuable as a sheep gained" (4). What about heaven rejoicing more over 1 sheep? I think the sentence is right on its face; but in the implementation, this really feels like chasing the churched folks to the neglect of reaching the lost. I know that's not what he's saying, but that's the rub in my estimation.
- Does he overemphasize attendance? Whether it's Pew Pads or the eyeball test, none of the tools for monitoring church attendance feel welcoming to new people and helpful for members.
- How does it not become formal? I knew one student whose church used this model. Her elder had no clue who she was. She merely had to take his call once in a while. Abuse doesn't negate use, but does ruling elder Bob who has his own family and full time job really have the bandwidth to do this well? And down that alley, do sheep want to know their pastor in a way Bob ruling elder can't know? A lot of sheep (for better and for worse) really want to know the primary preacher, not Bob. (No offense, Bob!)
- Witmer's interpretation of "children are believers" from Titus 1 is odd to me!
- Witmer took a shot at the Walmart-ization of the church and the Church hopping phenomenon on p. 180. I love so much of it, except when he says that members who say "they weren't being fed" probably mean they weren't being shepherded by an elder. I just don't think that's it. A phone call with ruling elder Bob isn't going to keep me from the anonymity and consumer ability of the megachurch with a perfect play place in their children's area, their perfectly prepared complementary latte, and their Sunday morning lightshow if that's what they actually want. And in my experience, 'not being fed' is sort of a church version of 'it's not you, it's me' to break up for no reason other then the desire to be done.

[Nathan Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witmer's work concerning shepherding is a well-written, engaging book which strikes a near perfect balance between theological and practical. The author begins by presenting a biblical foundation for the institution of elders and deacons while emphasizing the need for these leaders to be shepherd leaders.

Often, Elders merely function as a church board of directors focused merely on excommunication or finances while deacons merely function as church janitors. The author expresses a higher view of these roles by taking the imagery of a shepherd and applying it to these roles. The author also explains why identifying such leaders as shepherds is a biblical identification.

The author provides both practical and open-ended instruction for churches to make shepherding action plans. Vital aspects of such plans include actively seeking out wandering sheep as soon as possible, frequently contacting and visiting both weak and strong members, and making a verbal commitment to these actions to the leaders and congregation alike.

In the end, the author is likely to challenge and convict any church leader with his biblical and proper description of how an elder or Deacon should function. Reading and implementing the principles in this book will not be without great difficulty, but doing such would undoubtedly heighten the growth and strength of any local church.

Perhaps the only weakness in this book was its tendency to repeat itself in many areas.

[Pat Baird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh yes… Another leadership book. I’m beginning to think that the Lord is trying to teach me leadership.

Timothy Witmer in The Shepherd Leader; argues for the importance of shepherding ministry in the leadership of a church. This book is good.

I really appreciated the meditations on Ezekiel 34, the distinction between micro and macro elements of shepherding ministry, the robust quoting of Richard Baxter, and the practical systems laid out for an effective shepherding ministry.

How might one use this book? I think this book would be especially helpful in training lay elders that are not used to operating in a healthy plurality. However, I would want to supplement this book with other great Baptist resources….

If I’m being honest (in certain parts) this book was a little too Presbyterian for me.

This book could’ve been stronger if it was 75 page shorter, but all in all I’m glad I read it and that it will be in my library.

3/5

[Andrew Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating of this book is based on the reader’s background. Allow me to explain. For the reader that is already convinced of Presbyterianism (elder-led church government) and the biblical imperative that elders have to shepherd the flock of God, this book will likely be primarily a re-affirming of things already known. That’s not to say this book is of no value to those in this camp - I learned some good practical shepherding practices and it’s always beneficial to have God’s truths affirmed in our lives. Where this book really shines is as an introduction to Presbyterianism and the duties of biblical elders. For one who has never learned these truths, this book would be an excellent introduction, particularly for someone who isn’t interested in reading the Puritans or older works on ecclesiology. Give this book to your Baptist friends. Give it to Evangelical friends. But you can also give it to your Presbyterian friends as well.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this emphasis. This is what we need. Elders need to shepherd their flock.

Things I love: the 4-fold paradigm of know, feed, lead, protect, with the macro-micro distinctions. The reasons for shepherding in the intro and chapters on the Scriptures. The argument against term eldership. The practical tips on how to achieve this.

Thing I was surprised by: Once a year visitation isn't enough, and he recommends monthly(!) calls. Isn't that a bit too much? Or not?

Thing I disliked: implicit dislike of the three-office view even though all of his citations in the historical chapter held to a distinction between the minister and the elder.

[Frode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four of us elders read this together. It prompted lots of helpful discussion. It is a good book for any church elder to read. Witmer makes some good points and shares some practical ways to improve the shepherding aspect of elders, which in his mind is their primary job. He uses Scripture and some personal examples to make his case. I encourage any and every elder to read this book. It will be profitable and will hopefully foster positive changes in the way a session or consistory serves its sheep.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic guide to the concept of elders being shepherds within the church. It covers everything from the biblical grounding to how it works in practise, including practical suggestions for putting this crucial work into place. A very good read, which I found both challenging and exciting.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treasure in a homely package. Readable, inspiring introduction to a church shepherding ministry, including both the why's and how's. Until I read more books on the subject, this is at the top of the list.

[Ben Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book with a simple, but vital, thesis: leaders of the church are to be shepherds, engaging in the personal care of souls for each and every member of the church.

Practical, biblical, encouraging!

[Matt Allhands · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely helpful book. We read, discussed, and are in the process of applying the wisdom found here within our own local church context in order to shepherd the flock better. It would serve well as a companion volume to Ed Welch's "Side by Side" during officer training.

[Jason Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biblically sound, easily readable, and very practical.

[Coleson White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biblical, historical, and practical. Loved it

[Billy Glosson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly helpful. I think Strauchs work on Elders is more robust but this still serves the reader well. One thing I appreciated was the ideas it did give for our own elder team in evaluating our shepherding plan!

[Brady Boatwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a great and practical book! Similar to Baxter’s Reformed Pastor, but more practical and Presbyterian

[Jeremy Fritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witmer does a great job of explaining the Biblical mandate for a shepherding ministry and then follows with practical guidance as to what that might look like.

[Tyler Greenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theological basis for shepherd leading is well put together and clearly communicated. Some of the practical recommendations are a little dated (how quickly our world changes). The governance structure seems to be based more on a Presbyterian and American background than the theological base he started with, but that base alone is worth the read.

[Luke Schmeltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witmer sets out an exegetical argument for the ministry of pastors primarily as shepherds over the local church flock. This book is well-written and convicting, painting a beautiful picture of what a healthy shepherding ministry would look like. It comes from the context of the PCA and a Presbyterian ecclesiology, so it is best suited for those who would make those particular distinctions. However, I still found it helpful as a guide to enacting a real ministry of shepherding in the local church.