Fatherhood, Church Planting, Baptists, and More: One Pastor’s Recommendations for 2011
By Timothy Raymond
Around this time of year, it seems as if just about everybody is compiling a list of best books from the last 12 months. I thought I might climb on the bandwagon by enumerating my favorites from 2011. For full disclosure, I should confess that I haven’t completed reading some of the following books in their entirety. But I believe I have read enough of them to understand the author’s message and be impacted by it.
Before I share my list, there is one comment I’d like to make. You may notice that a number of my favorites, including my top 3, were all written 150 or more years ago. In fact, of the top 3, the older the book the higher it ranked on the list. While I didn’t stack the deck so that things would turn out that way, and while I read plenty of contemporary books this year, I don’t think this is a coincidence. From my limited experience, older books that have stood the test of time are almost always better than the latest, most popular books. I heartily agree with C.S. Lewis, who wrote in his extraordinary little introduction to Athanasius’ On the Incarnation, “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones.” For a few of years now I have tried to constantly be reading at least one book that’s over 100 years old (e.g., a Church Father, Puritan, historic Baptist, etc.). The practice has paid off a hundred fold and I’d strongly commend it to all our readers, especially if you’re a pastor.
With no further ado, here are my favorite 11 books from 2011:
Fatherhood: What it is and What it’s For by Tony Payne – While I obviously haven’t read every book ever written on fatherhood, I suspect that this may be the single best volume in existence. After carefully defining what a father is from Scripture, Payne then works out this biblical definition in a number of very practical ways. The writing is clear, humorous, easily applicable, and carefully biblical. To tell you how much I appreciated this book, I had our church purchase a copy for every man in our congregation. It’s a great one for new fathers, old fathers, or anyone who has ever seen a father.
Church Planting is For Wimps: How God Uses Messed-up People to Plant Ordinary Churches That Do Extraordinary Things by Mike McKinley – A hilarious, semi-autobiographical account of how a young guy planted a church that actually took root and grew without borrowing bizarre techniques from Ringling Bros. McKinley, who used to work with 9Marks Ministries’ Mark Dever, basically applied the 9 marks in a church planting context and the results are very encouraging. They were able to turn around and plant another church after just a few years. Even if you’re not a church planter, you’ll be refreshed and inspired by this “warts and all” story.
Guidance and the Voice of God by Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne – While it’s only the second book I’ve ever read on discerning God’s will, it is certainly the best. Removes a lot of mysticism from guidance and replaces it with healthy biblical teaching and wisdom. After laying out the principles, the authors apply their framework to the issues of finding a church home, discerning a career, and choosing a spouse. You’ll learn a lot, not only about guidance, but about the sufficiency of Scripture and biblical theology. I’m really surprised at how much ground the authors were able to cover in under 200 pages. A great one to give to new Christians.
Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds (1835-1913) – A moving little book on prayer written especially to preachers (the original title was Preacher and Prayer) by a godly Methodist pastor. It’s more of a motivation to pray than a how to pray book. I sympathize with John Piper who testifies to the Lord using this book profoundly to show him his need for greater time on his knees. Beware, however; it is quite convicting.
“The Duty of Baptists to Teach their Distinctive Views”, essay by John Broadus (1827–1895) – Perhaps the most controversial thing I read this year, but characterized by an irenic spirit throughout. As the title implies, it’s an apologetic for why Baptists should be unashamedly Baptist in their teaching and preaching. The argument is winsome and, frankly, rather difficult to disagree with. It also includes a number of very helpful suggestions for being a convictional Baptist without being a jerk.
A Brief Declaration and Vindication of the Doctrine of the Trinity: As Also of the Person and Satisfaction of Christ by John Owen (1616-1683), in Volume 2 of Works – The single best explanation and defense of the doctrine of the Trinity I have ever read. In comparison to some of Owen’s other writings, this is rather easy to read. It complements well the below title on communion with the God. Owen was an erudite scholar but also a man who manifestly knew God. Follow his arguments and they’ll move you to worship.
In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture by Alister McGrath – Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that 2011 is the 400th anniversary of the translation of the King James Bible. If you find the history of the English Bible even slightly interesting, you should read this book. It’s a fascinating and extremely well-written account of the religious, political, and cultural milieu that gave birth to the translation that many of our people still use. This is my second time reading this book and it’s well-worth the time.
Parenting in the Pew: Guiding Your Children into the Joy of Worship by Robbie Castleman – While this little volume is intended to teach parents how to train their children for corporate worship, it did my soul a world of good. It gave me not only dozens of ideas for helping my young sons “get something” out of our Lord’s Day gatherings, it also taught me, for perhaps the very first time, what I should be doing when I gather with God’s people. As a pastor it is terribly easy to get preoccupied with service logistics to the point that you sing and pray and lead and somehow forget about the Almighty. God used this book as a very helpful corrective.
The Pastor: His Qualifications and Duties by Hezekiah Harvey (1821-1893) – A wonderful book by a 19th-century Baptist theologian and pastor on the nature of pastoral ministry. I intend to write a lengthier review of this book for a future Credo blog post. There really are a number of ways being a Baptist should give a distinct shape to your pastoral ministry. One of its most significant contributions is that it constantly emphasizes that pastoral ministry simply won’t work unless there’s a strong love bond between the pastor and congregation and vice versa. Some have likened it to a Baptist equivalent of Charles Bridges’ The Christian Ministry. [And as an aside, since it’s currently on sale for a measly $3.00 (!!!), all of you need to stop reading this post and go buy your copy immediately.]
The Backslider: His Nature, Symptoms, and Recovery by Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) – This excellent little book by one of our Particular Baptist heroes on the causes and cures of backsliding really shook me up. I can still remember reading about one particular cause of backsliding I sadly tolerate far too often; Fuller so deeply disturbed me (in a sanctifying way) that I was sort of dazed for the next couple of hours. I so loved this book that I made my own paraphrase of it and preached it to my congregation in 3 sermons (available at www.trinitybaptistmuncie.org, July 2011 sermons).
Communion with the Triune God by John Owen (1616-1683), edited by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor – This magnificent tome truly is in a different class of writing and thought. It’s perhaps the second most profound book I’ve ever read, second only to The Institutes. So much of the book revolves around the concept of love; the love of God for believers and believers’ love for God. Owen argues that the Bible actually teaches that Christians are to commune with the distinct persons of the Godhead distinctly and in unique ways. If that’s a new idea to you, you should read this book. No other book has so wowed me with the strong, rich, victorious love of God for His saints. And no other book has taught me a quarter of what this book has about what it means to commune with God in Three Persons.
So that’s my list. Now I’m curious; what were some of your favorite reads from 2011? Point us to them in the comments section below.
Tim Raymond has been the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Muncie, Indiana since April 2006. He received his MDiv from the Baptist Bible Seminary of Pennsylvania in 2004 and has pursued further education through the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. Tim grew up outside Syracuse, NY and previously served at Berean Baptist Church, Nicholson, PA (member and teacher during college and seminary) and Calvary Baptist Church, Sandusky, Ohio (seminary internship location). Tim met his wife Bethany at college, and they were married in May 2001. Tim enjoys reading, camping, wrestling with his three sons, and attempting to sleep.
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