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Mea Culpa: Learning from mistakes in the ministry

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At the recommendation of pastor Brian Croft, I decided to get a copy of Kyle McClellan's new book,  Mea Culpa: Learning from mistakes in the ministry.  

(Mea Culpa is a Latin phrase that translates "through my fault." )

In this book, Pastor Kyle takes us through his past mistakes in ministry and then instructs pastors to avoid the same self-inflicted errors. 

This kind of written reflection is so helpful because it highlights the heart issues that pastors can struggle with the ebb and flow of ministry.  I pray God will use this book to help many pastors grow in grace. It is already helping me. 



  • Kyle rightly addresses our motives for doing the work of pastoral ministry in this book. Here, I appreciated his attention to our lack of love for Christ and His church. 

"As I've thought further about this, I don't think I was trying to earn Christ's love by my work- but the work certainly was not an expression of love for the Savior." - p.31

"What about you? Are you cultivating your ability to beat the foolishness out of any who dare defy your intellectual or theological prowess? Or, are you using these means of grace, not to show you're the smartest kid in the class, but as a means to grow in your love for the Savior? For the sake of your soul, and the souls of those in your care, I pray its the latter." - p. 32


  • I was helped to be reminded of the importance to live out the gospel where God has placed us in ministry. 


"The gospel is to be lived out in particular places. It is not an abstract philosophical concept. It calls us to love God and love neighbor. Not our neighbor in theory, but actual people. The gospel calls into community, and not a community of our choosing." -p.40

"Loving the gospel is one thing, loving the people you serve is another , but you really must learn to love the place you minister as well. Not for what it could become, or what it was. You must come to love it for what it is. The gospel is not lived out in some disembodied way; our presence as Jesus-followers is an incarnational intrusion in a specific place." -p.40-41

"As a pastor, it's easy to love the gospel. It's harder to love the people you pastor, but it can be done . What is often forgotten is that we must also love the place in which God has called us to minister. We must work and pray for the well being of our place. The gospel will change not only individuals, but places as well." -p. 43-44


  • He winsomely deals with the issues behind a pastor's frustration and how those issues wrongly manifest themselves in our sinful responses.  This section was one of my favorite parts of the book. 

"Responding to stupidity with stupidity is rarely the course of godly wisdom." -p. 46


  • Practically speaking, I'm thankful he counsels pastors to work to their strengths and discern their weaknesses. Why? It is because through that process of discerning, aspiring pastors can be better equipped to decide what direction is best for them. They can think through whether or not they are built to take on a new church plant, or maybe they are better suited for church revitalization. 


"Folks involved in church planting want to talk about how hard it is to be a church planter. Sure, OK.
I will say this, however: it can be much harder to bring about the revitalization of a declining church than it is to plant a new one. I know this because I tried it and was no good at it. ...You have to be honest with yourself and trust the Lord's calling in your life to find what you've been called to do." -p.52


  • By giving clear examples, he provides practical considerations to those who seek to go into an existing church to pastor. Here is an example of something to be mindful of in the interview process. 


" The church or other ministry situation you are considering must be upfront about what they expect of you. Experience tells me that congregations rarely do that well. ... Furthermore, if there are seven folks on the pastor search committee, there will be seven different opinions about which skill ought to be the priority. ...Our consumer culture has done pastors little favors in this regard. The church growth movement has baptized 'the consumer is always right' to the point that biblical standards for ministry have largely been jettisoned. What they really want, though it is rarely said, is for you to expand the ministry of their church. They want you to grow a big church and expand the programs offered so as to better attract other like-minded consumers."  -p.53-54


  • He accurately addresses the issues of anonymity within a church. (Anonymity is where members of a church are not living in gospel community and fellowship according to Scripture.) It was through this subject that he gives counsel on how to wisely interview as a potential pastor.  

"There is a growing understanding that anonymity is not a New Testament value. Attending 'relevant religious gatherings' with thousands of my 'closest friends' does not lend itself to either gospel or human flourishing. The generations that have seen their families fall apart and have been marketed to from the moment they were born are looking for authentic community. Anonymity and community make strange bedfellows." -p. 54-55

"In our consumer culture, folks will leave your church to go to another church that offers a wide variety of programming. If you take church discipline seriously, folks will flee to the anonymity of a mega church. If it's too far for you to drive to the 'main campus,' have no fear! We're opening a 'satellite campus' (otherwise known as a franchise).  Most American believers think as consumers first, Jesus followers second." -p. 61


    • Here are some great practical questions to ask of the search committee to help them articulate their clear expectations.
"I've learned two invaluable questions when dealing with search committees. The first one is, 'Why am I of interest to you?' This may seem like a sad attempt to go fishing for a compliment, but how the question is answered will tell you a great deal about the congregation. ... The second crucial question to ask is, 'How will I know if I'm being successful?' ... If the answer is purely based upon numerical considerations, you may want to keep looking. " -p. 55-56


So far, I'm finding the book very helpful for my soul-searching and reflection unto repentance. 


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