Author: Marshall Davis

Publisher:

Published: 2018-09-12

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 9781720258674

There is something your pastor is not telling you. In fact there is A LOT your pastor is not telling you! This book lets you in on the secrets. A forty year veteran of pastoral ministry, Marshall Davis takes you behind the scenes into the world of fulltime professional ministry. In this book he shares things that your pastor will not say publicly. He reveals what it is really like to be a Christian pastor in today's complex and rapidly-changing world. He shares the emotional and spiritual struggles that ministers face in leading churches during a time when all forms of Christianity are in decline in America. At times intensely personal, Davis talks about the dangers pastors face from stress, depression, burnout, and "clergy killers" in the church. He goes on to share knowledge that pastors acquire in seminary and divinity school but are hesitant to share with their congregations. This includes scholarly knowledge about the origins and content of the Bible, the uncomfortable relationship that Christianity has with science, the changing nature of Christian theology, and some surprising revelations about early Christian history. He confronts the hypocrisy in the church when it comes to subjects like evolution, climate change, racism, sexism, and sexual assault in the church. He addresses topics like nationalism, child abuse, homosexuality, and the role of women in the church. In a clear and forthright manner he explores topics that many pastors will not address because of church and denominational politics. He ends the book by providing a list of ways that church people can help their pastors deal with difficult issues in the church. This book will be comforting to some and controversial to others. For all it will be an honest, personal examination of many subjects that are not talked about openly in Christian churches today.