A review of “Canoeing the Mountains – Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory” by Tod Bolsinger.

Canoeing the Mountains

Truth be told, I dismissed this book without reading a single page. It was a freebie, handed out at the PCC Pastor’s Conference back in 2019, which screamed “remainder bin.” And the title — way too cute. So it sat on a shelf.

But then came the reviews from trusted colleagues, one of whom organized an online book club to study and discuss it. I cracked it open.

When will I ever learn not to judge a book by its cover?

The premise is actually quite simple: today’s churches are being guided, by and large, by leaders with outdated skills. For the most part, we were trained (conditioned?) to lead institutions in Christendom. Trouble is, institutional authority is dying and the Christian church is no longer part of the establishment. What’s badly needed is a different outlook. Nothing new there.

What’s compelling is the application of the explorer analogy. Author Tod Bolsinger compares today’s church leaders to the explorer duo Lewis and Clark, who were commissioned to discover the mainland waterway that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It was the Holy Grail of the 18 and 19 centuries. Of course, the route never existed.

They made it to the ocean, but not the way they expected. When they faced mountain ranges, they required a different set of leadership skills. Fortunately, the expedition leaders were skilled enough to be able to adapt. In the same way, church leaders today need a new outlook as we advance the Kingdom in a vastly different world. It’s a highly-recommended read for those who have not lost the vision, but are willing to completely change their approach.