Pastoral Leadership

In ascending to heaven, Jesus Christ gave the church the Great Commission to expand the gospel to all nations. Despite this biblical commission, it is still an unfinished task. As leaders of local churches, pastors play a crucial part in this endeavor. Pastoral leadership principles have varied widely throughout history, yet it is interesting to discover the similarities between pastoral leadership principles practiced by John Chrysostom (AD 347-407) in Antioch and Constantinople, and Won Sang Lee (1937-) in Washington, DC. Despite ministering 1600 years apart, both pastors share the same core values: care for people, Christ-like character, biblical preaching, and world missions. This suggests that continued emphasis on these principles will play a significant role in fulfilling the Great Commission, independent of time and place. ""Won Sang Lee has achieved a dialogue with the thought of one of the greatest pastors in history, St. John Chrysostom, in order to learn something about pastoral and spiritual leadership in our times."" --Andreas Andreopoulos, Reader in Orthodox Christianity, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Winchester ""Intriguing, fascinating, instructive, convicting, encouraging, applicable: those are the stages that readers can anticipate experiencing through Won Sang Lee's unique case study and aptly entitled Pastoral Leadership. This self-critical comparison between Lee's own pastoral ministry and that of John Chrysostom might at first seem presumptuous, arbitrary, and contrived. However, readers will soon realize they have entered a spirit-led guidebook for their own leadership responsibilities and Christian discipleship. Read it, apply it, and teach from it."" --J. Nelson Jennings, Executive Director, Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, CT ""Lee is not a theorist; he is a pastor who, in his retirement, has researched his subject after having spent a lifetime practicing it. I highly recommend this book--indeed, if I had a son who felt called to ministry, I would encourage him to seek to be mentored by Lee. I urge all who are seeking help for their own calling to read this fine book so that they can learn from an exceptional man who has been used by the Lord to do much good for the church of Christ."" --Tom Holland, Head of Biblical Research, Wales Evangelical School of Theology (WEST), Bridgend, Wales Won Sang Lee is Senior Pastor Emeritus of the Korean Central Presbyterian Church in Centreville, VA, where he has served for twenty-six years. He is also President of SEED International, a mission agency that has served thirty-six countries since 2000. He received his ThM at the Dallas Theological Seminary, his MA at the University of Pennsylvania, and his PhD at the Wales Evangelical School of Theology, University of Wales, Lampeter, UK. He is also the founding president of PRASSION (Prayer Mission International).