
The Workers are Few
Towards the Repair of Pastoral Training
J. Alexander Rutherford(Author)
Teleioteti (Publisher)
Published on 31. January 2025
Book
Hardback
420 pages
978-1-989560-80-8 (ISBN)
Description
By all indications, the Western Church is facing a crisis of pastoral ministry. Pastoral ministry is on a trajectory of decline despite the fact that God has opened a massive mission field on our doorstep, a mission field that requires workers. Moreover, we continue to export the same model of ministry to the global Church, inviting them to join us in the state of crisis.
In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus invites his disciples to consider the vast harvest of souls God has prepared, a harvest awaiting workers. If we want to see our churches healthy and our neighbours come to know Jesus, we must be interested in God's work to prepare workers for the harvest. This book is an attempt to repair what is broken, to contribute to the repair of pastoral ministry. I am convinced that no problem is more urgent to the church globally than this one, yet I am also convinced the solution to this problem is quite simple. This book argues that our crisis is the result of swapping the biblical vision of pastoral ministry for a poor substitute and our failure to raise disciples in our local church. Part 1 identifies significant reasons why we are in a crisis; Part 2 lays a biblical foundation for rebuilding a biblical model of pastoral ministry; and Part 3 shows how this foundation can be built upon in the life of a local church.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Canada
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
829 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-989560-80-8 (9781989560808)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
James Rutherford holds a PhD in Theology from Moore Theological College (thesis: "Rightly Defining the Son of God: An Examination of the Definition of Chalcedon"). Prior to this, he graduated from Pacific Life Bible College with a Bachelor of Pastoral Leadership and from Regent College with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, majoring in biblical languages (Hebrew focus), and a Master of Theology (thesis: "God's Kingdom through His Priest-King: An Analysis of the Book of Samuel in Light of the Davidic Covenant"). Currently, James is working on community outreach in Punchbowl and Greenacre NSW and manages Teleioteti.ca. He is happily married to Nicole and the father of Aliyah, Asher (who has gone to be with his Lord), and Adriel. When not writing, James serves at Riverwood-Punchbowl Anglican Church, enjoys cooking, and enjoys exploring the East Coast of Australia with his family.