The following are excerpts from the introduction of my latest book After Fifty Years Of Ministry – 7 Things I’d Do Differently & 7 Things I’d Do The Same. I’m really excited about this effort because I think it will encourage preachers and church leaders to remain faithful and enjoy ministry even though it isn’t always easy. The book is published by Moody Press and is scheduled to be available in Christian bookstores this week.

“One of our fifth-grade Sunday school classes was asked to write an encouraging note to their preacher. I’ve kept Kenny Ward’s note for over thirty years. On the outside of a folded 8 ½ by 11” piece of paper he had drawn a stick figure standing on a platform in front of a microphone. The top read, “To: Bob Russell.” Inside he had scrawled, “You have to be brave to be able to stand in front of thousands of people. I’m glad you’re a preacher at this church and I think you do a wonderful job. I am praying that one of these times you don’t mess up—Sincerely, Kenny Ward.”

I suspect Kenny had overheard his parents expressing their concerns about their preacher. They had probably witnessed far too many ministerial failures—especially in high-profile ministries. So Kenny was echoing their concerns. His family wanted and needed a leader who consistently walked the talk.

Although I managed to minister to the same church for forty years, the truth is I messed up quite a few times. I’m thankful I didn’t have a major moral failure that forced me to resign in disgrace and embarrass Kenny Ward and his family. But still, I did make numerous mistakes that I wish I could go back and correct. Knowing what I know now, I realize my ministry could have been a lot more effective if I had a do-over.

Not long ago I was asked to speak to a group of megachurch preachers on the subject, “If I Could Do Ministry Again.” They requested that I look back on my forty-year ministry at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky and reflect on things I would do differently and things I’d repeat, if I could start all over again. That talk became the genesis of this book.

Some people see a preacher standing before his congregation on Sunday morning teaching the Bible and encouraging the people to live for Christ and think, “I should have been a preacher! What a rewarding life! And you work just one day a week!” They don’t see all the tedious and time-consuming effort behind the scenes. They don’t see the week-by-week cramming to come up with a sermon, the exasperating breakdowns in communication with staff members, the family vacations that are interrupted with yet another emergency, the board member who has a complaint or the volunteers that don’t show up.

Ministry is hard. It’s rewarding. It’s a divine calling. It’s gratifying. But it’s a very difficult task day in and day out. We’ve probably all seen the statistics on pastors who leave the ministry, the state of clergy marriages, ministers who battle depression, and more. Some studies paint a very dark picture; others are rosier. But regardless of the numbers, the point is that the ministry is a high, holy, and hard calling.

“I made that same mistake”

My son Rusty is a preacher in Port Charlotte, Florida. He texted me last Monday, a little discouraged. “I used the phrase ‘immaculate conception’ incorrectly in a sermon yesterday and I’m going to have to correct it next week. Nuts!”

He had not checked on the Catholic Church’s definition of that term. Catholics use “immaculate conception” to communicate the belief that Mary was a perpetual virgin. Rusty had used it to simply describe the virgin birth as something pristine and perfect. When someone corrected him after the morning service he was embarrassed that he hadn’t understood it correctly.

I texted him, “I made the same mistake with that phrase years ago.” He immediately shot back, “Good! It really encourages me that you made the same mistake.”

It’s strange how we often get more encouragement from learning someone with experience has failed than we do from hearing their success stories. Somehow we don’t feel so alone in our inadequacy and we conclude, “If they made mistakes and survived maybe I can too. If they can keep playing hurt, I can too.”

If I had my entire life to live over I’d choose to be a preacher again. It’s been extremely rewarding and gratifying. If I was to be surveyed on my feelings about the ministry, I would be listed with those pastors who said they felt happy and content on a regular basis with who they are in Christ, in their church and in their home. Though I initially resisted God’s call to preach the gospel, once I started, I never looked back. I have loved being a preacher! I can’t say I’ve loved every minute of it, but my overall experience has been joyful and rewarding.

But I could do ministry a lot better if I were given a second chance. As I look back on forty years of ministry at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, I wish I had a mulligan. This book lists seven things I’d do differently and seven things I’d do pretty much the same way. They are written in hopes they will be a source of encouragement to some who are tempted to grow weary and lose heart. I pray my observations will inspire others to conclude, “If he can do it, I can do it too.”

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