Serving in a ministry and leading a team, I expected this book to enlighten me on my good points and those upon which I need to improve. The first line I loved was “When I was discerning my call, I read through these letters daily to better grasp what a life of ministry entails, how one is to serve the church, and, especially to clarify God’s will for my life.”, I felt this book would be for me!

And then I hit this: “As we do, we make clear our convictions that the office and function of the pastor/elder are biblically reserved for qualified men.” *gasp*, quite literally, I gasped! I don’t agree with this at all, with female friends leading ministries as pastors and deacons and serving myself in an all women ministry, I take serious exception to this interpretation of the Bible. I decided to keep reading in the hope of seeing past this.

Onward until I hit this prejudice just a few lines down: “…my default position is that one who has been divorced is most likely unfit to serve as a pastor.”

At that point, I took to skimming! If the reader holds to the previously listed paradigms, the writing is eloquent and the arguments well-put. For those who don’t, skip this one! I couldn’t trust the soundness of the discussions in light of what I see as misinterpreting the text, it discredited everything said further!