Called to be a Pastor: Why it Matters to Both Congregations and Clergy is a how-to resource with a memoir touch, describing the essential but delicate partnership between clergy and congregation. This partnership requires nurture and attention to detail if the relationship is to prosper. Indeed, the congregation often holds the fate of their pastor's ministry success, much the same way fertile earth holds the fate of a freshly planted seed.
On the other hand, a congregation suffers when a pastor is not fully engaged or is incapable of guiding a congregation toward meeting its ministry objectives. Neither pastor nor congregation can serve their designated role without the other's full and active participation in extending God's kingdom. Laypersons and pastors may never see each other in quite the same way after reading Called to be a Pastor.
This book captures the pastor/congregation insights that come from a successful pastoral career: First, as a church planter, later as a judicatory with oversight of thirty-five congregations, and, most recently, as a consultant to a broad range of denominations. First time readers have claimed this book to be thought provoking, inspirational, and enlightening!
""Called to Be a Pastor offers those beginning in pastoral ministry an intimate glimpse into reflections from one who has lived the pastor's call over many years. Hauder looks back over his vocation with the transparency, humility, and wisdom that are gained only by living into this call deeply and living it well. I will be urging all our new church leaders to read Hauder's book!""
--David Boshart, Executive Conference Minister, Central Plains Mennonite Conference
""Hauder is the wise and gracious mentor every new pastor wishes they had. With down-to-earth insight rooted in a wealth of personal experience with the intimate intricacies of congregational life, Hauder weaves together Scripture and story to deftly depict the pattern of God's presence in the fabric of pastoral vocation.""
--Meghan L. Good, pastor, Albany Mennonite Church
""We are indebted to Larry for sharing his life's journey in ministry in such a positive way . . . The real life illustrations add insight and inspiration to his solid biblical presentation of the work and life of a pastor.""
--Stephen Borger, Retired Nazarene Pastor & District Superintendent
""This book has enriched my own reflections on the distinction between 'calling' and 'hiring' a pastor. This is a book grounded in scripture and the author's biography, and Hauder explores this overlap with deep vulnerability and solid good sense.""
--Bishop Martin Wells, Eastern Washington and Idaho Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Spokane, Washington
""Hauder is a sage whose insights are profound and timeless. His book is a rich resource for congregations looking for a new pastor and who then will want to develop a healthy relationship with their pastor. I highly recommend this book.""
--Nancy Kauffmann, Denominational Minister, Mennonite Church USA
Larry Hauder is a Mennonite pastor with nearly forty years of successful ministry experience. He began his vocation as a church planter, and the congregation he helped plant continues to thrive today. For fourteen years, Larry gave congregational oversight to thirty-five congregations. Since then, he has consulted with denominations across the theological spectrum. He brings a wealth of practical and time-tested wisdom to his writing about the local congregation and the pastors that serve them.
