Considering the ministry itself, historian E. Brooks Holifield has produced God’s Ambassadors: A History of the Christian Clergy in America (Eerdmans), which should be of interest to every preacher, as he traces the development of the ministry in its American setting. Holifield explains that, in some sense, the Christian ministry “will always be in crisis.” A bit of historical perspective will help to calm the waters and help pastors to focus on the enduring tasks of ministry.

Robert Wuthnow of Princeton University has produced another interesting volume in After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty-and Thirty-Somethings are Shaping the Future of American Religion (Princeton University Press). Wuthnow turns his attention to the generation that has followed the Baby Boomers, noting that this generation is redefining much of the culture and establishing a significant challenge for the Christian church.

Other helpful books released over the past year include Pleasing People: How Not to be An “Approval Junkie” (P&R Publishing) by Lou Priolo. Priolo, well known as a biblical counselor, argues the desire for approval can become a form of idolatry.  Two books related to local church ministry were produced by Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. In The Gospel & Personal Evangelism (Crossway), Dever encourages the expectation “that Christians will share the gospel with others, talk about doing that, pray about doing it, and regularly plan and work together to help each other evangelize.” As Dever insists, evangelism ought to be normal, not exceptional in the life of Christians and the church. Dever also produced What Is a Healthy Church? (Crossway), a most helpful volume related to the display of God’s glory within the local congregation.

John Stott, now in retirement, offers reflections on his ministry in The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor (InterVarsity Press). Helpfully, Stott directs himself toward younger ministers — something he has done now for several decades. “Now that I am in the ninth decade of my life,” Stott observes, “I often find myself looking into the future and longing that God will raise up a new generation of Timothys.”

Two truly helpful volumes related to preaching have appeared as Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from all the Scriptures by Dennis E. Johnson (P&R Publishing) and Preaching Christ from Genesis: Foundations for Expository Sermons by Sidney Greidanus (Eerdmans). Both of these volumes represent helpful models for the Christological interpretation of the Old Testament and both belong on the preacher’s bookshelf.

Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson have edited a worthy volume in honor of R. Kent Hughes, long-time pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, titled Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching (Crossway). As Kent Hughes often explained, “what you believe about the Bible determines everything.” The contributors to this volume point to the authentic preaching of the word of God as the very foundation of ministry. Contributors include J.I. Packer, John MacArthur, D.A. Carson and a host of others. Preachers may also want to note the release of Preaching the Cross (Crossway), bringing together addresses from the 2006 “Together for the Gospel” Conference with chapters by Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, C.J. Mahaney, and myself.

Those looking for help in understanding the contemporary “Battle of the Mind” will find assistance in David S. Dockery’s Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society Through Christian Education (Broadman & Holman). Dockery defends his thesis that “Christian colleges and universities represent the academic division of the kingdom enterprise.” In other words, Dockery ties Christian scholarship to the Christian church and calls for a recovery of true Christian scholarship in the coming generation.

These are but a sample of the hundreds of titles released over the last year by evangelical publishers and authors. The sheer volume of scholarship now being produced on behalf of the church underlines the fact that the preacher is without excuse when it comes to the availability of resources for the preparation and delivery of sermons and growth in the comprehensive task of Christian ministry. Preachers should also be reminded of the fact that, in terms of a historical perspective, books never have been as inexpensive and accessible as they are now. The preacher’s commitment to personal growth and serious study is, at least in part, indicated by the amount of time, budget, and attention devoted to the reading of those books that will be of greatest assistance to the minister’s growth and faithfulness.