A collection of articles drawn from The Sword and the Trowel, the monthly magazine for pastors that Spurgeon launched in 1865. The articles address church structure (membership, discipline, the roles of elders and deacons), practical ministry tasks (sermon preparation, congregational prayer, reaching younger generations), and the personal pressures of pastoral work, including financial strain and discouragement.

Hardcover, Banner of Truth

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) was the famous pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London in the nineteenth century. Under his preaching, the once-dying church was revived and became an engine for evangelism, pastoral training, missions, and church planting. But Spurgeon wanted to see more than just his church thriving. He had a heart to see other pastors equipped and churches strengthened. So in January 1865, he launched The Sword and the Trowel, a monthly magazine named in honour of those who rebuilt the city of Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s leadership. In Spurgeon’s day, as in ours, those who would repair the walls of Jerusalem need both the sword to combat error and the trowel to build up the church, and this magazine sought to equip pastors to do just that.

Though written more than a century ago, these articles remain a source of wisdom for today’s pastors navigating the same perennial challenges. This volume is an essential guide for any leader labouring to maintain a faithful, Christ-centred ministry in the twenty-first century.