Ecclesiantics: 30 Years of Church Humor (LEADING)

When the religious history of the final decades of the twentieth century is written researchers will do well to consult this six-volume set of gag cartoons and humor pieces written between the years 1980 and 2010. Author and cartoonist (and former pastor) Erik Johnson kept a cartoon memoir of the times, being published in over 60 religious magazines. The volume highlights one of the more misunderstood aspects of pastoral work, LEADING. In addition to preaching, caring, managing, growing, and youth ministry, Pastors were leaders, or in the author's case, a wanna-be leader. Johnson documented in cartoon form his calling (and coping) with people, trends, technology, theology, culture, history, and bridging the great divide between "builders," "boomers," and "busters." If those terms are foreign to you, this set of history books is for you. Welcome to the world of evangelical pastors in the years leading up to and following Y2K.

Erik Johnson has been a professional cartoonist for many years. He also served on several different church staffs for twenty-three years. His years in ministry gave him lots to lampoon. Now retired, he's resurrected the best of his art of humor created between 1980 and 2010. He's the father of five, grandfather to three, and blogs at www.erikdouglasjohnson.com.