Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church (Paul David Tripp)

Tripp, Paul D. Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020. 231 pp. $26.99.

Biographical Sketch of the Author

Paul David Tripp, a well known author, pastor, and biblical counselor, received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Westminster Theological Seminary. He has made it his life mission to glorify God through the planting, revitalizing, and stewarding of healthy, gospel-centered churches. Furthermore, he seeks to connect the transformative power of the gospel to everyday life. His love for ministry is evidenced in his deep, pastoral care for his congregation and his hopes to see many people not only know the saving gospel of Christ but to experience a healthy family that God has given them through Christ’s work: the church. He believes that the health of the church does not depend on, but stems or grows out of the leadership in the church. It is this topic that Tripp sets off to elaborate on in his book Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church.

Summary of the Contents

Lead is broken down into 12 principles just as the subtitle suggests. In each chapter, Tripp faithfully makes his case for each of the 12 principles by remaining true to the scriptures, his experience, and the experiences of people and churches he has helped.

The first chapter, “Achievement,” displays “how [a] good thing—achievement—can become a bad thing for leadership because it has become a ruling thing” (p. 33). In other words, achievement should be a motivator but never a ruler. Christian leaders should live in and advocate for a gospel-centered community rather than seeking achievement through selfish ambition. Tripp reminds Christians in the second chapter that leaders’ individual lives and their lives as a community ought to be Christocentric or have Christ at the center.

The third chapter, “Limits,” helps readers to realize that they are limited creatures and are not made to be perfect at every single thing in ministry. Christians are given limited gifts, time, energy, and maturity to do what God has planned for them (pp. 73-84). The fourth chapter, “Balance,” teaches readers that when things apart from God carry too much weight, the sin of idolatry is committed and the life of the individual is thrown out of balance (p. 88).

The chapters go on elaborating on various topics including spiritual warfare, servanthood, candor, identity, restoration, longevity, and presence. While there is much to be said about each topic, the conclusion and solution is mostly all the same: Christ at the center of the believer’s life. Tripp’s book can be best summarized with the following quote from the second chapter:

If [Christians], as leaders, are ever going to lead those entrusted to our care to give their time, energy, and resources to the cause of the gospel in their generation and at their location, [Christians] must function as a gospel community so that [they] have the humility to battle together, the courage to do great things, and the insight to confess and forsake those things that may be in the way. (p. 69)

Critical Evaluation

Tripp provides incredible insight into the leadership crisis and biblical leadership through the use of proper hermeneutics and his experience as a pastor. It seems as if Tripp has a story for everything. While some of Tripp’s stories could very well be mere pictures in order to convey ideas, Tripp’s strength is found in his faithful and entertaining way of conveying biblical ideas. These anecdotes are akin to Christ’s own parables whom Tripp quotes in chapter 3: “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (p. 76). This verse comes from the section of scripture that Christians call the parable of the faithful and wise steward. This parable greatly reflects the anecdote Tripp shares at the beginning of the same chapter where he was asked what superpower he would choose. He shares that it would be to “have ten days in a week” and that there are indeed still moments when “[he] want[s] to be God” (p. 71). After sharing Christ’s parable he decides that limits, including limits to time, are “God calling [Christians] to be willing to suffer” (p. 76). Through Tripp’s story and Christ’s parable, the effectiveness of storytelling is made evident. More importantly, this section of Tripp’s book helped me to realize that limits are okay because they allow me to suffer for the gospel and demonstrate my reliance upon the Lord. Furthermore, the use of all of Tripp’s anecdotes really stood out to me because I have always been a straight to the point type of leader. My writing and leadership can often be dull and I believe stories can help bring it to life. When I suffer at doing these two things, I can count on the Lord to provide for me in my limits.

Another strength of Tripp’s authorship is his use of exhaustive lists that help bring clarity to the reader. While long lists can be intimidating, they greatly help the reader to understand what Tripp is trying to convey in various areas of the book. For example, in chapter 4, Tripp gives a long list of qualities and ideals a Christian leader should possess in order to live a balanced life (p. 92-95). Through this incredibly long list that contains 49 items, Tripp clarifies that a balanced Christian should prioritize and commit to certain things and resist others. Sometimes, beautiful words and expressions are less practical than an old-fashioned list and readers should appreciate Tripp for putting together such a list for their edification. These lists really stood out to me and I chose to mention them in this review because I have often struggled with trying to be beautiful and enticing with my words when it comes to leadership. I have at times made an idol out of beauty rather than sharing and leading in the most practical, yet loving, way.

Tripp set out to write Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church in order to bring “insight, confession, and community transformation” to the “leadership crisis” that shadows the church, and he prevails at the task of bringing insight through faithful interpretation of God’s word (pp. 17-18). However, only time will tell if confession and transformation will come out of this epidemic of poor leadership, as those results are not hinged upon Tripp, but the readers of Lead. All Christians should pray for the same outcome that Tripp hopes for because it is desperately needed in order for the church to experience true, biblical leadership (p. 29). For that reason, leaders of ministries from all over the world and church staff including pastors, elders, deacons, and other staff members should consider reading Lead to reclaim and fortify the biblical doctrine of Christian leadership. Of course, the book is still recommended for every Christian who wonders about the topic. Tripp has much to teach and say and, therefore, his words should ring in the ears of all who are called to leadership of any sort. They ring in mine.