Youth in Church Leadership?
Blog by Donald P. Shoemaker
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12 (New International Version)
In January 1970, shortly after my 25thbirthday, my wife and I boarded a plane in South Bend, Indiana to fly via Chicago to Los Angeles. The runway in South Bend required the use of a snowplow before the plane could land to get us. We found the Los Angeles area to be one fine place in January!
I was candidating to become the pastor of Los Altos Brethren Church in Long Beach. When the church extended a call to me a couple of weeks later, I accepted. We followed the plan to move in the summer, and I became the pastor of that church in August of 1970.
To a few who didn’t want me as pastor, I was “that kid.” I was having breakfast at Bob’s Big Boy one morning when another pastor phoned the restaurant to reach me. I saw the waitress come down the row of booths and ask at each table, “Are you a reverend?” But when she came to my table, she looked at me and walked right on to the next table!
I was pretty GREEN and I made my share of mistakes. But one thing I did rightly was to show respect to the older believers in the church and listen to them. (By “older” I mean those who were as I now am, 50 years later!)
The Apostle Paul’s words to young Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12 above) were relevant to me. Of course, Timothy was likely well into his 30’s and it’s a valid question to ask how far Paul’s words can be stretched to fit church leaders in their 20’s. Yes, I had my master’s degree from seminary and was trained in pastoral and theological matters, but was I seasoned enough to lead a congregation?
What should a young church leader do and not do?
First, the young leader must repudiate today’s “Cult of Youth.” * This was strong in 1970, with the campus unrest and protests. Remember “You can’t trust anyone over thirty”? Of course, no one from that era still believes that!
The church should be a counter-culture to the “Cult of Youth.” Instead, in church life the “cult of youth” is as bad today as it was in 1970. Biblically speaking, the leader must be someone with knowledge and wisdom, who learns from the past and is seasoned by years of testing (Hebrews 5:18). Today the Apostle Paul could rightly insist, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are OLD, but set an example for the YOUNGER believers…”
Second, the young leader must avoid shooting his toes off by making foolish mistakes in words or actions, and especially in attitude. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” – Proverbs 16:18.
“You are to follow me because God put me over you!” (Pastor, where did you get the idea you alone are Spirit-filled and above accountability?)
“I’ve got the education to know what the issues are and what’s best for the church!” (But maybe you are answering questions no one is asking!)
“I just preach The Truth and let the chips fall where they may.” (You may find yourself in the “chipper”!)
“I unfold the Bible’s meaning in great depth.” (But you don’t need 50 minutes to do it. A 25-30 minute sermon will be a better sermon.) In seminary we thought ourselves to be clones of John MacArthur.)
What other presumptuous words, attitudes and actions can you think of?
Third, the young leader must follow the FULL meaning of 1 Tim. 4:12. The verse has a “do” phrase as well as a “don’t” phrase. If the young pastor wants to avoid being looked down on, this pastor must earn the people’s trust as a leader. And it is done by being “an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
My mentor in my early pastoral career (1968-70) was Pastor Gordon Bracker, under whom I served as associate pastor in Elkhart, Indiana. At my installation service in Long Beach in 1970 he gave me three words of advice in front of all, “Love the people, love the people, love the people.”
* TIME Magazine featured the “cult of youth” twice recently (Dec. 23-30, 2019 and Feb 3, 2020). Greta Thunberg, 16, is TIME’s “Person of the Year” showing “The Power of Youth.” But the real “Persons of the Year” were the protestors in Hong Kong and Venezuela.