Earlier this year, I had the privilege of doing a Q&A with Alex DiPrima on his book Spurgeon and the Poor. To view that Q&A, click here.

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Click here to purchase a copy of Servants of Christ, Lovers of Men: Spurgeon on Pastoral Ministry

Q&A with Alex DiPrima

Evan: What led you to work on this project?

Dr. DiPrima: For years I had greatly benefitted from Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students. However, as I recommended the book to others, I became increasingly aware that few people actually read the book because, a) it is too long, and b) it contains a lot of material that is now outdated. I began to think, how could I try to bring this material to pastors today in a new and more accessible format? I then began to think about the prospect of producing an edited volume that would pull together the very best of Spurgeon’s pastoral wisdom and present it in just ten simple chapters. I’m very pleased with the selection of the material and think it will help to make Spurgeon’s perspectives on pastoral ministry more widely accessible.

Evan: From writing this project or your study of Spurgeon, what are a few things that you have applied to your own ministry? 

Dr. DiPrima: Though I could name dozens of lessons I’ve learned from Spurgeon about pastoral ministry, I’ll identify just three here:

First, I’ve learned a great deal from Spurgeon’s emphasis on the importance of experimental godliness as the foundation of the life and ministry of the pastor. Spurgeon viewed a pastor’s piety–that is, his fellowship with God nurtured through prayer and Bible intake–as the indispensable fuel source of his entire ministry. Who a man is before God in private should fuel and shape everything about his public ministry.

Second, Spurgeon has helped me to see the importance of pastoral warmth, tenderness, and cheerfulness, particularly in the context of interpersonal relationships among the flock. His lecture “The Minister’s Ordinary Conversation” contains some of the most important material related to this subject. Spurgeon believed ministers should be known for their Christian kindness and benevolence, and should embody something of the tenderness of Christ himself in their manner and bearing toward others.

Finally, I’ve learned much from Spurgeon’s emphasis on earnestness in preaching. In the book, I include Spurgeon’s superb lecture, “Earnestness: Its Marring and Maintenance.” In it, he highlights how earnestness in the preaching of God’s word is an essential component of preaching as a mode of communication. Pastors are called to preach in the fear of God and with a sense that the work they engage in carries with it the most sobering, serious, and glorious associations. This has affected my own approach to preaching to a great degree.

Evan: What do you hope readers take away from Servants of Christ, Lovers of Men? 

Dr. DiPrima: I hope that the book helps men recover a vision for ministry that is sorely needed in our day. The major features of this vision for ministry are godly Christian character, warm personal piety, zeal for the souls of men and women, love for the sheep of Christ’s flock, a seriousness about the work of preaching, and a passion for the glory of Christ. I think our churches would benefit from a thoroughgoing recovery of a Spurgeonic vision for pastoral ministry.

Thank you so much Dr. DiPrima! May the Lord continue to bless you, your family, and your ministry! To purchase a copy of Dr. DiPrima’s book, click here.

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Evan Knies is an elder of North Hills Church in West Monroe, LA. He serves as the publisher for Courier Publishing and teaches at Claiborne Christian School. He is the husband of Lauren and father to Maesyn and Josiah. He is a graduate of Boyce College and Southern Seminary.