When Elijah neared the end of his life, he hid from danger in a cave at Mount Horeb. God challenged him by asking, “What are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19:9). After Elijah’s miserable excuse, God sent him home returning through Damascus telling him to anoint three men, Hazael to be king of Syria, Jehu to be king of Israel, and Elisha to be the prophet in Elijah’s place (19:15-16). God used those three men to usher in a new era.

God and Change

In every age, God saw fit to replace leaders, good strong leaders, with new men and women who could continue leading his people. Joshua followed Moses. Samuel followed Eli. The apostles followed Jesus. Changes in leadership are a natural part of healthy organizations. When organizations like churches do not renew their leadership, they set themselves up for inconsequence and death.

Change In Churches

In churches, this means elders are constantly searching, preparing, and training new leaders to replace themselves. They look for preachers and ministers that teach and exemplify God’s will as an extension of their leadership. They also seek to grow the corps of deacons and teachers to serve church members individually and collectively. This is how churches thrive in any culture during any generation. The Baker Heights church is experiencing change and transition, not because past leaders and workers were inadequate or ineffective, but because they were effective. Churches that replicate themselves prove to be vibrant and active. Baker Heights’ history of growth—replication— makes this change in the pulpit an exciting new era for the congregation.