Leaders Who Last

Dave Kraft has over 40 years of ministry behind him, having successfully navigated the difficult waters of church leadership. He's therefore well-suited to address this topic, and it needs to be addressed: in the introduction, Kraft cites a statistic that claims only 30% of current church leaders finish well.

Writing as an insider, Kraft doesn't burden us with jargon or endless footnotes. Instead, he shares observations and experiences, and stories of leaders he's known. Kraft is a leader's leader (currently he pastors at Mars Hill under Mark Driscoll), and he has as much insight as you'd expect.

There's a lot of good in this book. Kraft reminds his audience (pastors, Sunday school teachers, volunteer leaders, etc.) that the goal isn't to get through the race without difficulty, but to confront the difficulty and finish well. He reminds leaders to focus on Jesus, be humble, shepherd and serve, be dependable, and much more.

But this isn't a Bible-centered book. Kraft quotes verses, but he uses as many examples from pop culture (Walt Disney, Bill Gates, etc.) as from Scripture. He also draws on the purpose-driven model, claiming that leaders need to have a future vision toward which they're moving....to which we'd ask, isn't it enough to focus on Christ and His self-revelation in the Bible?

His most unsettling statements contrast past and future leaders in which he draws a false dichotomy. For instance, (according to Kraft) past leaders were "degreed and elected," but future leaders must be "gifted and called." What about educated, elected leaders who are gifted and called? Kraft betrays his views on church polity (or lack thereof), and is unhelpful.

That said, there are many practical suggestions for leaders who want to succeed in their calling and avoid exhaustion, temptation, or other snares waiting to trap faithful servants of Christ. Leaders Who Last shouldn't just be sloughed aside, but it should be read critically and with reservations.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.