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Gildas SilvanusOr The Reformed Pastor By Richard Baxter 
 
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Even though Richard Baxter had very little formal education, it has been said that if hehad lived in an earlier time, he would have been considered one of the early churchfathers. To read his collected works is to brush up against genius. He was remembered byfriends and colleagues as a man with conviction, and he was well known for engaging inlively, heated debates on religious matters with those friends and colleagues. In a real sense, Baxter was a “scholastic” theologian of extraordinary abilities, but saw“practical” theology as what was most important; he saw little use in a doctrine or belief that could not be applied towards men‘s salvation. The book which you are about to read,
The Reformed Pastor 
, is a fruit of this belief in practical theology. When it was written,Baxter noticed that ministry had become an issue of religion and formality; manyministers lacked zeal, nor were they committed to serving the body of Christ as theyshould.In his 20 years ministering off and on at Kidderminster, England, Baxter was able toapply his beliefs and see the results.
The Reformed Pastor 
was written after his ideas had been successfully implemented over an extended period of time, and after the ministers of the area came together and asked him to teach them how he was doing it. To this day heis cherished as the true apostle of that district.
 
 Though it was written 350 years ago, Baxter’s work is a practical, Christ centeredoutline for ministry and leadership in today’s church; the same concerns which heconfronted in Worcester in 1656 have re-surfaced and are eating at the marrow of 21
st
century evangelical/charismatic religion. As you read
The Reformed Pastor 
, I encourageyou to take notes, notice where you and your church are failing, repent, and instituteBaxter’s methods. To summarize, they are:A) Ministers and overseers must commit to individual instruction within their congregations.B) Discipline within the church is an ordinance of God and must be re-instituted.C) Ministers and overseers must have personal relationships with their congregations,risking familiarity and contempt towards themselves to achieve a greater good.D) Personal, direct one-on-one ministry, takes precedence over study and preparation; anoverseer will learn quicker by hands-on work than by book work.E) Total commitment to the church is required of a minister or overseer. While theyshould be paid, they should also be willing to give it when required, even at their ownfamilies expense. A ministers life is not one of ease.Though I wish to, I will not describe Baxter’s life in further detail because excellent biographies exist already, and the purpose of this abridgement is to bring Baxter’s ideasto today’s church in a way which may be quickly applied; we can not wait .I have purposely condensed Baxter’s full work to 25% of the original, and strongly endorse theoriginal, and early 18
th
century abridgements. If I can be of any further assistance inimplementing Baxter’s methods, contact the publisher.Steve SimpsonSeptember, 2007OUTLINE-THE REFORMED PASTOR 
Dedication
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