Pass the baton!

(Spotted in Cape Town - No Vacancies?)

I’m passionate about a number of different things in life. One of the things you’ll hear me talk about regularly is sport. I love most, but Rugby League is one of the finest. However, my passion for sport pales into eternal insignificance compared with the joy of knowing Jesus personally and the privilege of making Him known globally.

You may wonder why I’m talking about things of relative insignificance like Rugby League, when I’m at a conference on global evangelisation. Believe it or not, I’ve seen similarities between Rugby League (& sport in general) and the task of world evangelisation. In the midst of checking the news on an intermittent internet connection, one BBC website article stood out – it was discussing the task of bringing through a new generation of younger leaders who would carry the baton in the English Rugby League team. For England RL, the difficulty has been exacerbated by a number of significant injuries to older players, forcing a squad for the upcoming Four Nations tournament with only two players over 30and three players aged 21.

I realise you may not know or care about Rugby League. To be honest, I love the sport, but in the grand scheme of things, it is nothing. I do care passionately about seeing Jesus proclaimed to the whole world, and particularly to those who have not yet heard of Him. The similarity between the two was not lost on me – sat here at Lausanne, the overwhelming feeling for me has been of the old school holding fort and preventing a new generation from taking the baton and running with it.

For success in leadership, whether it be in sport or in Christian leadership, there must be a correct balance between allowing older and wiser heads to exert their influence and younger, probably more risk-taking leaders to give it a go. One of the many failings in British sport has been the repeated retention of the old guard with no attempt or desire to bring in and develop a younger generation. My fear is that in the task of world evangelisation that the same is being done.

Seeing this in action in a world congress of global leaders is heart-breaking and disappointing. It leaves me disappointed and at times, despairing. However, I’m not prepared to leave it there. Sometimes (as in the England RL team currently) due to circumstances, there is no choice but to bring through younger leaders. However, there are also times when younger leaders leave the older gate-keepers with no choice. If younger leaders provide an excellent example in spite of opposition and take up the baton, no matter what resistance to it that they face, the church will be all the better for it.

I’m reminded of those great words from an old man to a young man “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12) I will take up the baton of leadership, I will encourage other younger leaders to take it up. I will learn from those who have gone before, but I won’t let them keep hold of the baton. If we are to see the world reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ, then we need the older people to do that, but we must release the reins and allow younger people to lead, to take the initiative in global evangelism.