Inside the Pages Book Review — Direct Hit: Aiming Real Leaders at the Mission Field

Review by: Barbara Flory, West Michigan Conference Director of New Church Development

Would the real pastor/leader please stand up?

Do you remember that television show called What’s My Line? A panel of experts would ask clever questions and based on the responses given by the guests the panel would determine what the vocation of the person was. What questions would you ask to help you decide if a person were a pastor?

After reading Direct Hit by Paul Borden you would be better equipped for that challenge. Just one word is the essential descriptor of a pastor: Leader.

Unfortunately, most pastors don’t view themselves as the leader of the congregation and most congregations don’t view the pastor as their leader.

Spiritual leader? Maybe.

Chaplain? For sure.

But the visionary strategic leader? Not so much.

This misunderstanding of the pastor’s role is what stands between most churches and the growth they desire.

This insightful book begins with a description of the role of a pastor and then leads us through the necessary steps of systemic change.

A major assumption of the book is that “congregations are created by God to be God’s primary tool for making individual disciples and for changing entire communities.”

Borden provides a concise outline of the priorities of a pastor during the 3-5 years that must be spent preparing a congregation for systemic change.

Many pastors fail to lead change in their congregation because they don’t understand the time needed for the project and they lack patience. Many others fail because when the preparation is completed they lack the courage to make decisive moves forward.

In most of our congregations, which are on the downside of their life cycle, a pastor cannot lead systemic change alone. An outside consultant with a breadth of experience will be needed to help the pastor and the congregation to face the reality of the situation.

Borden walks through the entire process of preparing a congregation for systemic change and then leading it through that.

Then Borden puts the cherry on the cake by describing the brand new world the pastor and congregation will live in as a result of the process. In Borden’s mind the pastor’s primary responsibility is to lead, as chaplaincy fades away.

The congregation finds it has a great future ahead, filled with young families, new disciples and new ministries. Borden writes with clarity and a passion for the church that is contagious.

Do yourself a favor — get yourself a copy of this one.

Posted in: Barbara Flory,Book review,Direct Hit,Inside the Pages,Paul Borden