'A tool of blessing'

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Dr. Ron Webb of Mount Calvary Powerhouse Church in Poplar Bluff has been in ministry for 31 years, 25 of which have been spent pastoring. Webb has been actively involved for years in reaching out to others and assisting them in their spiritual development.

He recently embarked on a new leg of the journey, authoring a book published in March. "Leadership from Behind the Scenes" has proved to be a much-needed tool in the hands of people called to lead.

Revered as "a pastor to pastors," Webb's first book is a means to help pastors do what they have been called to do.

"I answered a clarion cry among pastors," Webb said. "Every doctor needs a doctor. A dentist will eventually need his teeth fixed. ... Just because we pastor, doesn't mean we don't need to be pastored."

What inspired him to write this book, particularly with the younger generation in mind, was a desire to provide wisdom to those who often do not realize all that ministry entails. He remarked that many young preachers only see the "glamour" of ministry. "That's a danger zone," he warned. "People see ministry as a profession, instead of a call of God."

In his book "Leadership From Behind The Scenes," Dr. Ron Webb provides Bible-based advice to assist ministers from all faiths in their roles as leaders. (Submitted photo)

Elaborating, the pastor said that just as successful business professionals sometimes do not like the very people who made them successful, and coaches sometimes don't like the people they coach, "preachers sometimes don't like the people they preach to, but are in love with the profession."

Webb has a view of what ministry is and what it's not:

"Ministry is not glamour; it's what goes on behind the scenes," he said.

While many fixate on the oratory and teaching skills associated with pastoring, Webb stressed that "it's much more than that, and people don't always see that. People don't always know that." This is where his book pulls back the curtain and allows people to see reality. "A lot of people don't see the backstage. They see the finished product, but they don't see the process."

The book's legacy, he said he believes, will be that it provides people with a valuable tool for enduring the process.

"My desire is that it will become a great resource in the hands of leaders." Any chapter, he said, will "let them know they're not in it by themselves" when they're going through a difficult time. The sentiment will be, "Hey, I can pick up this book, see myself in it and see examples of others who have gone through difficult times." As they read, they'll think, "I can't change the flow of the river, but I can build a bridge over it."

His message seems to be resonating, as he has sold 7,000 copies -- just from his office.

That figure does not include sales from such places as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. An upcoming order calls for 15,000 to 20,000 more copies. Additionally, a companion workbook has been added, which "has only enhanced the book itself." Leadership has been made part of the curriculum in Christian colleges, which falls into his target audience.

He said the book's popularity is due, in part, to its universal relevance. Webb said the principles bring insight beyond church leaders -- "from the foreman at a factory to a banker," he asserted. "Anyone who works with people" should read his book, he said. "Godly principles are applicable across the board."

Though he has been pastoring, preaching at revivals and doing speaking engagements for years, his schedule has almost doubled since the book was published. He recently was interviewed on the nationally telecast "Jim Bakker Show," and additional interview requests are surfacing.

Webb wants the book to honor God, and he is quick to praise the Lord for the doors it has opened.

"My heartbeat is that it will be a tool of blessing," he stated. If its first few months are any indication, "Leadership from Behind the Scenes" is clearly fulfilling its call.