Escape from Church, Inc.: The Return of the Pastor-Shepherd

One of the most important books of the 20th century for changing the worldview of those holding the office of 'pastor'...but not functioning as a shepherd! While having structure, the church is not an organization, but an organism...a community of Christians who need a shepherd, not a manager.

This book reveals the deficiencies resulting from applying the corporate leadership model to the local church and demonstrates through scripture God's plan for caring for His people. In a sincere effort to maximize effectiveness, too many churches today have adopted the corporate model and have become driven by quantifiable but inappropriate goals. The corporate mindset has shifted the shepherd/sheep model to an employer/employee model, much to the detriment of the sheep and God's eternal purpose. After personally transitioning from a corporate model church to a pastoral church, my spiritual life and walk with the Lord is thriving as never before! I am called to pastor, yet the corporate approach that I have seen modeled and demonstrated in many churches has kept me from embracing the call on my life. So thank you Glenn Wagner! But still, one must admit that in practice it seems that purely pastoral churches often focus inward and lapse into a "me and my four and no more" environment. If I could add another chapter to this book, or even better have a follow up book, I would love to read more of the practical application of God's plan in present day churches addressing how both the people and the local body can flourish.

One day, about 4 years ago, a pastor friend called me with a broken voice. He had been crying. He was trying to tell me about this new book he just read, "Escape From Church, Inc." Short time later he spent more money than he could afford to purchase copies for all of his pastor friends that he thought would be interested. I do not know how many copies he gave out, but one of them came to me.This book is fascinating! It is true that Wagner is so passionate he tips the scale a bit too far in the other direction. Yet, so many people bought into the CEO mindset, that he needed to make his voice loud and passionate.Give this book a try.

If you've read Fresh Faith by Cymbala and felt something stir in your pastor's heart, if you agreed with his assessment of church consultants and experts, then this book should be next on your "to read" list.Wagner challenges the last 20+ years of pastoral training and modeling. He claims that the CEO/leadership model is not the biblical model of pastoring, and backs up his claim convincingly. Nowhere in the scriptures does God use the metaphor of king, ruler or leader for pastors. He repeatedly uses the metaphor of shepherd. Wagner sees significance in the repeated use of this term, event to Peter, who would have related to a fishing metaphor better.I highly recommend this book to all pastors, seminary students and professors and those who are otherwise closely involved with ministry. It may challenge you, it may cast serious doubts on your current methodolgy and theology of the pastorate. If nothing else, it will cause you to examine your own pastoral theology and decide whether it is of this world or of God's design.

Glen Wagner articulately challenges the current CEO model of pastoral leadership that has dominated the church scene for the past two decades. He calls for a return to the pastor-shepherd model set forth in Scripture and practiced for centuries by men of God who have a heart for God and a heart for His people. He sees the shepherd model in the Great Shepherd and sensibly argues that it is the high calling of God; it is the pulse, the heartbeat of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ who gave His life for the sheep. Glen writes with passion and purpose urging a return to a servant shepherding, compassionate caring, and relationally connecting ministry. It is the need most needed to be met in the church of Jesus Christ to restore the church to a model of ministry that is wholistic, and more than adequate to the task of effectively fulfilling God's Great Commission purposes. The book is a refreshing and enjoyable read giving a historical, Biblical but contemporary approach to effective ministry in our mixed bag of a modern/post modern world.