Title Details

David Harrell is currently the senior pastor-teacher of Calvary Bible Church where he has served since 1994. After attending the Moody Bible Institute, he graduated from Grace College, Grace Theological Seminary, and the Omega (formerly Oxford) Graduate School where he earned the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Integration of Religion and Society. He is a former Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling at the Master’s University, Santa Clarita, CA., and founder of Shepherd’s Fire, www.shepherdsfire.org, the mass communication arm of his ministry. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children and seven grandchildren.

Appreciations
Preface
Chapter 1: Consumed with God’s Glory
Chapter 2: Content with His Suffering
Chapter 3: Convinced of His Calling
Chapter 4: Controlled by One Message
Chapter 5: Confident with One Method
Chapter 6: Committed to One End
Chapter 7: Confirmed by One Power

Dave Harrell outlines with unusual clarity the essential features of authentic church ministry. His textbook and ultimate source of authority is Scripture. His mentors are Christ and the apostles. His attitude is that of a shepherd, not a CEO. The result is a clear, compelling handbook for pastors and church leaders. Prepare to be instructed, encouraged, and powerfully motivated.
—JOHN MACARTHUR: Pastor-Teacher, Grace Community Church; Chancellor, The Master’s University and Seminary

The visible church today is overrun with men (and some women) who occupy positions of pastoral authority but are neither called nor qualified to lead the church. They take their cues on leadership from the corporate world, the entertainment industry, politicians, academicians, or other sources of worldly wisdom and human cleverness. The resulting philosophy of ministry is fundamentally pragmatic, not biblical. Pragmatists and showmen might be effective in putting on a spectacle that will draw a crowd, but what they are doing is not real ministry by any sound New Testament standard. They are not true shepherds of the flock of God. They are what Jesus was referring to when he spoke of “hirelings” in John 10:12-13. This helpful work by Dave Harrell succinctly summarizes the essential principles of authentic biblical ministry. It is an excellent corrective to the trends that have left so many postmodern evangelical churches spiritually weak and ineffectual.
—PHIL JOHNSON: Executive Director, Grace to You

There is nothing more stabilizing in ministry than sinking your roots very deep into the Scriptures in the midst of the howling winds of life. This is what David Harrell helps us to do. Consider the chapters of this book as seven roots that must sink very deeply if you are to bear God-glorifying fruit in and through the church in a culture that has gone adrift from the moorings of its Creator. You can never go wrong with God’s wisdom! Here is a book worth reading and passing on to those just starting the journey of church leadership and ministry.
—CONRAD MBEWE: Pastor, Kabwata Baptist Church, Lusaka, Zambia

I have known and respected Dave Harrell for almost four decades. Because of his deep love for Christ and Scripture, it is no surprise to find his life experience as counselor, professor, pastor and teacher poured out in this excellent work. I wish when I was a young pastor I would have learned these seven principles early on. This is a must read for every pastor and church leader and should be taught in every seminary.
—TOM BRANSON, Senior Pastor,
Hanson Baptist Church, Hanson,
Kentucky

In a world where words are many and distractions are vying for your attention, it is refreshing to have such a clear, direct, and powerful book like “Seven Key Principles For Effective Ministry.” David Harrell’s gem is a book that you will want to pick up yearly, just to remind you of the ministry essentials and to encourage you to stay on track. As you read this book, you will feel like you are being mentored at the feet of an older, wise pastor. This will be a sure resource as we train pastors in Africa.
—SHANNON HURLEY: Sufficiency of Scripture Ministries, Uganda, Africa

In a time when experience, emotion, pragmatism, compromise, and even confusion sadly reign in many churches around the World, David Harrell rightly reminds us how God wants his shepherds to be devoted to ministry effectively. Instead of looking out for results, fame, or human success, this book rightly emphasizes that pastors around the globe should be devoted to shepherd the people of God His way and for His glory, following timeless biblical principles.
—DAVID ROBLES: Pastor Iglesia Evangelica de Leon and President of Berea Seminary, Spain

We hear a lot today about ministerial burnout and there are a number of contributing factors. Dave Harrell addresses some of these factors in his book Seven Key Principles for Effective Ministry. If you are tempted to throw in the towel or know someone who is, this book, written in the context of many years of pastoral experience and grounded in Scripture, will be useful to aid in staying the course.
—JOSEPH A. PIPA Jr., President, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, South Carolina