Where have all the shepherds gone?

Stuart Blount

This isn’t just another leadership book – it’s a call to rediscover the heart of pastoral ministry. For anyone seeking to lead God’s people with integrity and purpose, this book provides a transformative roadmap back to authentic shepherd-leadership. It reminds us that while the church may celebrate platforms and influence, its deepest need remains the same: shepherds who will love and lead as Jesus did.

A Word From Stuart

Being born into a Christian family in the mid 1960’s meant I was brought up in a classical Pentecostal Church, an Elim Church, the movement I am privileged to have served as a Minister since 1987. My church experience was typical of children and young people in a Pentecostal church of that era. It was a mixture of an unpleasant degree of separation that marked me out as different to my friends at school with a very healthy spiritual education that provided a biblical foundation to my early years.

It still surprises me that God called a very imperfect young man like me into Christian ministry, but less so when I take into consideration both my spiritual heritage and also the spiritual passion that was awakened in my life around the age of 17. I am so grateful for the guidance given to me by my Pastor at that time who nudged me towards Bible College, where I was deeply impacted by some very godly faculty who took a genuine interest in my development as a follower of Jesus as well as a flegdling leader.

I have been in Christian Leadership for over 38 years now and currently serve the Elim Pentecostal Churches as Director of Ministry. This means I am responsible for supporting hundreds of Elim ministers in the United Kingdom. Having led local churches previous to my appointment to this role in 2016, I am able to offer both Pastoral support and strategic leadership to those who are seeking to lead church communities forward. For 22 years I led Christian Life Church in Birmingham, which was in many ways the place I learned most about the life of a church leader, and saw the most significant growth in the church’s history.

I believe strongly that it takes good leadership to build strong, vibrant and fruitful church communities, and that all leaders must commit to a lifetime of learning how to lead. That is why I signed up for an MA in Applied Theology at Regents Theological College in 2017, finally achieving that Degree with merit in June 2020. Over the last 10 years or so I have had a particular passion for raising up new generations of leaders and my current role with Elim means I am able to support and encourage hundreds of leaders and in particular those who are both young and young to Christian ministry.

As one preacher I once heard said: “We all receive an inheritance and leave a legacy”. That is my aim. I have received so much from so many great leaders I hope that I can leave many more committed, gifted and anointed transformational leaders behind me when my days here on earth are done.

Stuart Blount

Director of Ministry | Elim Pentecostal Church

What People Are Saying

This book is a much-needed call back to the heart of pastoring, reminding us that true leadership is not just about strategy and
vision, but about loving and leading people well

Stuart explores what healthy shepherd-leadership might look like in our culture and… encourages us to renew a desire for humility, integrity and sacrificial service.

The need for true shepherd-leadership has never been greater. People are aching for leaders who truly see, know and love them; the future of Christian leadership depends on reclaiming this biblical model.
For those of you starting out in leadership, let this book inspire, equip and send you on the right road. For those of us who have been on the leadership road for many years, may this book refresh and revitalise us. It’s possible to start out in leadership with a posture of serving and end up in the land of entitlement or discouragement. I believe this book will bring you hope as you rediscover the heart of loving and leading people.

If there was ever a time for the church to recapture the urgency for the people-centred pastor, the time is now! This book offers authentic insight and story-based examples over many years of ministry. It challenges the church leader to pursue the Chief Shepherd first whilst recognising their responsibility to serve those who they lead.

I love this book, which reminds us of the significance of our call to be shepherds and shepherdesses whose hearts should move ever closer to reflecting God into our homes, churches and world. This should be read by every pastor, from the most experienced to those preparing for ministry. As someone who has seen the parallels between God’s people and the character and vulnerability of sheep whilst walking the Welsh hills, I think this book helpfully draws deeply upon Scripture and lived experience, enabling us to reflect not only on our practice but the disposition of our hearts as we pastor.