The Call of a New Generation

The Psalmist prays that before his time is up he would have declared God’s righteousness to the next generation. It is important for us to focus on generational change and renewal. We must ask ourselves whether we are preparing the next generation of believers, not just succession of leaders but the whole cohort of young believers, our next generation. Since my return to Sabah in 2014 when I turned 50 years old, I have been doing just that, first in my Ranau church our first service was filled with Secondary students between 100-200 of them each Sunday. Several times we had more than 250 people packed into our shoplot.

Then when I was transferred to the Bible College 17 kms from Ranau town, I trained students who were between 18-23 years old and very few students were over 25 years old with the exception of returning students who were upgrading their theological qualifications. So for four years in Ranau I had focused on preparing the next generation, many of whom are now young pastors and my strong supporters at least in prayers for their former teacher and pastor. 

From Jan 2020 until the end of 2021, 22 months in all, I pastored a church in a time of plague and pestilence and I did not lose sight of the youths, even the young teenagers I taught almost every week, rain or shine, lockdown or no lockdown, face to face meeting or online teaching I spent a total of 17 months preparing my youths, the next generation. When they are grown up they will be the fourth and even fifth generation of leaders who will lead the church beyond 2050, the second half of the 21st century.