Africa-Press – Ethiopia. Stepping into pastoral ministry today can feel overwhelming. Increasingly, the role of a church leader resembles that of a CEO, shaped by strategies, structures, deadlines, and pressure to perform.
For those just beginning this calling, the expectations can be disorienting and even anxiety-inducing. Is this what it’s supposed to look like? How do I care for people, preach faithfully, lead worship, manage teams, and still stay sane? Won’t I lose myself just to keep up? What does it mean to stay true to one’s calling in times like these? Word, Care, and Worship by Peter Nyende meets these questions head-on. It doesn’t offer easy answers but provides a quiet, grounded reminder of what ministry was meant to be from the beginning. Preaching the Word, caring for people, and leading them in worship. Nothing new, but everything we’ve needed all along.
It gives pastors rest, security, and clarity about their calling, helping them stay grounded amidst the noise. In Word, Care, and Worship, Professor Nyende, an experienced pastor and theological educator at Uganda Christian University, writes out of a deep concern for his students: young people burning with a passion to serve, yet often confused and searching for clarity about what ministry truly requires. Nyende offers a compelling vision of a pastor carrying forward the ministry established by Christ. As he puts it, “The pastor is not called to invent ministry but to participate in and continue the ministry established by the Lord.” At the heart of the book are the three pillars of pastoral ministry: the Word, Care, and Worship.
Nyende carefully traces these pillars from the prophets and priests of the Old Testament through to the apostles of the New. He places preaching at the centre but warns it cannot stand alone. Care for the vulnerable, the sick, poor, and outcast, is inseparable from faithful ministry. Drawing on scripture and church history, he shows how the earliest Christians combined teaching with practical care, as seen when the believers “laid at the apostles’ feet” resources for those in need (Acts 4:34–35). Perhaps the most moving sections bring to life how Jesus and the apostles made care for the suffering a visible sign of God’s kingdom. “Jesus’s miracles, as well as those of the apostles, were pastoral acts of care as much as they were displays of power,” he writes. These acts reveal God’s compassion and call today’s church to a similar ministry of mercy.
The third pillar, worship, is often overlooked in modern church leadership. Nyende reminds us that worship is a priestly task rooted in Scripture, not merely a musical event led by the choir. In clarity, the pastor’s role is to facilitate God’s presence, not to draw attention to themselves. “Worship is the response of God’s gathered people to his self-revelation, facilitated by the shepherd leader who points them to God, not to himself.” This timely correction guards against personality-driven leadership that risks obscuring God’s glory. Nyende’s work is scholarly yet approachable for readers without formal theological training but eager to learn. What stands out is Nyende’s calm, steady voice. He writes with the firm confidence of someone deeply rooted in Scripture, offering wisdom shaped by both study and pastoral experience.
There are no flashy words or gimmicks here, just thoughtful reflection grounded in biblical truth. This is a book to savour slowly, not skim through. For those seeking a break from ministry books filled with formulae and techniques, Word, Care, and Worship offers a weighty return to the heart of Scripture and the shepherd’s calling. At the book launch and Prof Peter Nyende’s first professorial lecture, Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa of Ankole Diocese affirmed the importance of biblical scholarship, stating, “Biblical scholars help shape how the Church thinks and responds to today’s problems.” This endorsement highlights the crucial role Nyende’s work plays in guiding pastors through contemporary challenges.
The book is 148 pages long and is available internationally on Amazon as a physical copy for Shs80,000 ($22.99) or as an e-book for about Shs58,000 ($14.99). The physical copy is available at Uganda Christian University’s Communications Office for Shs51,000, offering a more affordable option without shipping costs. Word, Care, and Worship invites every pastor to pause, reflect, and rediscover the foundational practices that sustain faithful and effective ministry through all seasons.
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