Eric O. Jacobsen, Editor, The Three Tasks of Leadership: Worldly Wisdom for Pastoral Leaders. Eerdmans Publishing, 2009.
Referenced in: Empowering Leadership
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is a rich application of the leadership philosophy of Max De Pree to the role of pastoral leadership. De Pree is one of the most prominent authors and practitioners in leadership as empowerment. (link)
This is not an academic Festschrift in honor of De Pree, else it would tend to be read only by “the guild.” Instead, the authors write in short chapters and stay away from technical jargon to target practicing ministers. “It addresses certain leadership issues that are directly relevant to the running of churches and other ecclesial structures. But it is also meant to help pastors as they preach and provide spiritual direction to people in their congregations, people who themselves may be called to lead in a variety of ways.” (x)
The book is organized around De Pree’s definition of leadership: “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two; the leader must become a servant and a debtor.” These three task of leadership – defining reality, saying thank you, and serving people and mission – form three sections of the book. A number of authors address subjects under each category. For example, the section on “defining reality” includes articles by Earl Palmer on “The Pulpit as Primary Setting for Defining Reality.” The section on “servanthood” has an article on “Spiritual Formation as Service: The Essential Foundation for Leadership,” by Richard Peace. The section on “saying thanks” contains articles on “Gratitude as Organizational Ethos,” and “Paying Attention to People as Gratitude.” Another excellent feature is the last chapter, “A Leadership Library for Pastors.”
This is not a guide to enacting the empowerment model, but is an excellent collection of essays on the significance of transformative and empowering perspectives to the practice of ministry.
From the Publisher
This book unpacks business leader Max De Pree’s famous definition of leadership originally given for the business world and applies it to the church. Eighteen theologians and pastors here offer essays echoing that definition. The Three Tasks of Leadership is refreshingly free of jargon, full of practical and inspirational advice, and perfect for both pastors in the field and pastors in formation. / Contributors: David Augsburger, Robert Banks, James E. Bradley, Mark Lau Branson, Sherwood Lingenfelter, Richard J. Mouw, Nancy Ortburg, Richard Peace, Charles J. Scalise, Wilbert R. Shenk, Marguerite Shuster, Siang-Yang Tan, Dennis N. Voskuil, Linda Wagener, Howard Wilson, and Walt Wright.
About the Author
Eric O. Jacobsen is associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Missoula, Montana. His work has been published in various periodicals, including Markets and Morality, The Cresset, and The Christian Century. He is a member of Congress for the New Urbanism, and earned his M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley.
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