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Book Review: The Spiritual Leader's Sacred Journey by Frank Reitzel

Frank Reitzel is long-time spiritual leader as a pastor for many years and then as a denominational leader in the Assemblies of God for over two decades. But he has been observing spiritual leaders even longer, dating back to his childhood growing up in the home of his pastor father who often hosted evangelists, missionaries, and other ministry leaders, many of whom were extended family members. He wasn’t always impressed by what he saw. And now in his role as a denominational leader, he is often called on to a “crash scene” of spiritual leaders who have gone off course and not only inflicted harm to their own families but also their churches. The Spiritual Leader's Sacred Journey: The Adventure of Becoming The Spiritual Leader God Called You is Reitzel’s response that outlines the calling, priorities, and practices that will result in healthy spiritual leaders, which is the only way congregations can thrive as well. If I were naming the book, I would be tempted to call it The Care of the Pastor’s Soul. The book is written to bring spiritual leaders back to the basics of spiritual leadership and the practices that preserve the soul. Many spiritual leaders pursue the pastor as CEO model or utilize secular leadership techniques, and in chapter 2 Reitzel details some of the differences between leadership and spiritual leadership. The book thoroughly fleshes out spiritual leadership and occasionally ventures into leadership as a discipline--not the other way around like so many pastoral leadership books today--and Reitzel’s concern is always drawing the reader back to the Bible and to the spiritual aspect of ministry leaders. (The book actually includes numerous full quotes from the Bible rather than simply citing them, a refreshing practice.)

The book is not written to be a quick read; it draws on numerous biblical leadership examples and ends each chapter with reflection exercises. The book will take some time to absorb and put into practice. In this way, the book is ideal as a mentoring tool or staff development tool for senior spiritual leaders to mentor younger spiritual leaders, a much needed emphasis given the current demographics of spiritual leaders that indicates there are not enough younger spiritual leaders available to replace the spiritual leaders who are aging out of their roles.

Reitzel’s journey takes us through the following sixteen chapter destinations:
Chapter 1: The Sacred Call to Spiritual Leadership
Chapter 2: Some Differences Between Leadership and Spiritual Leadership
Chapter 3: Lead Yourself First
Chapter 4: The Greatest Thing a Spiritual Leader Can Do
Chapter 5: Loving People Part 1—A Theology
Chapter 6: Loving People Part 2—A Story and a Parable
Chapter 7: The Spiritual Leader’s Sacred Times with God (A Holy Discipline in Spiritual Leadership)
Chapter 8: The Spiritual Leader’s Core Values
Chapter 9: Competence Matters
Chapter 10: Next-Level Spiritual Leadership—God’s Success Principles When You Face Change and Higher Levels of Spiritual Leadership
Chapter 11: The Spiritual Leader’s Renewal—What to Do When You Feel Powerless
Chapter 12: The Gifts of the Wilderness and Brokenness
Chapter 13: The Spiritual Leader and Conflict
Chapter 14: Some Thoughts on Communicating God’s Words (My Popeye Moments)
Chapter 15: Finishing Well
Chapter 16: The Spiritual Leader’s Baton Exchange—Successions and Transitions

The first nine chapters take the reader back to the basics of calling, spiritual leadership, self-management, loving God, loving people, spiritual disciplines, core values, and competence. This is where the book excels. Instead of offering techniques or secular management guidance, Reitzel reminds us of the most important things that make a spiritual leader and how the calling often feels like being drafted or falling into something as opposed to, say, someone standing before a burning bush! But even stumbling into a ministry calling will be just fine as long as the spiritual leader receives the resources necessary to cultivate his or her life of faith.

The final chapters of the book address “next-level” matters, including some of the things that will “happen” to spiritual leaders and serve as a test of their growth and leadership. If the spiritual leader navigates these challenges successfully, they will advance to the next level. This is reminiscent of J. Robert Clinton’s testing items that must occur--obedience, word, and integrity checks--in The Making of a Leader that must precede ministry expansion. Tests are God’s way of preparing leaders for the next level.

The Spiritual Leader’s Sacred Journey is an outstanding compilation of Frank Reitzel’s observations about spiritual leadership that began when he was just a boy overhearing the conversations with ministry leaders happening in his family’s home. It is a journey he has been on his entire life, and he has given us a huge gift to prepare the next generation of spiritual leaders. Spiritual leaders who take this journey will do their souls and ministries good.


(I purchased my own copy of this book and was not compensated for this review.)
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