THE VOLUME 51 | ISSUE 2 | 2019 BIBLE METHODIST OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BIBLE METHODIST CONNECTION OF CHURCHES Mentors A Crucial Component of the Christian Life THE BIBLE METHODIST VOLUME 51 | ISSUE 2 | 2019 EDITOR From the Rev. G. Clair Sams [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Editor Melba Sams 2235 Cale Switch Rd, Durant, OK 74701 [email protected] LAYOUT & DESIGN Shane Muir Mentor: a trusted counselor or guide. P.W. Keve, a pioneer [email protected] in the field of criminal justice wrote, “a mentor [is a person] who, because he is detached and disinterested, can hold up a PRINTING & CIRCULATION Country Pines, Inc. mirror to us.” www.countrypinesprinting.com This issue you will read articles that should challenge each of you. Historically, Christianity has known the importance The Bible Methodist is published four times a year. of influencing others in their walk with Christ and other It is the official publication of the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches. Christians. The Scriptures repeatedly remind us in the accounts of people highlighted and in the instructions given, Subscription price: $10 per year that discipleship is an extremely valuable tool. Too often we have failed to intentionally mentor or disciple BIBLE METHODIST others because of ignorance or indifference. The results of CONNECTION OF CHURCHES that lack produce inconsistency and confusion. Many people CONNECTIONAL CHAIRMAN in my generation simply assumed that their children or newly Dr. Michael Avery converted Christians would know what maturing Christians 3739 Moorhill Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45241 should embrace and reject. Because American culture had [email protected] for many years a strong Biblical foundation, many simply MISSIONS DIRECTOR assumed people would know the values of their faith. Rev. Timothy Keep Scripture has been removed from our culture. Christian 4473 Forest Trail, Cincinnati, OH 45224 values have eroded. Christian behavior has devolved. As [email protected] a result of the shift in the foundational understanding of ALABAMA REGIONAL Christianity and the behavior of its adherents, most people CONFERENCE PRESIDENT in North America have no real foundation for understanding Rev. John Parker the morals and character of Christianity. 40 Skyview Lane, Pell City, AL 35125 Each of us influence others either intentionally or uninten- [email protected] tionally. One of the great challenges a Believer faces is the GREAT LAKES REGIONAL choice to invest in the lives of others. It takes thought, prayer, CONFERENCE PRESIDENT time and commitment to mentor another. Parents are influ- Rev. Blake Jones encing their spouses and children. Teachers are influencing Box 5, Cedar Lake, MI 48891 [email protected] their students. Pastors are influencing the people who sit in the pew. HEARTLAND REGIONAL You may say I have little if anything to teach others. Don’t CONFERENCE PRESIDENT I need a course to teach me, or curriculum to lead me? My Rev. Chris Cravens 16346 TR 166, Arlington, OH 45813 answer would be, some help would be valuable. To meet that [email protected] need you might ask those who have influenced you for help. You may also carefully follow Christ and allow his presence MID-AMERICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE PRESIDENT to lead you in teaching and helping others. Rev. Darrell Stetler II For people who feel hesitant to offer themselves as mentors, 1116 SW 57th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73109 might ask the following question: “Does it not seem arrogant [email protected] to try to teach someone else how to live?” The answer to that question would be, “if you are offering yourself, simply to reproduce yourself or your theory, yes. But if your desire is to influence others to a deeper walk with Christ, you have much to offer already.” Your desire in prayer, passion for people and willingness to be used is a great tool. Allow the Holy Continue on page 6 2 The Bible Methodist // Issue 2 // 2019 Overcoming the Elijah Complex By Timothy L. Cooley, Sr. Elijah was a loner! He was a great man of God, but he liked After God waited him out at the cave, He sent Elijah back to be alone. He needed people, but he preferred to be alone! to the same disheartening place to keep on ministering— When he was discouraged, he ran off ALONE, slid under a anointing kings, rebuking sin, and preaching the One True juniper bush, and prayed to die! ALONE! Not even God could God—in the northern kingdom of Israel where the kings were talk sense to him. “Lord, they’ve killed all the good people. wicked and most of the people had forsaken the Lord! But I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to kill me!” The Elijah God also gave him a wonderful gift: Elisha, a man who knew Complex is discouraging and dangerous! how to work with people, a man who could organize others The Bible Methodist // Issue 2 // 2019 3 into teams, and a devoted disciple who could NOT be shaken mountain pass. Fighting the ‘sleep of death,’ they stumbled off. Elijah was rarely separated from Elisha until the day over a mound in the trail. It was a man, half dead. The Elijah left the planet, and even then, Elisha shouted out to let Tibetan refused to stop but continued on alone. The compas- Elijah know he was with him until the final moment! Elijah sionate Sadhu, however, shouldered the burden the best he became a mentor, even if against his will. And he grew! His could. Through his struggling, he began to warm up, as did ministry multiplied, his followers increased, schools of the the unconscious man. But before reaching the village they prophets sprang up, and his history was documented for 100 found the Tibetan—frozen to death.” generations to come. Elijah was “subject to like passions as I need to help others! Not only for their good, but for my we are” (James 5:17). He needed someone! own survival! Henderson (1997, p. 132) wrote, “Human nature Jesus must have experienced far greater awareness of the is perfected by participation in groups, not by acting as differences between Himself and His followers and of how isolated individuals.” little they understood, than Elijah ever could have felt, but The Witness Principle is that “except when needing to be Jesus was rarely alone. Of course, He could do ministry alone for a specific reason, every opportunity should be better than any of His helpers, but He knew He had to taken to do things with at least one other person” (Korn- build His message into people—close followers who would be field, 1982, pp. 70). You need helpers, and they need someone transformed by the Holy Ghost to carry out His Great Com- to help them. mission. Were they weaklings? Yes. Did they understand The Impact Principle is that generally the impact we make His assignments fully? No! But He kept people with Him on others “will be directly proportional to the quantity of constantly! In fact, He had so many people around Him that time” you spend with them “times the quality of time!” His earthly family thought He had lost His mind! (Mark 3:20- (Kornfield, 1982, pp. 69). You may be disappointed how many 21) He organized at least three circles of followers: groups of times other people miss your point, but you don’t know which 3, 12 and 70, plus many more followers in varying degrees lessons will stick. Some mundane incident may be galvanizing of closeness. Henderson observed that Jesus “preached to the to your helpers. masses, but explained to a few,” and “He called some ‘to be As Wesley struggled to keep the newly converted faithful, with Him’” (1983, p. 862). He invested heavily in discipling he recognized the necessity of assembling them “to watch the 12 and in working with the 70. Jesus’ Model of ministry over each other” and to have special meetings “apart from the was whole life-to-life transformation. He had people with great congregation, that they might instruct, rebuke, exhort, him, even when He was praying! (Luke 11:1). In Gethsemane, and pray with them and for them, according to their several He yearned for their company in prayer (Matthew 26:36-44), necessities” (1748, p. 251). It was a system of mentoring in was sorely disappointed in their failure, but did not give up groups that bound the Methodists together in a force that on them. He did withdraw “from them about a stone’s cast” transformed nations, much greater than the “rope of sand” (Luke 22:41), but they were still close enough to hear what He that Whitefield later realized his unconnected converts had said. Even after they dreadfully forsook Him, He went back become (Etheridge, 1859, p. 189). (after His Resurrection!) to rally them, help them deal with Hendricks and Hendricks (1995, p. 78) urged, “You need a their failure, and get them back on track. Paul. You need a Barnabas. And you need a Timothy”: 1) “an The Multiplication Principle is that Mentoring Multiplies older man who can build into [your] life”; 2) “a soul brother your Ministry. You cannot do everything that needs to be to whom [you] can be accountable”; and 3) “a younger man done, but you can be the catalyst that brings other active into whose life [you are] building.” laborers into the harvest. You need to take seriously Jesus’ Mentoring is not finding a water boy who will do your me- Prayer Request (Matthew 9:38)! Then having prayed and nial tasks. We’re in the Lord’s harvest, where there is always presented yourself as a worker, you need to bring helpers a shortage of laborers.