"Whether you have pastored for many years or you are taking the beginning steps toward a first pastorate, I encourage you to read this book. As a pastor you will be measured against many standards of success, but my friends Danny Akin and Scott Pace zero in on the only one that mattersGods Word and what it says about who a pastor should be and what primary areas of focus his ministry should have. Build your ministry on the solid theology outlined here and you wont be shaken when the inevitable challenges of ministry visit your front door."
Kevin Ezell, President, North American Mission Board
"Pastoral Theology mines the deep wells of the sacred text, and presents a profoundly principled vision and practicum for ministry. It is also a treasure trove of pastoraliabrimming with insights that will enrich and enable the life of every pastor. Pastors and church leaders, who embrace an evangelical Bible-centered faith, regardless of tradition, ought to include this book in their library of essentials."
R. Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church, Wheaton, IL, and the John Boyer Chair of Evangelism and Culture at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA
"As a pastor for forty years, never have I seen a greater need for pastors to be grounded in a divine understanding of ministry than in an age when people are more concerned with the length of a sermon than its depth; the humor of a pastor rather than his holiness; and that church should be more about creative thinking than about communicating truth. Every pastor and everyone desiring to become one should read this tour de force which will move all ministers to be connected to a holy God and more committed to a holistic ministry, which are the only things that give all pastoral work ultimate meaning."
James Merritt, Senior Pastor, Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, GA
"The pastoral calling is inherently theological. Given the fact that the pastor is to be a teacher of the Word of God and the teacher of the gospel, it cannot be otherwise. The idea of the pastorate as a non-theological office is inconceivable. The loss of the pastor-theologian model of ministry has adversely affected countless churches across the world and has weakened Christianity as a whole. This book is sorely needed by the church right now. Akin and Pace remind us that the pastoral task is fundamentally and most comprehensively theological. This is the right book for the right time."
R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"I love pastors. I love the work and ministry of pastors. And I love the churches they serve. Danny Akin and Scott Pace have made an incredible contribution to helping us understand, from a thoroughly biblical perspective, who pastors are and what they have been called to do. This book is now an essential component of my library of pastoral resources. I commend it to church leaders around the world."
Thom S. Rainer, President and CEO, LifeWay Christian Resources
"Every pastor I knowmyself includedneeds to develop stronger bonds between biblical truth and the day-by-day realities of serving the Lords church. As scholars with deep roots in local congregations, Akin and Pace present an approach to the pastoral calling that is saturated in biblical theology and targeted toward hands-on ministry. For those wrestling with whether God is calling them to ministry, beginning pastors in their first church assignment, or seasoned preachers who need reminding of the beauty and gravity of their vocation, Pastoral Theology offers biblical insight and discerning counsel."
Stephen N. Rummage, Senior Pastor, Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Brandon, FL
"About effective preaching John Stott said, The essential secret is not mastering certain techniques but being mastered by certain convictions. The same is true for every aspect of the pastors work. If were going to be effective shepherds, it will be because our ministries are firmly rooted in certain convictions about who a pastor is and what he does. Danny Akin and Scott Pace know this to be true. In Pastoral Theology they give us the theological, doctrinal, and practical foundation on which to build pastoral ministries that are God-centered, gospel-driven, and people-focused. Fellow pastor, read books and attend conferences that will help you with the pragmatic aspects of your ministry. But make sure its all grounded in the theology that these two pastoral theologians champion in this book."
Jim Shaddix, W. A. Criswell Professor of Expository Preaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary