Of all the famous pastors of the last 40 years, Eugene Peterson might be the one that sought the spotlight the least. In this episode, I talk with Peterson’s biographer, Winn Collier about the places where Winn’s book, A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message, overlaps with my book, De-sizing the Church.
We talk about how Winn was entrusted to write Peterson’s authorized bio, why people (especially pastors) are still fascinated by Peterson’s writings, his life, and the way he pastored. Then we narrow in on how Peterson accurately, but fairly critiqued the church growth movement and our obsession with bigness.
We also get into several parts of Peterson’s life and ministry that didn’t fit into De-sizing the Church, including:
- How Peterson’s life connected with people even deeper than his writings did
- The importance of pastoral presence
- How Peterson pushed back against our size obsession and the institutionalism of a business-centered approach to church growth
- The importance of those inefficient hours in a pastor’s life and schedule
- And more
Links from this Episode
- A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message
- Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity
- De-sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What’s Next
All weekly Bonus Content is available on our YouTube channel for financial partners and newsletter subscribers. Click either button to get started.
Support This Work
Click here to support this work on a one-time or ongoing basis. This will help us continue to put these resources into the hands of the ministries that need them the most.
Want More?
Listen and subscribe to the podcast on all major platforms including
APPLE | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE | AMAZON MUSIC | iHEART RADIO
New episodes are available every two weeks.
If you click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter you’ll get all the breaking podcast news early!
Also, if you have any other ideas or guests that might fit this podcast, let me know in the comment section below.
Credits
Producer
Veronica Beaver | [email protected]
Editor
Phil Vaters | [email protected]
Music
Composed and performed by Jack Wilkins | JackWilkinsMusic.com
Logo
by Solomon Joy
Correspondence
Shelley Vaters | Shelley@KarlVaters.com
Author
-
Karl Vaters produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.
Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context. He has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience.
You can follow Karl on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn, or Contact Karl to inquire about speaking, writing, and consultation.
View all posts