
Pastor to the Body of the Congregation
A Companion Guide for Congregational Clergy
Dennis S. Ross(Author)
Wipf & Stock Publishers
Published on 14. October 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
204 pages
979-8-3852-5705-8 (ISBN)
Description
Pastor to the Body of the Congregation: A Companion Guide for Congregational Clergy fills a gap in seminary education and in-service training by applying the skills of helping individuals and families to caring for an entire congregation. This book takes an empowerment approach, drawn from social work, to lead with congregational strengths, build trusting relationships, assess needs, establish mutual goals, and work toward measurable outcomes. Social work, religious advocacy, and media relations contribute clearly presented and easily applied skills such as building rapport, creating a mutual work plan, partialization of larger tasks, acting with parsimony, and holding to task. It also draws from systems theory to identify and address obstacles to work, with a unique presentation of triangulation that includes categorization of behavior patterns such as secondhand comments, default responses, grandstanding, and gatekeeping, and provides appropriate responses for immediate application to congregational life. Of additional significance, this book takes a relational approach, as suggested by Jewish thinker Martin Buber, by labeling situations and behavior, not people, prioritizing current needs and situations over in-depth historic study and analysis, and underscoring the intention of staying in relationship with our congregants, even when we react with upset.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
266 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-3852-5705-8 (9798385257058)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2025
Wipf and Stock Publishers
€27.49
Available for download
Person
Dennis S. Ross, an intentional interim rabbi in the greater New York City area, is on the faculty of the Interim Ministry Network. He served as program specialist at the Central Conference of American Rabbis and trains rabbis for interim service. His most recent book is A Year with Martin Buber: Wisdom on the Weekly Torah Portion. He has written for the New York Times, Boston Globe, and other publications and speaks nationally.