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This devotional thought was written to capture the true story of Rich's first gardening experience in New Minden, Illinois. It was written as a personal story, however, it was expanded and then presented to the Michigan District - LCMS Professional Church Worker's Conference. 

Who is Fit to Lead in the Church?​

Spring, 1971, was an exciting time in my life, for I would graduate from Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, Illinois, and move to my first Call. I sat in the crowded gymnasium waiting for the service to be over so that I could open the envelope that would determine my future and the future of my family.
 
I slowly slid the document out of the envelop – revealing information bit by bit.
 
St. John Lutheran Church and School – well that was good – I was confirmed from a St. John Lutheran Church – it was a good name – a good start
 
New Minden, Illinois – where was New Minden? I lived in Chicago, I knew Lansing, Illinois, DeKalb, Waukegan, Rockford, DesPlaines, Mundelein, Libertyville and most of the town and villages in Cook, Lake and DuPage counties – where was New Minden? Oh well, Illinois was good – Moms and Dads could visit.
 
Teacher – good – I could do that!
 
Grades 5, 6, 7, 8 – that must be a typo – Nobody would expect me to teach four grades in one room. I read it again – yep – looked right – grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 – oh well, I could do that – I guess – I was a trained teacher!
 
Principal – you got to be kidding – principal? That would take some prayer.
 
Coach – basketball, softball, track – OK – someone was joking with me.
 
Sunday School teacher and lead Sunday school teacher trainings – so where is the real Call?
 
Organist – OK, now I know it was a joke – where was Jeff Burkart? – the roommate that was playing tricks on me. Organist – I saw an organ once – it was big.
 
It was no joke – I was principal, teacher of the upper grades, SS leader, coach and organist – it was a Divine Call. We packed up our apartment and moved to New Minden – 50 miles due east of the holy land of St. Louis. We settled in the “teacherage” and the Board of Education walked me over to the church balcony to hear my organ prowess.
 
I felt like Moses arguing with the Lord – there was no way I could play the organ. The men wanted proof – easy enough as I sat down on the bench and gave them the worst rendition of “What Child is This?” that they ever heard – They shook their heads as we walked down the stairs – “What will we do for an organist?
 
Since the formation of Saint Johannes Evangelisch Lutherich kirke von Missouri, Ohio, und under staten on December 31, 1846 – the organ had always been played by either the pastor or teacher. It seemed as if I wasn’t fit to lead at St. John’s.
 
However, they reasoned a Divine Call was – Divine – they found an organist and I was once again a leader.
 
I made it through the school year to mixed reviews – more people were impressed with me then wanted to run me out of town – having a pretty wife who taught the other four grades and a brand new baby boy didn’t hurt either.
 
We would walk around town – all ten blocks and chat with the people. We would visit Rufus Hoffman’s General Store and buy our canned goods off the shelves, our meat from a butcher block and our eggs from the crate near the milk. We would buy our gas from Sprehe’s garage and eat at the Blue Room – we made sure to patronize every business in town – all three of them. The fourth one was the tavern run by outsiders – I didn’t go there much – it was just a bar. We even made sure to visit Hattie’s front porch – the site of the New Minden Post Office until the government took it away.
 
As a church leader – I wanted to be more like the people I was to lead. So one day it dawned on me that all of the villagers had vegetable gardens. I knew more about playing the organ then I did about vegetable gardening. But I was determined to fit in and have a garden.
 
So one Saturday in July I grabbed a shovel and announced to my wife that “I am going to make a vegetable garden.” She responded, “That’s nice, dear, don’t hurt yourself.”
 
I walked out into the backyard looking for a place for this garden. The temperature was approaching 90o and I looked for a cool spot to dig.
 
I found the ideal location – the shade under the Hackberry tree offered a nice cool spot. After an hour of trying to turn over Southern Illinois hard pack clay, I had a 3’ by 4’ garden ready for seeds.
 
I walked into the house and announced, “Garden is ready – I’m going to Rufus’s for some seeds.”
 
“That’s nice, dear, don’t hurt yourself.”
 
The bell on the door announced my entrance into the empty store. The sun shinning through the window highlighted the dust floating in the air. My steps echoed off the wooden floor. Rufus looked up from his paper and greeted me, “Guten Tag, Herr Leher.”
 
Rufus always called me, “Herr Lehrer” after all, I was a respected church leader – a teacher – an imparter of knowledge!
 
“Afternoon, Mr. Hoffman,” after all, he was an elder and the mayor of New Minden as well as owner of the General Store – he deserved my respect.
 
“What can I do for you?”
 
“Need some seeds.”
 
“What kind?”
 
“Vegetable”
 
“Got um on the rack over there – 10 for $1.00”
 
10 for $1.00 – that was fantastic! Since I didn’t know how many seeds I needed for a 3’ X 4’ garden, I could start with the 10 packages and get more if I needed them. This would be a great day!
 
 The rack squeaked as I rotated it – looking for all my favorites – corn, peas, beans, radishes, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pumpkins, watermelon, and I needed one more. Then it hit me, I was being selfish – I was getting all my favorites – I would make some major husband points if I grew something I hated, but the wife loved. I was excited – I was going to make her smile – who said I was a selfish husband?
 
I turned the rack and scanned – turned again and scanned – turned and scanned – soon Rufus looked up as the squeaks echoed in the quiet store.
 
“Herr Leher – can I help you? What are you looking for?”
 
“Well, I really want to surprise my wife with some special seeds – but can’t find them.”
 
“What are you looking for, perhaps I have them in back.”
 
“I can’t find any.”
 
“Any what?


“Sauerkraut seeds”
 
Rufus sat up, looked at me and remarked, “Junge, junge, vas seeked du?” (Roughly translated means, Young person, young person, what did you just say?”)
 
Rufus didn’t wait for me to repeat, but in a very serious tone said, “I must be out of them – try cabbage – I might have some of them left.”
 
That evening as we walked around the town, people asked how the garden was – I was impressed – I was one of them!
The farmers in the church would ask me about my garden – and when I shared I didn’t see much progress, they would comment with, “How about if I come over and plow some of the pasture land behind your house – the land without trees, perhaps you could garden there.”
 
Sometimes they would comment, “I usually plant my garden in Spring, would you want me to come help you then?”
 
Yes, word had gotten out – their church leader was not fit to garden – but just maybe could be trained. The congregation was on a mission – they were going to teach the teacher how to garden.
 
Who is fit to lead in the church?
 
Could it be that only those that can garden lead the church? Could it be that only those who can meet the needs of the congregation members are fit to lead?
 
A good friend of mine, Pastor Hahn of Sebewaing, MI, observes, “No one congregation member expects a perfect pastor, but taken together, every congregation does.”
 
With that mentality it would seem as if no one is fit to lead in the church.
 
Hybels, Barna, and Maxwell offer their insights into how church leaders can become fit to lead in the church, often pointing out the shortcomings of the mortal church leader.
 
God uses St. Paul to offer us insight into how He would answer the question, “Who is fit to lead in the church?” in 1 Timothy 3.
 
Who is fit to lead?
 
One who is “above reproach” – how is one to define “above reproach”? Since we can’t look into a person’s heart, we must use the outward marks of a life above reproach – such as:
 
 - husband of one wife – how a husband treats his wife is a strong indicator of his heart. A faithful, loving, respectful man will love his wife even as Christ loved the church. He will carry that faithfulness with him to his dealings with the congregation.
 
- temperate – defined as clear-headed – vigilant – sober. The church leader should not practice “fuzzy” thinking, but rather be watchful – especially for the snares and traps Satan lays down in his life. 
 
- self-controlled – the ability to take charge of the mind – to control impulses – to refrain from overindulgences in the physical appetites and to control thoughts that would lead to less than desirable deeds.
 
- respectable – the observable behavior marked by self-discipline, order and balance of inner and outer life.
 
- hospitable – the practical and sacrificial sharing of one’s home and limited resources
 
- able to teach – to share wisdom and values with future generations
 
- not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money – four characteristics of outward behavior that are observable and measurable.
 
Paul continues that a church leader is fit who can manage his household – for if his family can not respect him – how would others?
 
The church leader must be mature in the faith – not a recent convert. A person who is mature in the faith has a solid relationship with God – a relationship that will allow him to stand up to the devil and his tricks of doubt, despair and disappointment. A person who is mature in the faith realizes that it is only through Jesus Christ that we can be saved nothing we do or say can ever save us – it is only when we abandon our sinful works and cling to the cross we can be assured of salvation.
 
The church leader must have a good reputation with outsiders – words and deeds must match – especially when viewed by those who do not have a relationship with Jesus.
 
Who is fit to lead in the church?
 
Apart from the Holy Spirit – no one is fit to lead in the church. Apart from the Holy Spirit there would be no self-control. We would act on every sin-filled impulse without regard to who is hurt. Selfishness would be the rule and norm.
 
With the power of the Holy Spirit selfishness is replaced with selflessness. The Holy Spirit seals our relationship with our Father. The Holy Spirit gives us the faith and then gives us the means to live out our faith.
 
The congregation members of New Minden succeeded in their mission to teach the teacher how to garden. When I left New Minden I was able to plow, plant, cultivate, and harvest. I was taken off the “Dumb as Dirt” list and added to the “He Knows Dirt” one – although every now and then I still receive a package of “sauerkraut seeds” as a gift.
 
I thank God that it wasn’t my gardening ability that made me fit to lead in the church, but rather, it was the Holy Spirit working in me. It was the Holy Spirit that gave the young teacher the maturity, self-control and family management skills that the congregation could see. I may have been a “Junge, junge” in the area of backyard vegetables, but the Holy Spirit allowed me to be “herr lehrer” in the classroom and the church.
 
We thank God that He continues to raise up men who are “above reproach” to shepherd the flock – to proclaim the Gospel – to lead.


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