Drew Dyck not only manages the Christianity Today publication Leadership Journal, which ministers to those who are involved in church leadership, but he has also written Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Faith and How to Bring Them Back (Moody, 2010). He is married to Grace and has a son named Athanasius.

What do you most like about working on Leadership Journal?

Proofreading articles, entering changes, and then proofreading them again. Oh, wait … you said most like?

I love that I'm in a role where I get to serve pastors. They're the ones in the trenches. So whenever we get some feedback, saying that something we published helped equip, encourage, or inspire them—that's the highlight of this job.

What is your favorite article that has appeared in Leadership Journal under your management, and why?

I liked the interview we did with Tullian Tchividjian, "War and Peace." And not just because I got to travel to Florida to do the interview. Tchividjian talked about surviving a leadership coup at his church, and the changes the ordeal sparked in his life. It was a painful story, but ultimately a redemptive one. I think that's what Leadership Journal does best—gives honest yet hopeful insight into what it's like to be a pastor.

What was your most unusual job before you became the managing editor of Leadership Journal?

My brother owns a modeling agency. When I first moved to the States—from my exotic homeland of Canada—I worked for him as an agent. Now I know what everyone is going to think: Why were you an agent and not a male model? It's a fair question. My best guess is that the industry just wasn't ready for my "look." But I'm staying in shape. I'm moisturizing. When the world is ready, I'll be on the first flight to Milan.

What is your favorite activity outside of work?

I'd say running marathons, but that would be a bald-faced lie. So I'll go with exploring used bookstores, playing basketball, and just hanging out with my family.

How would your best friends describe you?

I think they'd describe me as someone who loves to laugh, values honesty, enjoys long walks on the beach, and hates clichés. Seriously, I don't know. That's a terrifying question. Because if the descriptions are negative, are they really my best friends?

Since you've recently become a father, what have you most enjoyed about that new role?

Just snuggling the little guy. I smother him with kisses, which has become a problem since I have a rather prickly beard. He ends up with little "daddy marks" all over his face. My wife chides me for these "attacks," but I'm resolute. I ask her, "Would you rather him suffer some minor skin irritation because of an overly affectionate father—or have deep, gaping wounds on his psyche because he didn't receive enough fatherly affection?" Yeah, that's what I thought.

Speaking of fathers, you're a pastor's son. How does that help you in your role as Leadership Journal's managing editor?

Growing up in a pastor's family was great. But as most PKs will tell you, it can be hard on your faith. You see behind the curtain. You glimpse the dark side of church life. In my case, though, it gave me a deep appreciation for pastors. I think it sensitized me to the challenges they face. I believe it helps me as I seek out content pastors will find useful and uplifting.

Since pastors are Leadership Journal's primary audience, what would you most like to tell them?

Subscribe to Leadership Journal now or watch your ministry shrivel and die! (See why I'm not a marketer?) Seriously, I would tell them that what they're doing is incredibly important, and to keep doing it, even when they feel like giving up.