12 Faithful Men: Portraits of Courageous Endurance in Pastoral Ministry Paperback – July 3, 2018

There is much to learn from the Christians that have gone before us. Their biographies often encourage, motivate, and teach. Editors Collin Hansen and Jeff Robinson have coordinated some short biographies of 12 faithful men, some known (i.e. Paul, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon) and some not so well-known (i.e. John Chavis, Charles Simeon)Each chapter is a biography that averages only 13 pages, so these are not meant to be in depth, but instead, each one focuses on a specific aspect of the person's life. Usually, it emphasizes certain areas in which he suffered for the sake of the ministry during his life. As a result, readers are given portraits that are phenomenal and cause them to consider what it means to believe and what it means to suffer for that belief.Perhaps one major thing lacking in this book is a discussion about God's sovereignty and the purpose of suffering. Without that, it becomes very easy to idolize these men instead of the God over these men. Therefore, readers would do well to be aware of that propensity.Apart from that aspect, it's a fascinating book that many will find useful. Certainly, each chapter will cause a person to become more acquainted with a specific person.Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher at no cost to me for the purposes of review. However, this review was not influenced in any way by the publisher, author, or anyone else associated with the book and is the result of my own reading of it.

12 Faithful Men: Portraits of Courageous Endurance in Pastoral Ministry is an easy read that is very encouraging. No hagiography here, just bare-knuckle reality about the faith, endurance, and perseverance required to remain faithful in following Christ in pastoral ministry.One unfortunate weakness with the edition I read was the absence of brief bios on the various authors of each chapter. Insight into who wrote each chapter would increase the value of the book.One strength of the book is that men from diverse ethnic groups and cultures were included among the 12 faithful men (Uganda and China).A similar volume entitled 12 Faithful Women: Portraits of Courageous Endurance in Ministry would also be beneficial.This book is highly recommended for anyone enduring hardship in their Christian walk, but especially men in pastoral ministry.

You want to really know what Pastors really go thru - than get this book - I promise you will not put it down and you'll find yourself probably asking " God am I really called into this ministry" Be bless

Short stories of faith to encourage and challenge a new generation. Thank you, brothers for the gift of your research and vision!

I bought this book for my husband who does not read unless it’s the Bible. He loves this book and couldn’t put it down. It was such an encouragement to him.

This book considers the lives of 12 men throughout history — from the Apostle Paul to modern-day martyrs — who suffered in various ways for the sake of the gospel. As such a compilation, it doesn’t attempt to give a full biography of each person, but does share the pertinent biographical facts related to how they struggled and endured in ministry.Each chapter is focused on one person, and one specific way they showed faithful endurance through their unique trials. It shares specific details of their sufferings, direct quotations from their correspondence or sermons, and a few key takeaways that we can glean from their examples. Many of the names were familiar, but not all — unfortunately, it was a little harder to relate to the unfamiliar ones due to the brevity of each chapter. However, there were a plethora of end notes, which provided quite a few resources for further reading about each of the men.The first chapter considers Paul, the “Apostle of Pastoral Affliction,” and served as sort of an introduction to the whole book. In considering a brief theology of suffering, it shared six Pauline lessons on faithfulness that we would do well to heed, whatever our occupation may be. It then went on to consider the following 11 examples of faithful endurance:- John Calvin: Faithful in Exile- John Bunyan: Faithful in Prison- Jonathan Edwards: Faithful to the End- John Newton: Faithful amid Disappointment- Andrew Fuller: Faithful amid Heartbreak- Charles Simeon: Faithful Shepherd to Hostile Sheep- John Chavis: Faithful in the Face of Racism- C. H. Spurgeon: Faithful in Sorrow- J. C. Ryle: Faithful amid Personal Ruin- Janani Luwum: Faithful unto Death- Wang Ming-Dao: Faithful amid Political CoercionAs I read each chapter, I found it especially helpful to note the variety of trials. Some suffered severe persecution for their faith, some from family deaths or betrayals, and others from financial hardships or emotional struggles. Everyone’s suffering looks different, and everyone’s response to suffering looks different! There is no one-size-fits-all manual for facing persecution (other than trusting in God to carry you through it).While the book is officially written for men who are pastors, I found it extremely helpful in strengthening my own faith. Lord willing, I have many long years of ministry ahead of me — and I know I will face many trials, especially as we seek to share the gospel with unreached people. I don’t know what lies ahead, but I know we will face persecution of some sort, financial difficulties, relational stress, and physical challenges. I know, because we’ve barely gotten our feet wet with ministry and yet have already walked through many of those types of trials.Reading these “portraits of courageous endurance” gave me hope that, though the road may be long and hard and filled with hurdles, God will continue to work in and through me to accomplish His purposes. It fortified my faith in our good Heavenly Father, who will never allow anything in our lives that is not for our good and His glory. I know suffering will come — but I also know the One who will walk with me through that suffering.This compilation of biographical sketches should be an encouragement for any Christian, no matter what your calling in life, and especially for those serving in full-time ministry. We all face hard things as soldiers of Christ, but those in pastoral ministry or missions of some sort seem to experience an extra measure of trials. If that’s you, I’d highly recommend this book as a way to prepare or strengthen your heart and mind, and remind yourself of the truth that God does not waste our suffering!Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for sharing my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed herein are completely my own.

One of the best Christian biography collection.

The Soveriegn work of God for the furtherance of the gospel in the lives of Twelve men.