Our good intentions are hindering God’s plan. I say that with the profoundest love and respect for God’s people.

Peter had the best intentions when he took Jesus aside and privately rebuked him for saying that he must suffer and die. I have no doubt that many of our church leaders have the best intentions when they privately (and publicly) rebuke our young pastors for suggesting what seem like radical changes in the way we have traditionally done church. However, too often those good intentions are hindering God’s plan for reaching this generation. Most of the rebuking and resistance to leadership that I am seeing in many of our churches has little to do with wisdom or spiritual maturity. It has more to do with control and maintaining traditions than about what God wants to do.

God wants to reach postmoderns with the same gospel by which he has reached every other generation. He also wants his message to be relevant to this generation, just as he has made it relevant to each generation for the past 2,000 years. That is why he has always presented the gospel in the language and customs of the people he has reached. The “language” and customs of this postmodern generation are not the same as the 1970s generation. A cultural tsunami has hit our shores and is flooding our society and our homes, and our churches seem to be clueless. Our church membership is getting grayer because we are losing our children and grandchildren.

I am pleading with my generation and my parents’ generation: If you don’t want your church to close its doors in the next 15 to 20 years, please listen to your younger leaders — especially if you have a younger pastor. The way we did church in the 1970s will not work today. If you want your church to reach this generation, give your young pastors and leaders the freedom to lead. They understand this generation because they are part of it. Bless them, encourage them. Let them hear your concerns, but be willing to follow their leadership.

As a spiritually mature leader, focus on kingdom results rather than church tradition. If you do, you will discover what God is up to with this new generation.

— Mike O’Dell

O’Dell is director of missions for York Baptist Association.