The Next Generation

In the bible, Moses led his people out of slavery in Egypt and across the dessert to a land promised by God.  It took so many years that by the time they were ready to enter this land, it was a new generation of people with a new chosen leader.  Moses is revered and well-known for his part in this story, but the leader who followed Moses had some big shoes to fill.  Joshua was the one to lead his people into the promised land.  How did the people view Joshua?  Did they fully accept his leadership or did they mourn over the loss of Moses and repeatedly compare Joshua to their past leader?  Was Joshua encouraged and embraced by his community or did they continually criticize him and look for ways to work around him?

As far as I know, Joshua was not a young person when he came in to leadership, but I often wonder how we, as a church, support our up and coming young leaders.  When the church was evaluating me before I was commissioned as a minister at the age of 33, people questioned my readiness based on my age.  As a church, we've grown more used to seeing the older generation in leadership as young people become more rare in the church.  Unfortunately, this also means, people have come to see young people as less capable of leadership.

Here are recent three stories about this next generation of leaders.

1. I talked with someone who was part of a church that had hired a minister who was in his early thirties and had no experience of being a minister in a big church.  She told me that being a minister at this church was a steep learning curve for this person and that he was struggling.  She also told me though that it was going to take time and that the church community was doing all they could to support him during this transition.  How refreshing to hear about a church community that, instead of criticizing their minister for the work he was not doing, was encouraging him and lifting him up as he learned and grew into this new experience.

2.  I sat at a table in a restaurant with people with whom I had been in school to be a minister.  One was the new principal of a theological school and the other had just accepted a position to be principal at another one.  These schools are looking for new ideas and new ways of being and are willing to bring in people from a younger generation who might bring new ideas and new ways of being.  Many of us sitting around that table know that, in the United Church, many have reached an age of retirement, and that we will need to step up into new positions of leadership and responsibility.  

3.  Last summer, at a gathering of diaconal people from around the world, one denomination had invited young people to come.  It was an opportunity for those young people to experience a different kind of ministry and to hear the stories of people doing ministry around the world.  I thought it was a wonderful idea so I decided to invite two young people, who I know are dedicated to living out their faith in the world, to our next United Church diaconal gathering in Winnipeg.  They have the opportunity to hear stories of courageous risking, including a story about forgiveness, social enterprise, truth and reconciliation, visiting the Human Rights museum, and hearing the stories of ministers in the church, their joys, their struggles, and their hopes.  

All of these stories express to me the importance of empowering the next generation of leaders.  In the story of Joshua, I'm sure he had his leadership struggles, but the story tells us,  in the very first chapter of the book of Joshua, the people said, "We will do all you command us to do, and we will go wherever you send us.  Just as we followed Moses, so now we will follow you.  May Yahweh your God be with you, as God was with Moses!...Only be strong! Be courageous." (The Inclusive Bible)  

May we also be strong and courageous enough to risk letting go of our worries and fears, to support and encourage the next generation of young leaders who step forward to lead, and may we have the wisdom to find opportunities to invite young people into training opportunities, leadership events, and learning opportunities that will help them to grow into their calling, whether within the church or as the church in the world.