Pastors should prioritize feeding and shepherding their congregation through the Word and prayer, living sacrificially despite opposition and distractions.
Peterson's memoir "The Pastor" provides an honest and contrarian view on pastoral ministry, emphasizing substance over formality and cautioning against the depersonalizing trends in contemporary churches.
Richard Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor highlights the need for pastors to care for themselves and their congregations through personal holiness, understanding their flock, and engaging in pastoral work, especially personal instruction and catechesis.