PASTOR, IS THERE A TIMOTHY OR ELISHA IN YOUR FLOCK?

This past Sunday Pastor Fred Winters of the First Baptist Church in Maryville Illinois was shot to death by a 27 year old man who came into the church walked down the aisle and began to fire. Pastor Winters had been at the church for about two decades and the church had seen tremendous growth in that time, both numerically and spiritually. It seems that this type of things is happening more and more in the United States. For sure this persecution against Gods men has been going on worldwide for as long as there has been a church. Yet men continue to stand in those pulpits week in and week out proclaiming Gods Word at peril and risk that they brush off with heroic conviction. These men are my heroes, I love them and long to serve them worldwide.

But in my mind this latest incident raises a question, are we as pastors developing leaders who, if we were to die this week could step in and take over? Are we being intentional in our leadership development? Have we marked some men in our church who we can work with and train and disciple? This is always a good and necessary thing for us as pastors to be doing as a part of our ministry, but as persecution becomes more frequent and more fatal it becomes critical. Brothers I believe this to be the most important task for us, training and developing men who can at a moments notice step in for us. The goal should be that if we were to be shot and killed this week, or we were to drop dead of a heart attack that there would be men who would take the mantle and carry on, not missing a beat. We need to make sure and do all we can to see the church goes on without interruption should the Lord call us home today. This is our duty and to ignore or put this off, is to be derelict in our responsibility before God. So men consider the flock your Father has entrusted you with. Do you have a brother, or brothers who are ready, or getting ready to take your place? If the answer is yes, praise God, if the answer is no, it is time brother to get busy about the business of leadership development!