18 Apr Sacrifice the Leader – Book Review
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Sacrifice the Leader:
How to Cope When Others Shift Their Burdens On to You
Paul L. Cox
Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 2008, 167, $12.99; Paper
Reviewed by Kenneth H. Mayton, Ed.D.,
Director, Doctor of Ministry Program
Oral Roberts University
School of Theology and Missions
Tulsa, Oklahoma
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[vc_separator type=”transparent” position=”center” up=”3″ down=”0″]As a leader, who among us has not felt like we have become the sacrifice when someone has shifted their stuff onto us or have blamed us in order to cover their own issues?
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I suspect that most of us have experienced something like this. Certainly those who have served the parish have experienced this dilemma.
This book attempts to recognize and deal with this issue. The author states, “As a Baptist pastor I had experienced who would tell me confidential issues in their lives and then, within a few months, either turn against me or leave the church. I realized that in some way I had become the sacrifice for their sins, rather than the Lord Jesus.” (1) He goes on to say that all Christian leaders can be placed in the position of sacrifice.
Author information on the cover says that Cox is a graduate of Pepperdine University and holds a “graduate degree in theology.” After some time on his website, I could not find a complete biography. From a blog, I discovered that his degree is from the California Graduate School of Theology and it is a D.Min.
The book seems to be a blend of biblical, theological and psychological principle, somewhat like the first part of many D.Min. projects. The chapter titles show that this is true: The Leader as Sacrifice; Is Sacrifice Necessary?; Which Root Word does the Bible Use to Describe Sin?; What Do We Do With Our Guilt?; Someone Needs to Die; Why Do People Act That Way?; The Set Up: A Ready Sacrifice; Avoid Becoming a Sacrifice; Should a Leader do Counseling?; Preventing Being Set Up as a Sacrifice; Goals: Confession, Repentance, and Forgiveness; Avoid Seduction of Power; Handling Your Stress; Leading with Boundaries.
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