Rise of a New Generation

Today I re-read a couple of my church's history books, especially on Trevor White, otherwise known as Asang (local name) who was instrumental in evangelising the tribes of Borneo in Sabah. Trevor White arrived in Sabah by sea at Jesselton (now known as Kota Kinabalu, my city) in October 1939. He was in his late 20s. In less than three years, the Japanese came and invaded the land and Asang and his fellow missionaries were incarcerated and not a few perished. But Asang survived and after a year of recuperation back in England, he came back to Sabah in 1946 and started planting churches in Ranau and then in Taginambur in the early 1950s. Thus, I would count the beginning of the church now known as Sidang Injil Borneo (formerly Borneo Evangelical Mission) from 1939 and the first generation Christians from 1939-1958. Every twenty years see a rise of a new generation.

At the end of the 2nd generation (1974-1976) we experienced a mighty revival whereby the number of churches trebled within a decade in the mid 1970s to mid-80s. Most of the people converted during the revival of the mid-70s until late 1970s are now the leaders of the denomination, those aged in their early 60s to their late 70s. Our Vice-President just celebrated his 72nd birthday yesterday. The third generation Christians are those who come to know the Lord from 1979-1998 (late 30s to late 50s) and many have also risen to positions of leadership in churches, at the local and District levels. Most of our Bible College's lecturers fall under this category. The younger generation of pastors are those who are in their 20s to mid-30s, and this is the group which I feel is critical to our Church's future. Those in their 40s are no longer so malleable to teaching and mentoring. Worse still those in their 50s are stuck in their ways. So I consider those in their 20s and early 30s - pastors and young leaders that will rise up and lead the Church in the 2030s and 2040s if per chance the Lord delays His coming. But the key is someone or those more senior serving as good role models and are worthy of respect and imitation, and there are very few in numbers of those in their late 40s or 50s. The 2nd generation leaders shall cease from active ministry in a decade's time, while the 3rd generation leaders are too few to reckon with. If the 4th generation of young leaders humble themselves, prepared to learn and be mentored, they will do great things as those who know the Lord shall do exploits.