Includes bibliographical references and index.

Why pastors need a rule -- The grace of theological friendships: Augustine -- The work of obedience: Benedict -- The holiness that stoops to serve: Gregory the Great -- All the ministers shall meet together: John Calvin -- Choosing your words carefully: John Wesley -- The pastor's study: John Henry Newman -- The gift of physical presence: Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- A contemporary pastoral rule -- Developing and practicing a pastoral rule.

The pastoral office has always been a difficult calling. Today, the pastor is often asked to fulfill multiple roles: preacher, teacher, therapist, administrator, CEO. How can pastors thrive amid such demands? What is needed is a contemporary pastoral rule: a pattern for ministry that both encourages pastors and enables them to focus on what is most important in their pastoral task. This book, coauthored by three experts with decades of practical experience, explains how relying on a pastoral rule has benefited communities throughout the church's history and how such rules have functioned in the lives and work of figures such as Augustine, Calvin, Wesley, and Bonhoeffer. It also provides concrete advice on how pastors can develop and keep a rule that will help both them and their congregations to flourish.