Jump directly to the Content

The Dangerous Pursuit of Pastoral Fame

Conflating ministry and celebrity is bad for our churches and our souls.
The Dangerous Pursuit of Pastoral Fame

As my chiropractor was working me over yesterday, she was asking about the reading I'm doing for a degree I'm working on. After I rattled off the titles and subjects of a number of leadership books, she said, "Wow, what are you going to do when you are finished with school—rule the world?"

"Actually, I'm moving in the opposite direction," I said.

And I am trying to mean that. Genuinely.

Over the last few years, I've thought long and hard about "my platform" as a pastor, a writer, an occasional speaker. And as I've done so, I've come to the conclusion that there is a danger to my soul in pursuing more exposure, more name recognition, more money to be made from thinking, writing, and speaking about ministry issues. Especially while I am still in full-time, paid ministry to a local community.

I want to be clear, though: I have no issue with writers/speakers who sell lots of books, go on speaking tours, and generally promote their works ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
 Former All-Pro Wide Receiver on Leadership and Determination
Friday Five
Former All-Pro Wide Receiver on Leadership and Determination
An Interview with Tim Brown
From the Magazine
I Hated ‘Church People.’ But I Knew I Needed Them.
I Hated ‘Church People.’ But I Knew I Needed Them.
As I attended my second funeral in three weeks, two Christians showed me a kindness I couldn’t explain.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close