KANSAS CITY (MBTS) – Midwestern Seminary announced today the release of President Jason K. Allen’s newest book, Turnaround: The Remarkable Story of an Institutional Transformation and the 10 Essential Principles that Made it Happen, published by B&H Publishing.
In this book, Allen shares the leadership principles he learned through the turnaround of Midwestern Seminary – principles that are applicable in any area of leadership.
Recognizing the vast number of resources available for aspiring leaders today, Allen shares what distinguishes his book from conventional leadership practices.
An Institutional Story
“There are two distinguishing facts that make Turnaround different from so many other leadership materials,” he said. “First, there’s an institution story behind it that proves the practices and principles contained therein.”
“I believe the story of Midwestern Seminary itself ought to encourage every leader regardless of their circumstances. I hope the reader is inspired by the narrative, motivated to be a better leader, and reinforced in their basic convictions about leadership. My goal is that this book will enhance a generation of faithful leaders who thus will strengthen a generation of churches, institutions, and organizations.”
Allen views his leadership as a stewardship from God. He firmly believes the story of Midwestern Seminary is ultimately God’s story.
As he said, “God’s kind providence has been on us every step of the way, and that’s a story that needs to be told. In so doing, I hope to strengthen the hand of Christian leaders regardless of their context of service. Whether it’s in the home, an institution, the local church, or even in a secular context, this book has something for every leader. I pray it’ll be widely read, and that as it is, a new generation of Christian leaders will rise to the challenge.”
“This fascinating story is proof positive that turnarounds can happen. We have experienced one. So can you.”
A Simple Approach
The second distinguishing fact that makes Turnaround different is its simple approach. “This book is also different because I argue that leadership is largely intuitive, contextual, and commonsensical,” Allen shared.
“This book turns conventional leadership wisdom on its head. I am not a leadership expert hocking new insights or new approaches, nor do I plan to sell you a never-ending stream of leadership resources. In fact, I’ll make another confession: if you’re looking for a leadership guru, you’re looking in the wrong place.”
“I believe faithful leadership is remarkably simple,” he said. “Not easy, but simple. To be faithful leader you likely need to do less, not more. Leadership, I argue, is largely intuitive, commonsensical, and yes, spiritual in nature.”
A Broad Impact
In writing this book, Allen hopes that leaders in every sphere of leadership will be encouraged and inspired.
As he shared, “I wrote this book for all who lead and who aspire to lead. Though organizational and local church leaders will find an abundance of application, most everyone who leads or who aspires to lead will benefit from Turnaround.”
More specifically, Allen’s passion for the church rings true in this book as well, as he hopes the book makes a profound impact on those who lead within the local church, both pastors and ministry leaders in a variety of contexts.
Many are aware that Midwestern Seminary exists for the church, and such is the case for the book Turnaround as well.
As Allen shared in the book, “Over the past decade we’ve trumpeted our for the church mission as loudly as we can. It’s been implemented across every square inch of the campus, embedded into every aspect of our institutional programming and curriculum, and embraced by every member of the team.”
“Ordinarily, a mission statement should not change with a new leader. Perhaps it’s tweaked or reapplied, but it ought not be reinvented with each leadership change. In a sense, I was blessed because Midwestern Seminary had already been serving the church, but it had not expressed that mission in a clear, cogent way. I had the opportunity to clarify, to convey, and, every day since, to champion that mission.”[1]
Allen dedicated this book to Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr, president of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky.
As Allen shared, “Though our personal relationship merits this dedication, Dr. Mohler’s life of leadership almost necessitates it.”
“His leadership at Southern Seminary, to Southern Baptists as a whole, and to the broader evangelical world is as distinct as it is expansive. Scripture teaches us to give honor to whom honor is due. Thus, I’m delighted to honor Albert Mohler with this dedication.”
Turnaround: The Remarkable Story of an Institutional Transformation and the 10 Essential Principles that Made it Happen is now available for purchase.
To read an excerpt from Turnaround, visit ftc.co.
[1] Excerpted with permission from Turnaround by Jason K. Allen. Copyright 2022, B&H Publishing.