KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MBTS) – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) President Jason K. Allen released his latest book, Letters to My Students, Volume 3: On Life and Doctrine, with B&H Publishing, June 3.
Focusing on 10 key doctrines and disciplines, Allen’s new book offers wisdom to current and aspiring ministry leaders for guarding the integrity of their gospel witness in their personal, spiritual, and pastoral lives.
“In this book, I’m targeting our current ministry moment and the challenges before those who serve Christ’s church,” Allen writes in the introduction. “These doctrines are key for a faithful ministry and for our own faithfulness in this present ministry age.”
The new volume follows two previous installments in Allen’s Letters to My Students series: On Preaching, published in 2019, and On Pastoring, published in 2021. On Life and Doctrine takes its title from 1 Timothy 4:16, where Paul instructs the young pastor, Timothy, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching.”
Allen noted the priority of this charge for ministers today, who face various pressures from contemporary culture and the realities of ministry in a fallen world.
Echoing Paul’s promise in 1 Timothy 4:16, Allen points to the eternal impact of guarding one’s life and doctrine, writing, “Rightly knowing, believing, and proclaiming the gospel is essential for salvation, on both the teaching and receiving end.”
The first five chapters highlight the foundational importance of doctrine, addressing key doctrines including Scripture’s inerrancy and sufficiency, Christ’s exclusivity, God’s sovereignty, and man’s nature. In these chapters, Allen shows the centrality of these doctrines to the Christian faith and warns against the dangers of compromising them.
“Ministers are not to just live out these biblical truths but are to articulate and advocate them,” Allen writes. “To do so is to love our flock—and our neighbor. Much depends on the minister’s faithfulness in this regard: the integrity of our witness, the wholeness of our families, the strength of our churches, and, more broadly, the health of our society.”
The remaining five chapters focus on matters of practical wisdom to help pastors and ministry leaders protect their character and carry out their God-given responsibilities at home and at church. In these chapters, Allen addresses spiritual disciplines, shepherding one’s family, cherishing the local church, leading oneself, and enduring in preaching.
Reflecting on the benefit of such practices, Allen writes, “We don’t just want to survive long-term or endure in ministry long-term, we want to flourish. We want to be found faithful.”
Allen’s Letters to My Students series was inspired by Charles H. Spurgeon’s book Lectures to My Students, which compiles ministry wisdom that Spurgeon originally gave to the students at his pastor’s college during weekly lectures. Allen commends Spurgeon’s book for its formative influence on Allen’s own preparation for ministry.
Sharing his hopes for the series, Allen writes, “I’m inquisitive by nature; and as a new minister, I was especially so. Thankfully, I had a couple of mentors who answered my queries and pointed me to others who could do the same.”
Through the series, Allen aims to pass along this investment for the next generation. He adds, “In my role as a seminary president, I’m giving my life to equipping those called by God for more faithful and effective ministry.”
The new volume is dedicated to six men who have served as chairmen on Midwestern Seminary’s board of trustees during Allen’s years as president.
Allen shared, “Each one of these men have helped me guard my life and doctrine. For that and so much more, I remain eternally grateful.”
Letters to My Students, Volume 3: On Life and Doctrine is available now from B&H Publishing and wherever books are sold.