A Charge to Keep

Rev. Kevin T. Taylor’s A Charge to Keep sits somewhere between a business playbook and spiritual guidance, which turns out to be pretty refreshing. Taylor writes from the unusual position of being both a nonprofit CEO and an AME pastor, so he talks about financial management and faith like they belong in the same conversation, which most leadership books won’t even try.

The book covers twelve principles drawn from Taylor’s experience turning around struggling organizations—from churches facing foreclosure to charter schools in crisis. What makes this different from your typical business book is that Taylor doesn’t shy away from the messy stuff. He tells you about negotiating with banks while dealing with union contracts, about having to cut his own salary to build trust with a congregation, and about the ripple effects of decisions that seemed small at the time but ended up costing major donors.

The writing is straightforward and doesn’t waste your time. He uses real stories—not idealized case studies—to show how financial discipline, proper context, and stability actually work in practice. The Recommendation Chart he includes is genuinely useful for making complex decisions, and he makes a strong case for bringing your whole self to leadership roles.

If there’s a weakness, it’s that sometimes the lessons feel familiar if you’ve read other leadership books. Trust but verify, know your people, stand firm—these aren’t new ideas. But what makes them land is how Taylor applies them to both boardrooms and sanctuaries with equal weight, something you don’t see often.

Overall, this is worth reading whether you’re in church leadership, running a nonprofit, or managing a team. It’s practical without being generic, and Taylor’s voice stays honest throughout.