I recently had the opportunity to contribute to a video series at For The Church titled One Thing. The question I answered was “what is the one thing a church needs from it’s pastor?” I responded that a local church needs a shepherd.
My response to this question is influenced by Timothy Laniak at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, whose two books Shepherds After My Own Heart (academic) and While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks (devotional) are an excellent resource for understanding shepherding as a metaphor for pastoral leadership. You can also read my post The Pastor as Shepherd at For The Church.
Matt Capps 