In How to Be a Pastor: Wisdom from the Past for Pastors in the Present, Van Neste and Wainscott have revived the neglected yet needed wisdom of a forgotten pastor, Theodore Cuyler. While Cuyler is all but unknown today, he was a leading figure alongside the likes of Spurgeon and Moody in his own day.

Moreover, he was looked to as something of an ideal pastor, and his reflections from over four decades of ministry speak to important issues that are too often ignored in contemporary discussions about the role and responsibilities of pastors. While affirming the importance of preaching, Cuyler makes it clear that pastoral care of individual people is central to pastoral ministry.

As he writes, ""Set it down as a cardinal principle . .

. that if you would interest people in the gospel and interest them in their salvation, you have got to interest yourself in them and all that belongs to them.

"" Whether you are just starting in ministry or have been a pastor for some time, the wisdom provided in this volume will be of immense help to you as you shepherd the flock of God that is among you. .