Americans tend to be……more open to individual leaders and their books. “A mixture of populism, individualism, democratization, and market-making has recently been defined as the essence of the American way”

Jim Belcher announced on Sunday May 2 that he has decided to leave the church he planted, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Newport Beach, California, to write his next book.

Earlier this year, Leadership Journal named Belcher’s first book, Deep Church, “the best of the best” for a “Leader’s Outer Life.” It also won a Christianity Today book award in the church/pastoral leadership category.

Belcher’s announcement follows days after that of Francis Chan, who has also decided to resign from the California congregation he planted, Simi Valley’s Cornerstone Church. Chan continues to have two books in the top 12 of the ECPA bestseller list and two in the top 9 of the CBA chart.

These announcements come on the heels of the announcement by pastor and author John Piper that he is taking a leave of absence for nine months from both writing and his church responsibilities. And N. T. Wright announced on April 27th he is leaving his position as Bishop of Durham to become a professor at St. Andrews in Scotland.
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What’s going on? Is the local church becoming the “farm team” for full-time conference and book ministry? Normal pastoral transition, pastoral stress, the personality of church planters, and American culture all probably play a role in these types of transitions.

READ MORE: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/mayweb-only/28-41.0.html