Letters to New Pastors

In the tradition of C. S. Lewis's "Letters to Malcolm" and Reinhold Nie-buhr's "Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic," this fetching book by Michael Jinkins connects readers with pastoral wisdom that is both timely and timeless."Letters to New Pastors" delves deeply into the struggles, surprises, and rewards of congregational leadership and the needs -- professional, emotional, and spiritual -- of new pastors. Grounded in the experiences of real pastors while presented as the letters of a mature pastor to several fictional recipients, these letters unfold like a novel. Through them, Jinkins explores such themes as developing one's own spiritual life, finding balance amid conflicting demands, navigating between culture and faith, and discovering Christ's message for the future of the church. Mature pastors will recognize the wistful "I wish I'd known then what I know now" at the heart of this book. Now new pastors have a way to gain these insights from a wise and experienced guide.

Michael Jinkins is academic dean and professor of pastoral theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, Texas.