Today, The God Who Goes Before You is finally available in bookstores! This book on leadership develops a fresh definition of pastoral leadership that is thoroughly grounded in the storyline and canon of Scripture. As the book unfolds, what Michael Wilder and I have developed together is a vision for the leadership of God’s people that focuses not on particular leadership techniques but on the patterns that should characterize a pastor’s pursuit of Christ.
Here’s what a wide-ranging group of pastors and leaders have had to say after reading The God Who Goes Before You:
- “The God Who Goes Before You understands that leadership cannot be reduced to business-oriented best practices or pragmatic commitments. … This is an important book full of biblical insight and pastoral wisdom.”
R. Albert Mohler, President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- “The God Who Goes Before You … connect[s] the practice of leadership to the story of Scripture, pointing leaders toward a more biblical and faithful model.”
Russell D. Moore, President, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
- “From helpful explanations of leadership offices in the Old Testament to simple yet profound challenges that leadership for the believer is first followership, this book is filled with wisdom.”
Eric Geiger, Senior Pastor, Mariners Church
- “Do we really need another book on leadership? The answer is a heartfelt ‘yes’ when that book is a distinctively Christian, practically-designed, gospel-focused biblical theology of leadership. Timothy Paul Jones and Michael Wilder have provided so much more than another ‘how-to’ guide for pastors and CEOs. This highly recommended volume presents a thoughtful, integrative, and theologically-shaped approach to leadership that calls for investing in people and in the shared calling of a faithful community for the glory of God.”
David S. Dockery, President, Trinity International University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
- “What a delight to read a book on pastoral leadership rooted in careful biblical exegesis and shaped by biblical theology.”
Thomas R. Schreiner, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- “If you’re tired of Christian leadership books based merely on business practices and creational wisdom with a few Bible verses sprinkled throughout, then this book is for you! In The God Who Goes Before You, Timothy Paul Jones and Michael Wilder argue, from the entire storyline of Scripture, that Christian leaders are, first and foremost, Christ-followers.”
Juan R. Sanchez, Senior Pastor, High Pointe Baptist Church
- “Michael Wilder and Timothy Paul Jones … have provided deeply biblical and practical guidance on how to steward a congregation under Christ’s leadership.”
Kevin Ezell, President, North American Mission Board
- “Jones and Wilder have given the church a valuable work on leadership that is … defined and motivated by the work of Christ in the history of redemption. With great social intelligence, they offer a much-needed correction to current models of church leadership adapted from Wall Street.”
Eric C. Redmond, Associate Professor of Bible, Moody Bible Institute
- “Michael Wilder and Timothy Jones have profoundly shaped my view of biblical and pastoral leadership. … Their unique blend of scholarship and pastoral experience makes them the capable guides we need to lead us to the biblical heart of true pastoral leadership.”
Beau Hughes, Lead Pastor, The Village Church Denton
- “Rather than laying a Christian veneer over secular principles, this book will challenge you to consider seriously what it means to draw your leadership practices from God’s Word.”
Jeff Iorg, President, Gateway Seminary
- “Reading this book is like feeling a cool, fresh breeze on a hot, humid summer day. Finally, someone has considered the whole counsel of God when considering leadership, Jesus, and the church.”
Benjamin L. Merkle, Professor of New Testament and Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
- “The God Who Goes Before You is a gift to the church. … Wilder and Jones have given us a rich theology and gems of pastoral wisdom for stewarding leadership in the service of God’s people.”
Kevin Peck, Lead Pastor, The Austin Stone Community Church
- “The God Who Goes Before You is the leadership book that I’ve longed to read. Jones and Wilder write theologically rich content, rooted in years of pastoral experience. This book both critiques and considers the best leadership principles from Christian and secular leaders.”
Jamaal Williams, Lead Pastor, Sojourn Community Church Midtown
- “Not every book about leadership written for a Christian audience is biblical, insightful, thorough, inspiring, and challenging. This one is! The ideal Christian leader is someone who has been shaped by the character of God and who follows the Lord so well that others are inspired to follow Christ.”
Miguel Núñez, Pastor, Iglesia Bautista Internacional
- “There are many leadership books available to the church, but few speak with a prophetic voice that addresses timely leadership issues. … The book you hold in your hands is such a voice. As churches continue to rise and often fall around the personality and charisma of one domineering leader, The God Who Goes Before You is a needed voice to bring balance.”
Brian Croft, Senior Pastor, Auburndale Baptist Church
- “Rich in content, impressive in scope, and practical in aim, Jones and Wilder have served local churches and the academy by contributing this work to the field of leadership.”
Dave Harvey, President, Sojourn Network
- “Readers will evaluate leadership motifs in light of the fact that all believers have full access to God’s revelation and thus will walk away asking, ‘How can I best serve and care for the people in my community? The authors submit (and rightly so) that it will take ‘courage, creativity and conviction.’”
David D. Nemitz, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Liberty University School of Divinity
- “Churches close daily due to poor pastoral leadership. This book offers pastors an answer to that problem—a biblical answer. … Chapter by chapter, Jones and Wilder ask, ‘What about you?’ It is a hint of the value and practicality of this work.”
Gary J. Bredfeldt, Professor of Leadership, Liberty University School of Divinity
- “Written by two scholar-practitioners who love and serve the local church, this theology of leadership is accessible, fresh, and faithful—a gift to the church.”
Andrew Hebert, Lead Pastor, Paramount Baptist Church
- “The Christ-following leadership principles of this book provide a distinct biblical framework for leaders who guide churches, Christian universities, or faith-based organizations.”
Timothy L. Smith, President, University of Mobile
- “Ready to rethink pastoral leadership through a Scriptural lens? Jones and Wilder, with decades of pastoral leadership experiences, have crafted a unique text on leadership for pastors.”
Kenneth S. Coley, Director of Ed.D. Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
- “In this outstanding book, Timothy Paul Jones and Michael Wilder have zeroed in on the central elements for Christian leadership: union with Christ, communion with Christ’s people, and mission in the world.”
Andrew M. Davis, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Durham
