I apologize to your readers if I offended anyone with my Nov. 12 letter. (“Thanks for the memories”). The point of my sarcasm was not to discard old pastors. As a soon-to-be 50-year-old pastor myself and currently the oldest staff member of a large, growing church, I certainly hope and pray that my ministry and influence will flourish in years to come.
My point was simply that when looking at the photos of pastors scheduled to speak at the annual conference there was no one representing the next generation of church leaders. In a world where 89 percent of our churches are plateaued or dying, we have some dynamic young leaders whose churches have baptized hundreds in a matter of a few years. But they seem to have no voice in the SBC because their methods, not the message, are different.
New president Fred Stone nailed it in an article in your last issue. We need fresh voices to reach a new generation. I heartily agree with Rev. Stone that “without young leaders, our best days are in the past.”
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