The oversight of souls: Essays on pastoral ministry

1. The oversight of souls: Returning to the heart of pastoral ministry
2. The care of souls: The heart of the Reformation
3. Faithful pastoral ministry and the “ministry of the Word”
4. Portrait of a faithful, approved workman: An exhortation to seminarians (2 Timothy 2:14–26)
5. Shepherding a rebellious people: Exodus 32
6. Brothers, hold fast!

This marvelous reminder about the heart of pastoral ministry is must reading for pastors and pastors in training. In our media-driven age, when all too many Christians are enamored with celebrities and all too many churches feature onstage performance more than personal discipleship, Van Neste’s bold emphasis on caring for souls is a Godsend. May the Lord use it powerfully to call church leaders back to forming and shepherding the people in our care. And may he use it, as well, to call seminaries back to being schools in which these practices are taught, embodied and commended through in-person, soul-shaping, life-changing pedagogy.

Douglas A. Sweeney

Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama

A pastor once shared with me a distressing confession: “I don’t love the people of this church.” Over many years of working with churches and pastors, it’s become clear that loving public speaking, vision casting, programming or building construction is more common than loving “smelly sheep.” However, if I understand correctly, these are the very people pastors are commissioned to shepherd. It’s all too familiar to hear church members say, “He’s a talented speaker, but not much of a pastor.”

Dr. Ray Van Neste’s insightful book reminds us of the importance of soul care in pastoral roles, with a timely relevance. It’s my hope the message in this book will touch us deeply, prompting a reversal of this unfortunate trend. The Chief Shepherd’s strategy remains unchanged, yet flocks continue to suffer. Let not the epitaph of your congregation read, “They were as sheep without a shepherd.” Gain help in this book.

Jim Elliff

Christian Communicators Worldwide

Ray Van Neste is on to something vital for today’s pastor. Having recently, along with Justin Wainscott, edited and republished Theodore Cuyler’s great little book, How To Be a Pastor, Ray now publishes his own book on the subject, The Oversight of Souls. Rooted in faithful exegesis of Scripture and liberally garnished with quotes from Calvin, Bucer, Luther, Baxter and Spurgeon, Dr. Van Neste challenges church shepherds to know their sheep spiritually and deeply through regular personal visitation. It may sound arcane in an age of social media, but nothing could be more relevant or urgent. Van Neste quotes Thomas Chalmers: “A house-going minister makes a church-going people.” I commend this book and urge church leaders to read it.

Sandy Willson

Interim president, The Gospel Coalition; pastor emeritus, Second Presbyterian Church, Memphis, Tennessee

I’ve spent most of my life in pastoral ministry. The challenges of ministry never eased. Despite better skills with study, prayer and experience, the weight of caring for souls lingered. At times I’d grow weary, looking at pastoral work as a job instead of a divinely appointed shepherding ministry for which I would give an account. I needed reminders on such occasions of what it means to be a pastor. For those who know this experience, Ray Van Neste has provided just the resource needed in The Oversight of Souls. As a pastor, professor, mentor, pastoral model and doctor of souls, Ray mines Scripture and pastoral history in five biblical, theological and historical essays, setting before pastors the nature and practice of the oversight of souls. Our generation needs the reminders of those who modelled shepherding in far more difficult days, lest we grow soft and anemic in our labours. Pastor, read this book; you’ll treasure it. Seminary student, read this book before embarking on pastoral work—and return to it regularly to drink from this spring of pastoral refreshment.

Phil A. Newton

Retired pastor; director of pastoral care & mentoring for the Pillar Network and visiting professor of pastoral theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina

The call of a pastor is the oversight of souls. Ray Van Neste has been waving this banner for a long time, which is why I am so thankful to see these essays finally published. This book is beautifully written. Its greatest value is how the author takes the biblical texts that define pastoral ministry and marries them so well with some of the most significant writings on being a pastor from church history. The sources Van Neste uses in his essays alone are worth the price of the book. Every pastor and especially aspiring ones should read this book slowly and carefully.

Brian Croft

Executive director, Practical Shepherding (practicalshepherding.com)

Steeped in the wisdom of the ancients, forged through years of experience and pulsing with scriptural reflection, The Oversight of Souls is a succinct yet engaging manual of pastoral theology. Van Neste gives readers a classical vision of soul care that is both timely and timeless. Readers will find themselves compelled to enter this realm of classical shepherding, wondering how they could have believed any other vision of pastoral ministry to be true!

Coleman M. Ford

Assistant professor of humanities, Southwestern Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and co-author of Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls