The Last Pastor

“This book provides a candid assessment of the rough weather and the salient shoals any pastor/pilot will face in this work. I would recommend it for anyone leading congregations through major adaptive changes.”
—Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology

“This a much-needed counter-cultural book about closing churches that covers a huge amount of ground…. Cafferata’s professional and ministerial background have been well deployed in creating a rich and varied picture of the different experiences of church closure, which occur in practice.” —Practical Theology

“This is a useful read for any pastor whose church is teetering on the edge of viability…. Ministers in smaller churches, read this book. More importantly, get it in the hands of those with influence in your judicatory.” —Laura Stephens Reed, clergy and congregational coach

“Rarely have I enjoyed such a comprehensive study of ministry—and truly difficult ministry. There is no doubt that Cafferata and many of the pastors she studied were transformed from doubt and despair to resurrection by their faithfulness to following the Spirit where she blew.” —Anglican Theological Review

“There will be more pastors serving as last pastors in the coming years. For those who do, The Last Pastor is a valuable guidebook offering light, hope, and wisdom for those who mind the tiller of a closing church.”

—The United Church of Christ’s Center for Analytics, Research & Development, and Data

“Cafferata details the diverse experiences of the pastors, noting both their faith and the faith of their congregations. She argues against the notion that closing a church means failure and encourages pastors who close churches to seek help and community.”

—Faith & Leadership

“This book will particularly be of interest for denominational leaders—bishops, judicatory leaders, and researchers—who will increasingly face the reality of church closings in the years ahead. Cafferata rightfully resists the urge to provide easy answers, but she does provide an orienting set of insights and complexities that will help many in the Mainline Church ask different and better questions. Seminary leaders and faculty may also benefit from Cafferata’s insights on a form of pastoral leadership that stands to be more common in the future. There is no doubt that The Last Pastor is a sobering account, but it is also an important one often ignored.”

—Review of Religious Research