Review of Timothy Z. Witmer’s “The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Shepherding in Your Church”

In The Shepherd Leader, Timothy Witmer argues that there is a shepherding crisis in the local church. His assertion is that pastors are failing to shepherd as they should and as Jesus has commanded for them to care for the flock. Witmer accuses modern pastors of consuming their time with all manor of “CEO” responsibilities when “the fundamental responsibility of church leaders is to shepherd God’s flock.” Rather than focusing on shepherding the flock, modern pastors, by Witmer’s estimation, have become more of a “decision-maker,” and from Witmer’s perspective this difference is critical. “Are the elders or leadership team a ‘board of
directors’ making decisions, or is it a team of shepherds caring for the flock? The answer to this questions will also have an impact on whether the primary qualifications for your leadership team is corporate success and experience or a shepherd’s heart.” The orientation of leaders is critical from Wimer’s point of view.

The result that Witmer sees from this failure to shepherd is that the sheep ultimately suffer, becoming frustrated and discouraged from the lack of care. Ultimately church health as a whole suffers by the sheep straying and going spiritually hungry. Witmer believes that that, fundamentally, church leaders either “don’t know that shepherding is what they are supposed to, or they don’t know how to do it.”

Witmer’s solution is The Shepherd Leader, which is designed to convince leaders that shepherding provides a comprehensive framework for what needs to be done as a church leader and to provide a practical guide for starting or improving a shepherding ministry.

Summary of The Shepherd Leader

Witmer begins in Part 1 by laying the biblical and historical foundations for shepherding. He points to the shepherd leaders selected by God to shepherd his people throughout the Old Testament, which included Moses, the shepherd turned redemptive leader of Israel out of slavery, and David, the shepherd raised up to lead Israel as king.

In the New Testament the perfect fulfillment of shepherding ministry is found in the The Good Shepherd, Jesus. He is the Chief Shepherd of the church and the one through whom all under shepherds draw their authority. The Apostles, as well, were commissioned to “feed the sheep” as they continued to shepherd the early church.

In Part 2, Witmer begins to outline a comprehensive matrix for shepherding ministry among the flock. He outlays the practical responsibilities of a shepherd in four categories. First the shepherd must know the sheep. He must either directly or through various structures of leadership have an accounting knowledge of the sheep in his care. The shepherd must secondly feed the sheep. The shepherd is expected to provide spiritual food through teaching and preaching so that the sheep are well fed and not spiritually starved.

Third, shepherds are to lead the sheep. The sheep rely on the shepherd to provide clear direction and guide them in godly wisdom toward holiness and Christ likeness. Finally, shepherds are to protect the sheep. Inevitably, wolves will infiltrate the flock and a shepherd of God does not bow away but addresses the threat and purges it from the flock to avoid injury to the sheep.

Witmer “Puts it all together” in Part 3 by taking all of the imperatives of the shepherd and provides extremely practical strategies for effectively fulfilling these responsibilities within the local church. He points out the seven essential elements that must be present to be effective: 1) Be Biblical, 2) Be Systematic, 3) Be Comprehensive, 4) Be Relational, 5) Include the Four Shepherding Functions, and 6) Include Accountability for Shepherds. He also prepares pastors desiring to implementing the shepherding strategy he outlines for all the implications to expect among leaders and the church. And finally, he makes suggestions for Implementation.

Analysis

The Shepherd Leader is a powerful, thorough work that is jam packed with scripture, ministry implications and practical helps. Witmer did an outstanding job in organizing a lot of material into an easy to understand book that provides conviction, challenge,
encouragement and equipping tools for all shepherd leaders.

Evaluation for Future Ministry

The Shepherd Leader will most definitely be in my arsenal of ministry tools and required reading for anyone that desire to be on our leadership team. Witmer has provided a top notch launching pad for leadership conversations and the tools to help any church leadership team begin to implement a more comprehensive shepherd leadership strategy.

Witmer, Timothy Z. The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P&R Publishing Company, 2010. 245 Pages. Reviewed by S. Chad Martin.