Compiled from a series of blog posts by C.J. Mahaney on the subject of ‘The Pastor And Personal Criticism’ the Sovereign Grace ministries blog has released a 25 page ebook under the same title. Click this link to download.
It’s a subject that pastors (and their spouses, if married) should think through. Anecdotally it is not a subject that people work through before entering pastoral situations, but a single early negative response can have long-term negative effects on a ministry.
Mahaney’s insights would also be helpful to those who feel criticised in situations other than pastoral ministry. There’s a concluding chapter with suggestions about how to criticise your pastor.
Sovereign Grace and C.J. Mahaney are not without their critics. Whenever I post a link or refer to them within an hour or three I get an automated comment directing me to weblinks of sites maintained by folk who believe the movement has not treated them well.
I’m sure there’s folk here in Mount Gambier who have felt let down and poorly treated by myself and mgpc as well. (Because they’ve told me or we’ve heard through others.) This is a grief and we continue to try to be more Christ-like in dealing with folk.
I’d commend this publication in the hope that pastors deal with criticism in a constructive and non-defensive manner.
Here are links to the original blog posts if you wish to read them in that form.
The Pastor and Personal Criticism
- The Pastor and Personal Criticism
- The Pastor’s Temptations when Criticism Arrives
- Learning Wisdom by Embracing Criticism
- A Kind and Painful Bruising
- The Pastor’s Wife and Her Role When Criticism Arrives
- Adding a Few Smudges to My Moral Portrait
- Deal Gently with Your Critics
- Why Faithful Pastors Will Be Criticized
- Too High an Estimation
- Distinguishing Criticism
- How to Criticize Your Pastor (And Honor God)
mgpcpastor's blog 