A new survey of pastors by The Barna Group shows Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church (Zondervan) as the most helpful books they have read in the last three years. A nationwide, representative sample of Protestant pastors were asked to identify the three books that had been most helpful to them as a ministry leader during the last three years, and more than 200 were listed.

Other titles listed were What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey (Zondervan); Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala (Zondervan); Wild at Heart by John Eldredge (Nelson Books); Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels (Zondervan); Spiritual Leadership by Henry & Richard Blackaby (Broadman & Holman); The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley (Multnomah Publishers); and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell (Nelson Business).

Warren also was the top author as his books were mentioned by 30% of the pastors. Maxwell came in next with his books listed as among the most helpful by 5% of pastors.

The age of the pastor had a clear impact on the books they regarded most highly. Pastors in their mid-50s or older were only one-third as likely as their younger colleagues to mention any leadership books. The oldest pastors also showed a preference for authors from their own generation, including men such as Dallas Willard, Charles Stanley and Warren Wiersbe among their favorites. Pastors under age 40 were more than twice as likely to mention books on prayer; only half as likely to include The Purpose Driven Life; and just one-sixth as likely to place The Purpose-Driven Church in their top-ranked volumes. While one-third of all pastors over 40 mentioned at least one book by Rick Warren, just 14% of those under 40 did so.

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