In Bugles in the Afternoon, Edwards writes, My long experience in the church has convinced me that most ministers-both professional and lay-spend time under the juniper tree. Those ministers who have served more than ten years and not been depressed, discouraged, or disillusioned can hold their annual convention in a phone booth. The rest of us, if we’re honest, will admit that we occasionally visit the juniper tree … . In eight honest and helpful chapters, Edwards probes the shape of modern ministry and the stresses that plague ministers. He explores ways to survive church conflict and how to know when it is time to leave the steeple. His fresh, thoughtful insights will encourage anyone trying to minister in a complex world. Bugles in the Afternoon is one juniper tree survivor guiding other juniper tree sufferers toward hope.