Book review:
Becoming a Spiritual Leader by Patrick Whitworth
Terra
Nova Publications. 2005.
ISBN 1901949346.
For
his model of a spiritual leader, Patrick Whitworth has chosen the life and times
of the Apostle Peter. As he points
out in his preface, Peter, an uneducated fisherman, was an unlikely choice to
become one of our Lord’s foremost aides, and could have had trouble being
accepted for ordination in almost any, modern-day denomination.
The author also claims that this book is not a manual on leadership, in
the accepted sense, but in spite of this he manages to cover just about every
conceivable aspect of spiritual leadership by pinpointing the qualities and
attributes that all church leaders should have or aspire to.
Whitworth
takes incidents from Peter’s life as described in the scriptures, and draws
from them the way his leadership developed.
Part one of the book dwells on Peter’s formative years when he was
close to Jesus. Peter’s character
is dissected as if he were under the surgeon’s knife – his belligerence and
rashness, his fearfulness and his loyalty.
Part two displays the post-Pentecost Peter, now filled to overflowing
with the Holy Spirit: no longer fearful but bold and steadfast in proclaiming
the message of the risen Christ.
Part
three provides us with an inspired commentary and evangelical exposition of
Peter’s letters. Peter’s
teaching is as valid for Christians around the world today as it was in the
first century, particularly for those suffering for their faith, and those
bemused by the plethora of spiritual movements that compete for their attention.
Throughout the whole book Whitworth repeatedly returns to underline his
main theme: the role of the church leader and how he or she can increase their
knowledge and effectiveness and above all their spirituality in the service of
Christ. I am sure that anyone in
any church leadership position will find this book to be an inspiration and a
valuable resource.
Brian Newsom