After my last two President Messages focusing on lions and tigers, a dear friend asked me to shift back to focusing on humans and on the important topic of leadership. I am happy to comply.

God in Genesis has called man to rule over the earth. Even though man has fallen, all of us still have our God-ordained spheres of influence and leadership. However, as we lead, we very often feel like Moses at the burning bush – inadequate, unprepared, and afraid.

In July 2020, God knew exactly how inadequate I felt when I came to lead BTS. I am more a pastor than a theologian. I am more a practitioner than a scholar. After 20 plus years serving in Singapore, I am still more a foreigner than a Singaporean.

Leading a seminary in Covid times is a herculean undertaking even for the most seasoned academic leaders. How to raise funds when local laws and heartfelt fears limit face-to-face encounters? How to recruit students from the developing world when there are visa restrictions and border controls? The human tendency is to “give up” and “give no more of ourselves”. However, the Holy Spirit challenge is to charge, to persevere, and to “finish well”. In that contrast between human tendency and spiritual courage, God’s calling to leadership can be clearly understood.

Moses at the burning bush was called to lead. He exhibited the very human tendency to “run away” by asking five very common questions (quoting John Maxwell). We, who are called to lead, ask the same questions.

Question 1 on identity: Who am I? I don’t feel qualified. (Ex 3:11)
Question 2 on intimacy: Who are you? I don’t feel close to you. (Ex 3:13)
Question 3 on intimidation: What if they reject me? I feel fearful. (Ex 4:1)
Question 4 on inadequacy: What about my gifts? I can’t speak. I feel inadequate. (Ex 4:10)
Question 5 on inferiority: Why not him? I am not good enough. Send someone else. (Ex 4:13)

To each of the 5 “I’s”, God gave a spirit-filled pragmatic response. For identity, God said I have sent you. For intimacy, I will be with you. For intimidation, trust me for they will listen. For inadequacy, God said I am the source of your gifts and I am the maker of your mouth. For inferiority, I will send Aaron with you.

God concluded: “But I am still sending you.”

As the Omicron subsides, God is calling each of us to come out of our wilderness to be a force for Him in our churches, in our neighbourhoods, at our workplace. And as we move forward to lead: the feeling of inadequacy, the lack of intimacy, the fear of intimidation, the sense of inferiority, and the doubt of our identity will haunt us. And God’s answer will remain the same – I have called you, I have gifted you, I will be with you, and I will help you. So be of good courage and stay the course.

These 5 “I’s” can freeze the most seasoned of leaders (even Moses). Imagine what these questions can do to young emerging leaders. Many wrestle with their identity. They are still in the process of clarifying their gifts. Peer acceptance and parental approval are still core values and the fears of rejection and failure have led to many saying “no” to the Lord’s calling to lead.

For these above reasons, we have developed the Ministry Emergence Programme (MEP) to equip them to face these 5 daunting questions and more. This programme will begin in May.

In order to strengthen our capacity to groom young leaders, we have called a person who has a successful track record of developing Singaporean young leaders for twenty plus years. Dr James Lee will join us in May.

Please join me in welcoming James to the BTS family. And please join us in our commitment to the next generation by helping us publicise MEP and recommending potential candidates to us.

Rev Peter Lin
President