The Disciplemaking Pastor

As the year began, I mentioned a few books that I would be trying to work through this year. I have recently completed the first one on my list, The Disciplemaking Pastor by Bill Hull.

I will humbly post a few reflections these books as I finish them. I am a bit tentative to do so as these thoughts will shed more light on my intellectual limitations than anything else. I am embarrassed to share the same internet as Tim Challies, from whom you will find much more beneficial content. But these posts will keep me accountable, so I share them as much for me as for anyone else.

What caught me about Hull's book was his emphasis on leading individuals to full spiritual development instead of being satisfied with sanctuaries filled with middle aged babes in Christ. I want to be part of that process.

In order to accomplish this transformation Hull believes that there must be a complete reimagining of the expectations and roles of churches and ministers, using Ephesians 4 as the northstar for the journey. Pastors must become equippers and members must become ministers. Hull spends the heart of the book describing reorganizations of thought and deed that are needed in the typical church.

The books laser like focus on the ultimate goal of ministry was challenging in the best sense possible. However, I often felt that he focused too much on structure. I felt he too negative in describing typical church leadership as spiritually dead and politically motivated. My fifteen years of experience as a pastor caused me to bristle at these remarks. Yes occasionally, I have come across someone who fit those descriptions, but far more often the lay leaders of my churches have been just as hungry for spiritual growth (in themselves and others) as any of my fellow pastors.

Despite our preoccupations, structure is rarely the leading edge to developing believers to their full spiritual potential. It was when Hull emphasized message and expectations he was at his best and that his book pushed me the most.

On the surface, I liked his discipleship matrix of "come and see", "come and follow", "come and be with me" and "remain in me". But I feared that when he reserves "remain in me" for only the highest layer of discipleship that he has misapplied the core of John 15.

I also wish I had read the first edition instead of this revised edition. In this edition, Hull adds some further reflections which most of the time amounted to preaching the same sermon a second time.