The Pastor as Writer

Most pastors don’t think of themselves as writers. Preachers? Of course. Shepherds? Yes. Counselors? Definitely. But writers? Not really. Writing feels like something novelists, journalists, or academics do. And yet, if you’re a pastor, your ministry probably involves a lot of time in your study carefully crafting sentences in private before delivering them in public.

To use myself as an example, I write around 5,000 words in sermon prep every week, and I preach about 35 sermons a year (excluding conferences and guest preaching), which means that I write roughly the equivalent of two full-length books annually. Add to that Bible studies, weddings, funerals, and emails, and that’s a lot of writing! I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that pastors are among the most experienced writers in the world.

Why don’t pastors feel like writers then? Quite simply, it’s because most of our writing never gets published. It’s delivered orally, week by week, in the ordinary rhythm of church life. Our writing feels invisible to the world.

But make no mistake, brother pastor, your writing is important. It is one of the means by which God is shepherding your local church. Therefore, you should think of your writing as a craft worth cultivating.

Paul charged Timothy to “preach the word . . . in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). Perhaps you preach extemporaneously. But most pastors preach what they have prepared in writing. Writing is where your thoughts take shape, arguments are sharpened, structure is refined, and application is fleshed out. A sloppy writer often makes for a sloppy preacher, but clear writing produces clear preaching.

Pastors aspire to become better speakers, and that’s a good thing. But should we not also give attention to the craft of writing? I would argue that our preaching would be immeasurably strengthened if we worked harder on the written word, learning to write with clarity, rhythm, and precision.

When you diligently labor over your writing in private, your people will feel the positive effects in public. They may never see your manuscript, but they will certainly experience the fruit of it. That’s why your writing deserves to be developed. It’s one of your main tools for loving and serving the flock.

Pastor, you may not think of yourself as a writer, but you are. God has entrusted you with a pen, not just a pulpit. Don’t neglect the craft. Read good writers (and good books about writing!). Get serious about editing. Study all the ways that writing for the ear is different from writing for the eye. Take your writing as seriously as your preaching, because in many ways they are inseparable. Your congregation may never hold your words in book form, but they will carry them in their hearts for years. That’s the hidden power of pastoral writing. So steward it well for the glory of God and the good of the church.