A small-town pastor convinces a young prostitute named Luanne to leave the streets for a new way of life. But his efforts cost him dearly. Asleep at home with his wife, Joy, two corrupt policemen arrive to arrest the pastor for Luanne's murder. Thus begins The Pastor's Saga. The pastor's future is uncertain, as he faces a judge who abhors anyone claiming to be pious. His trial goes quickly and he is convicted in record time. A father of four, the pastor ends up in a vicious prison cellblock, where his life is constantly threatened. He is brutally beaten, but somehow survives more torture than has ever been inflicted on another prisoner. A small group of religious prisoners aid the pastor in his recovery, while his wife works with an FBI task force assigned to gather evidence against the system that put her husband away. Discovering that the two policemen who arrested the pastor played a part in Luanne's murder goes a long way toward righting some wrongs. Will one man's faith in God and his courage against adversity be enough to overcome a totally corrupt system? The Pastor's Saga is a powerful and uplifting story of our times.

Founder of the phenomenon social media account PreachersNSneakers tackles how faith, capitalism, consumerism, and (wannabe) celebrity have collided and asks both believers and nonbelievers alike: how much is too much? What started as a joke account on Instagram has turned into a movement. Through this provocative project, the founder of PreachersNSneakers is helping thousands of Jesus followers wrestle with the inevitable dilemmas created by our Western culture obsessed with image and entertainment. In PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities, Ben Kirby approaches many of the difficult questions plaguing countless Christians’ minds, presenting experiences and input from both sides of difficult questions, such as: Should pastors grow wealthy off of religion, and can their churches ever be too large? Do we really believe that divine blessings are monetary, or is that just religious wallpaper to hide our own greed? Is there space in Christendom for celebrities like Kanye and Bieber to exist without distorting the good news? What about this: Is it wrong for someone—even wrong for author Ben Kirby—to call out faith leaders online and leverage “cancel culture” to affect change? PreachersNSneakers will navigate these challenging questions and many more with humor, wit, candor, and a few never-before-published hijinks. Each chapter will explore the various sides of the debate, holding space for us to make up our own minds. This book is not about finding the perfect, “right” way to do something, but instead learning how to articulate what we believe, why we believe it, and what to do when we want to stand up against cultural norms. This book will doubtlessly become a staple for church small groups, college ministries, and book clubs, emboldening struggling believers who want to live a more genuine faith. After all, the Lord works in mysterious colorways.

Clergy suffer from certain health issues at a rate higher than the general population. Why are pastors in such poor health? And what can be done to help them step into the abundant life God desires for them? Although anecdotal observations about poor clergy health abound, concrete data from multiple sources supporting this claim hasn't been made accessible--until now. Duke's Clergy Health Initiative (CHI), a major, decade-long research project, provides a true picture of the clergy health crisis over time and demonstrates that improving the health of pastors is possible. Bringing together the best in social science and medical research, this book quantifies the poor health of clergy with theological engagement. Although the study focused on United Methodist ministers, the authors interpret CHI's groundbreaking data for a broad ecumenical readership. In addition to physical health, the book examines mental health and spiritual well-being, and suggests that increasing positive mental health may prevent future physical and mental health problems for clergy. Concrete suggestions tailored to clergy are woven throughout the book.

This is the story of Nathanial, king of the north and keeper to the spirits of Fallenjour. A giant amongst men he has the heart of a lion and a strength unparalleled in the universe. Peace had found Nathanial with his one true love at his side, Palencia Queen of the South. This peace was brutally shattered in bloodshed, forcing him to leave behind all he held dear. This guilt was to be his driving force, his mantra, unrelenting, and unforgiving. Nathanial's uncompromising mission to find her was to take his soul and the fate of mankind to the brink of destruction. On Nathanial's quest it would lead him to find the boy king, the key link to restore the balance between good and evil, ending the battle that waged throughout the universe. From the space mission on earth to finding life on Jupiter, to the mythical lands of Fallenjour to the very Master of all matter, this is the story of the journeyman. Above all the story of mankind, its past, its present and its future.

Preaching Magazine Book of the Year (2022) Hearts & Minds Best Books List (2022) Christianity Today Award of Merit in Church & Pastoral Leadership (2023) It’s time to give pastors permission to read books besides the Bible. Six months into his first senior pastorate, Austin Carty sat in his office reading—not the Bible, not a commentary, not a theological tract, but a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky. As the minutes turned to hours, while he sat engrossed in this book, he noticed something: he began feeling uneasy. And then anxious. And then guilty. What would someone think if they opened the door and caught him reading fiction? For busy pastors (is there any other kind?), time spent reading feels hard to justify, especially when it’s not for sermon prep. But what if reading felt less like a luxury and more like a vocational responsibility—a spiritual practice that bears fruit in every aspect of ministry, from preaching to pastoral care to church leadership? Austin Carty believes that this is exactly how pastors ought to think about reading. The Pastor’s Bookshelf shows how worthwhile reading is more about formation than information and how, through reading, a pastor becomes a fuller, more enriched human being with a deeper capacity for wisdom and love, better equipped to understand and work for God’s kingdom.