Eli Landrum. Cleveland, TN: Parson’s Porch Books, 2016. 101 pp. (Paperback).
This is not the first book on pastoral termination I have reviewed this year. Since it is a topic that has already been done, I thought of giving this one a pass until I read a page or two and realized what a gem it was.
I think what captivated me at first was the beauty of the writing — it was more poetry than prose, with language carefully crafted to convey tone and meaning — but the potential value of the story itself soon took over and made the book one I didn’t want to skip over.
The author has not actually experienced forced termination but had a close brush a few years ago, which has made him sensitive to and understanding of the plights of fellow pastors. And apparently, there are a lot of pastors who experience the heartbreak — or trauma, as Landrum characterizes it — of being fired by a church. LifeWay reported in 2011 that 10.5 percent of pastors were terminated in the seven previous years.
After telling his own story, Landrum shifted gears, providing analysis of the problem and its causes before ending with a note of hope with suggestions for how pastors and congregations can avoid the heartbreak of termination.
Landrum has retired from a position as editor at LifeWay and continues to write for LifeWay in retirement.
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About the reviewer
Martine Bates Fairbanks, Ed.D., reviews books and movies for The Alabama Baptist. She is a university professor and retired principal. She is a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur.
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