It won’t take long for a congregation to know whether its pastor is actually well-read or a cut-and-paste scholar. So, pastors must read.
In a digital age of quick scrolling, pastors face a subtle temptation: confusing online scanning with genuine reading. Scrolling feeds yield immediate snippets, but deep reading builds the reflective capacity required for faithful pastoring. Do not settle for digital surface skimming; commit to immersive books that stretch your thinking and expand your worldview.
Your reading list must extend far beyond familiar theology and local perspectives.
Intentionally seek out literature, histories, and commentary written by voices from diverse cultures, global traditions, and unfamiliar lifestyles. Engaging narratives and social realities outside your own cultural bubble builds genuine empathy, sharpens your discernment, and exposes hidden blind spots. Understanding how people across the globe process grief, community, work, and faith equips you to speak relevantly to an increasingly diverse world.
Pastors who cultivate broad, cross-cultural reading habits preach with compelling depth. A varied mental library prevents sermons from becoming repetitive, insular, or tone-deaf to broader human experiences. It gives your preaching richer illustrations, more nuanced application, and global awareness. A well-read shepherd can deliver the celebratory Sunday morning “shout” that moves hearts while grounding that joy in profound cultural insight and enduring spiritual weight.
Prioritize deep, diverse reading every week.
Let books from varied cultures and disciplines expand your mind, enrich your soul, and transform your ministry from the pulpit to the pastorate.
You may fake scholarship for a while, but there are scholars in every congregation. They won’t say anything, but many leave each Sunday service filled with icing and no cake because their pastor lacks depth.
Your library, whether hardcopy or digital, tells your intellectual story:
Read.
