Endorsements
The greatest strength of this book is its honesty: McClellan's confession is no half-hearted exercise in false humility, no exercise in serving up facile platitudes. In a clear and everywhere colorful fashion, he blames no one but himself for his decade of sojourning in pastoral ministry. Presently McCellan serves as pastor of Grace Church (PCA), a church he founded in his hometown of Fremont, Nebraska. He is learning to apply seven valuable and hard-won lessons he learned during his first decade of ministry. These lessons make up the heart of the book and show he's indeed learned hard-to-come-by virtues of humility and wisdom-all while smoldering in the cauldron of ministerial affliction caused to a great degree, he says, by ministerial malpractice.
Brutally honest and insightful.
The Gospel Coalition
With a humorous tone, a humble posture, and a pastor's heart, Kyle McClellan shares where he got punched in the mouth so we'd know when to duck.
Gavin Johnson, Lead Pastor, City Light Church, Omaha, Nebraska
The more I work with pastors all around the world, the more I am finding that those who have terrible experiences pastoring a church often leave the ministry altogether. The hurt and pain is just too much. Such is not the case for my dear friend, Kyle McClellan, who wrote this book. Kyle shares some of the lessons he learned in those painful years with a raw transparency that is refreshing and engaging to read.
Brian Croft, Pastor, Auburndale Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky and Founder, Practical Shepherding
An intriguing book. The story of a man who both burned and was burned by several churches in the early years of his ministry. The lessons he learned along the way will be a great help to seminarians and pastors alike.
Mez McConnell, Pastor, Niddrie Community Church and Ministry Director of 20Schemes
... Young ministers ought to read the book as a warning and an opportunity. Older ministers need to read the book as a call to humble mentoring of the next generation.
Paul R House, Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
... short, easy to read, with seven lessons that Kyle McClellan learned from four pastorates that lasted a total of just ten years ... writes with the maturity of a godly pastor who recognises where he (and sometimes where the churches he served) went wrong. Worth a read.
Evangelicals Now
Kyle is not afraid to lay out his game film for all to see here in this book. I am sure that each chapter was hard to write and brought up memories that were hard to relive. But I am certain that through his honesty and the lessons that he has personally learned through his mistakes, many pastors are going to be helped.
If you're in ministry, or thinking about entering the ministry, I think that this would be a helpful book for you. At just 100 pages, it's an easy read, but one that may help you avoid some of the mistakes that Kyle made, and the heartache (for you and your people) associated with them.
Zack Ford, Youth Pastor, Grace Bible Church
Mea Culpa delivers a raw view of truth and through that truth, a pathway to contentment, peace and forgiveness through the power of God. Read it and then live it.
Ed Weaver, CEO, T4Global, Dallas, Texas
Read this book and be encouraged that God uses your mistakes while making you wiser in the process.
Mark Green, President, White Horse Inn
... You will wince at Kyle's mistakes, grow wiser through his insights, and find fresh hope that a pastor can be used by God despite all of his faults and foibles.
Colin Adams, Pastor, Greenview Evangelical Church, Glasgow
Learn from Kyle's missteps, but even more, embrace the God of grace to whom he gives testimony.