Nurturing the Next Generation of Leaders
I realize I just preached a sermon on the danger of pride! And yet, I’ve been reflecting upon those things God has done in and through us these last 37 years that make me most proud. I’m in a quandary! But at the risk of falling prey to the very offense I described last Sunday as “the mother of all sins” —hubris—I will dare to say: One of the things of which I am MOST proud about Chapel Hill is our enduring commitment to the raising up of the next generation of leaders.
It is important to note that you, Chapel Hill, were ALREADY committed to this principle before I arrived. You had two summer interns in place upon my arrival in August 1987: Jeff Chandler and Susan Bradshaw. (Who, not coincidentally, became Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Chandler!) Jeff went on to pursue seminary and become a pastor. He now serves as the Senior Pastor at Sequim EPC.
This was the first of what now numbers 28 young people who were raised up in this church or came to this church to be trained, mentored and eventually ordained to pastoral ministry. Many stayed within our own denomination. Most were called elsewhere. But every one of them is a tribute to your willingness to invest in young leaders.
Obviously, part of that investment is financial. Through your scholarships, seminary assistance and intern salaries, you funded their pursuit of God’s call upon their lives. But this investment was more than financial. It required patience of you as you sat through the early sermons of still-green preachers. It required forgiveness of you as these rookies made mistakes and messes…and you gave them another chance. And it required humility of you as this next generation introduced music or ideas or changes that were maybe not your cup of tea…but you endured it for the sake of the larger good.
And what is that larger good? The work of the Kingdom! The commitment to being a mentoring church. A leadership pipeline that provides trained, skilled, effective young leaders, not only to our own programs but also to the larger church.
This is desperately needed today! Seminaries are emptying. Some are closing. And most are so expensive it is increasingly difficult for young persons on limited budgets to afford the tuition. Our denomination is looking for new models for training a new generation. And frankly, they are turning to us as a model for what it means to be a church that looks for, calls out, raises up, and sends forth leaders.
Stacy Johnson Bronkema, Sara Malmin, Mike Conan, Jeremy Vaccaro, Shari Monson, Rhyan Smith, David Avramovich, Erik Hanson, Travis Fletcher, Larry Carlson, Rachel Toone, Julie Hawkins, Rachel White, Gunnar Tesdahl, Ryan Palmer, Phil Moore, Dave Dawson, Reese Carlson…and of course, Ellis White, our new Senior Pastor…these are a few of the names of those who were trained and ordained at Chapel Hill Church.
Two others, Megan and Larry Hackman, were the very first clergy couple in our denomination. AND…our first official church-planters. We released them to start Chapel Hill Port Orchard which has become Kitsap House; the first of many Chapel Hill church plants, I’m sure.
These names…the ministries they represent…the lives they have touched…the difference they have made in the Kingdom…THAT is part of your enduring legacy, Chapel Hill. And with the Lord’s permission and, if necessary, forgiveness, I will just say how proud I am of you and of that legacy.
In celebration of what I hope, pray and believe will be the enduring commitment to being a mentoring church, Pastor Megan and I will share the sermon this Sunday as we continue my “final lap” series through the book of Philippians. Three Sundays left! I hope you’ll join us in person.
Pastor Mark
