Onisim Moisa 17.01.20

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Books for Christian leaders can become valuable tools for spiritual, intellectual, and leadership growth. Scripture must always remain our primary authority, and no other book can take the place of God’s Word. Yet wise leaders also learn from the experience, research, history, and insights of others.

Leaders who stop learning eventually limit their ability to lead. Reading exposes us to questions we have never asked, perspectives we have never considered, and lessons learned by people outside our immediate world.

This is one reason I believe leaders are readers. However, Christian leaders should not simply read more—they should learn to read selectively and thoughtfully.

Below are five books that have challenged my thinking in different areas and may also benefit Christian leaders who want to continue growing.

Why Christian Leaders Should Be Readers

I assume that the main preoccupation of a spiritual leader is to study the Word of God and devote himself to prayer as much as possible. However, much neglect is given to supplementary reading. Nevertheless, if you want to grow spiritually and intellectually you need to read constantly other books beside the Bible.  

I know that in our days the practice of reading books is rare among believers. Almost everybody prefers to watch movies or do anything else but read a good book—unfortunately. Reading books will help you see what questions other people have about life, what struggles and answers they share with you and the people to whom you minister. Therefore, it is my strong belief that leaders are readers—but leaders read selectively.   

Leaders are readers—John Wesley

J. Oswald Sanders tells us that 

John Wesley had a passion for reading and most of it was done on horseback. He rode sometimes ninety and often fifty miles in a day. He read deeply on a wide range of subjects. It was his habit to ride with a volume of science or history or medicine propped on the pommel of his saddle, and in that way he got through thousands of volumes. After his Greek New Testament, three great books took complete possession of Wesley’s mind and heart during his Oxford days. It was about this time that he began the earnest study of the Imitation of Christ, Holy Living and Dying and The Serious Call.

Wesley is also famous for telling his ministers to either read books or get out of the ministry! Wesley’s example reminds us that reading was not an escape from ministry. It helped prepare his mind for ministry. Christian leaders today need the same commitment to lifelong learning.

The books I want to recommend that proved to bless me in the past year are:

1.     Reading Romans After Supersessionism — J. Brian Tucker

Dr. Tucker’s book is about Paul’s letter to the Romans. The author presents a “Paul-within-Judaism” who writes to the Roman gentile believers through the lens of 1 Cor 7:17-24. Moreover, Dr. Tucker shows us that Paul advocates that Jews and Gentiles should keep their ethnic identities. He presents Paul as being loyal to Torah observance—a contrasting view to supersessionists writers who see Paul annulling the continuation of Jewish ethnical identity.

This book is especially valuable for pastors, Bible teachers, and Christian leaders who want to think more carefully about Paul, Romans, Israel, and Jewish-Gentile relations.

2. Preaching in Hitler’s Shadow — Dean G. Stroud

It is an amazing book to learn how the Pastors in Nazi Germany preached and what were their messages. It is interesting to read about people like Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Niemoller or Paul Schneider. The book contains a list of sermons but it is so much more. 

I believe it is about Christian heroes who did not comply to the Nazi regime’s propaganda and preached the truth knowing that they might suffer persecution—and many of them were persecuted. The book also raises an enduring question for Christian leaders: How do we remain faithful to biblical truth when cultural or political pressure makes that faithfulness costly?

In the words of George Hunsinger

In this book we see what it is like to proclaim the gospel courageously in the midst of dire political circumstances. The idea that preaching must always avoid being political is exposed for the falsehood that it is. 

I would also like to recommend Antisemitism—a history by Albert S. Lindemann and Richard S. Levy. And my essay about the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church’s involvement in the Holocaust. 

3. The Oracle — Jonathan Cahn

Rabbi Cahn’s book was a nice discovery. I saw it advertised on the Internet and I told myself that I never read one of his books. So, I was curious to buy it and I don’t regret.

Whether or not you agree with every conclusion in the book, The Oracle can encourage readers to think more carefully about Israel, biblical history, and the relationship between Scripture and historical events.

4. Can You Be Gay and Christian? — Michael L. Brown

This book addresses difficult questions surrounding sexuality, Scripture, pastoral ministry, and Christian discipleship. For pastors and Christian leaders, it can also provide an opportunity to think about how biblical conviction and pastoral compassion should work together.

5. The Total Money Makeover — Dave Ramsey

Financial stewardship is also an important area of leadership. Christian leaders need wisdom not only in theology and ministry but also in the practical stewardship of the resources God entrusts to them.

How to Choose Books for Christian Leaders

Reading more books does not automatically make someone a wiser leader. The goal is not simply to consume information but to grow in wisdom and discernment.

Before choosing a book, ask: Will this help me understand Scripture more carefully? Will it expose me to an important perspective? Will it strengthen an area where I am weak? Will it help me understand the people I serve?

Christian leaders should also read authors with whom they do not completely agree. Reading thoughtfully does not mean accepting every argument. It means learning to examine ideas carefully, test them against Scripture, and retain what is true and useful.

Above all, never allow reading about God to replace spending time with God. Books can sharpen the mind, but Scripture must continue to shape the heart.

Leaders Are Readers, but Wise Leaders Read With Purpose

You do not need to read hundreds of books every year to become a better leader. Start with a sustainable rhythm. Even twenty or thirty minutes of focused reading each day can expose you to ideas and lessons you may never encounter otherwise.

Choose books that stretch you beyond the subjects you already know. Read theology, history, biography, leadership, culture, relationships, and practical subjects that help you understand the world and the people you serve.

Most importantly, keep Scripture at the center.

Books for Christian leaders are tools, not masters. Read widely, think carefully, test everything through Scripture, and allow what you learn to make you a more faithful servant of Christ.

Choosing the right books for Christian leaders is not about building an impressive library. It is about finding resources that help us think more clearly, serve people more wisely, and follow Christ more faithfully.

Leaders are readers—but the goal is never simply to finish more books. The goal is to become the kind of person who has more wisdom to give away.

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Onisim Moisa

I am a blogger, writer, pastor, Director of Zion Romania Bible School, husband to Olguta, a father and, most importantly, a child of God. I also completed my studies at the King’s University where I earned a B.A. in Theology with a concentration in Messianic Jewish Studies. I love Israel and I love the ‘Jewishness’ of the Bible.