by Rich K. Ferguson
Broadman & Holman Publishers
Nashville, Tennessee
1999 US $12.99
Reviewed by Erika F. Puni, Director, General Conference Stewardship Ministries
The title of this leadership book takes the reader right to the heart and thesis of this collection of sermons—servanthood and Christian service. For Ferguson, servant leadership is all about total obedience and dependence on Jesus Christ, daily (p. 19). Servant leadership, he would argue, is contrary to human nature and does not come naturally to us.
This work has a strong biblical foundation in the way it offers Bible passages as the base for expounding biblical truths on Christian leadership. It is also practical in its use of illustrations and human interest stories (very often from the author’s ministry) to make a point. In so doing, it helps the reader to identify the principle while, at the same time, it opens up opportunity for personal application. The chapters which represent individual sermons, come across as personal appeals from the heart of a pastor—a spiritual leader—to the hearts of his parishioners and readers.
Structurally, the leadership ideas and concepts in The Servant Principle flow well from beginning to end and are very easy to follow. Organized into eight sections under a leadership/biblical theme and presented in short chapters, this work is ideal for reading at home or on the road. Its messages are excellent for devotional reading and applicable for personal development anywhere it is read.