1998 John MacCullen

Lifetime friends are plentiful amongst the Body of True Believers.  John is indeed one of those friends.  It was somewhere around planning a mission trip in 1997 that John popped above the radar at our church.  Nearly 9 years have passed by and our friendship has grown deeper with each year.  John has a father named Allen who tells great stories, each with its own message and each with its own moral.   John is indeed his father's son.

He is a story-telling type of teacher and he will not hesitate to lift up his friends or to square them away if he believes it is from God and if they will listen.  I have learned to listen.  He is great at allowing you to be humble as the moral sinks in.

"Did you see Fred's email the other day?" he began, " No?  Well let me tell you this story.  There was this missionary couple coming home from years of service - a lifetime of service - in Africa.  On the same boat on which they traveled home was Teddy Roosevelt. He had been in Africa for one week as the President.  When they arrived at the docks, thousands of people were there to greet the President. 

'It just doesn't seem to be fair' said the husband missionary, "Here we spend a lifetime in Africa helping the people and the President spends only one week but thousands are here to greet him as he comes home and no one cheering for our return." 

"It is simple, honey," the wife replies, "we aren't home yet."

John continues, "We do what we do for a different audience and for God not for accolades or approval by man."

Humbled once again, I sit and drink my Diet Coke.  Indeed it has been a good First Fifteen Years.  With the same Spirit that my brother shares, I continue what God called me to do.  He has called me to lead, to teach, to preach and to walk humbly before him.  He has called me to write these daily articles - it is neither a choice or a chore but a calling.

Perhaps the few will not think I write well enough or clearly enough for their taste - perhaps they will be correct.  A few others may not like the topic or series at times but my responsibility will always be to the One who does the calling.  Ultimately though, it is not even the many that want to participate that should cause me to continue - I should only walk where God would have me walk and then I should walk sure.

We  are not home yet.  We do not serve ourselves or man.  I am certain that I am glad that John has been part of my First Fifteen Years.  I am glad that he chooses God and I like his stories.

CHANGE OF COMMENTING AND CITING POLICY
These articles have the express intent of having a positive impact on the lives of emerging leaders.  All readers may not agree with every opinion, every series or every topic, however, such disagreement does not give any reader the privilege to be ungracious to any author or reader.  Commenting is allowed so that readers can participate positively and so that authors remain accountable.  Likewise, commentators  must remain accountable for their comments and must participate positively. 

Our readers and authors were recently discouraged by a few commentators who took the privilege of being able to comment and wrote comments less gracious than the very articles they criticized while choosing to remain anonymous and unaccountable.   To prevent further discouragement to the readers or the Faith, anonymous comments will no longer be allowed and all others comments, except member comments, will be reviewed before being posting.

The management of this site was a bit idealistic in assuming that those emerging leaders wishing to participate would do so in the positive spirit of the hundreds of articles currently posted to the site.  It was a bit idealistic - in regard to the current series - to maintain a belief that Christian leaders would not mind their successes and trials  being shared so that emerging leaders would repeat the successes and avoid the failures.  To prevent further confusion or discouragement of the reader, no actual identities appear in articles on this site without the permission of the person named.  Those persons have had the opportunity to help in the development of any material in which their name appears.  In all other cases, the names of actual people have been changed at their request.