This is an article from the March-April 1982 issue: Students and the Great Commission

From the Director

From the Director

Frankly, I don't like that word "director." I tell people sometimes that I am the "janitor" here, just trying to be a good steward of these 100 buildings.

Or, I tell people, I am the "observer" here, hardly more than keeping track, in general, of all the things that 200 energetic people working, creating, producing can be up to simultaneously! "it ain't easy," even for an "observer."

But, to tell the truth, I am actually the "General Director." Do you know what that means? I have the unenviable job of casting the deciding vote in staff huddles as regards the general direction of things. That's all. The general direction. Details are for other people.

[Remember Will Rogers? Asked how to deal with the phenomenal problem of German submarines during World War II, he said, "Heat the ocean to a boil." People replied, "But how?" He answered, "That's your problem. I gave you the solution. You work out the details."]

Curiously, however, I really am more of an observer than a director, even a general "directioner." Why? Most of the most arresting things we have to do with are not in my control, nor even in the control of anyone here. All of us are mainly just fitting into what our sovereign, active, loving, living Lord is doing. And things are exploding on all sides.

Could I "direct" into existence the new, dynamic N.S.M.C.  the National Student Missions Coalition? (See pages 12 iLL) God must have!

Could I have "directed" that potent, swarming, beautiful headquarters team of youthful leaders to move to the U.S Center God must have!

Could I "direct" our young chief accountant to stick it out another year here before going to seminary? God must have! I expect he can begin seminary while still working here. Anyhow, he's more than accountant now  one of our top managers.

Could I "direct" 20 people to gather in Chicago last week (representing top Southern Baptist leadership, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Lausanne Committee, Sudan Interior Mission, Evangelical Foreign Missions Association, etc, etc.)? Although I was one of them, could I have had the power to "direct" those men to drop the definition of Unreached Peoples used at Pattaya and for that phrase adopt the concept employed at the 1980 Edinburgh World Consultation on Frontier Missions? God must have! This agreement now paves the way for far better collaboration and understanding. More on this meeting next issue.

Could I  just since last issue  "direct" two additional, outstanding, stable, older mission agencies (RBMU International and FEGC  now Send International) to plunge into the Frontier Fellowship movement? God must have!

How's this: Could I "direct" the Motion Picture Academy to give Chariots of Fire the best picture award? God must have! This will send a flood of keen, new, determined young people to the field. (See back page for the rest of the story in book form.)

Could I "direct" the 3000 student Biola University to choose a missionary/ mission executive for its new president? God must have! This now will give other Christian colleges a new tough example to live up to in terms of serious recruitment and training of students for world service¬ both on graduate and undergrad levels.

For that matter, could I direct a young officers Junta to choose a devout Sunday School teacher as the new president of Guatemala? God must have! Oh, God, please also keep this man alive! Let the world now see appear the rugged moral backbone of Guatemala  the one million (out of seven) evangelicals without whom there is no hope for that country.

Could I "direct" a superb team of young people to knock themselves out, work night and day, gamble everything they (and their friends) possess to launch a new missions magazine (TODAY'S MISSION    The World Christian Magazine  48 pages, 8 x 11, four color, superb high quality, absolutely stunning)? I actually doubted if they could do it! But God is in this! Send for a sample copy. Order 1982's six issues don't miss a single one  for $12 to Box 40010, Pasadena CA 91104.

Dear faithful people, you can see I haven't "directed" any of these things. I did direct our accountant to pay the last $65,000 on the March 1st payment. But even there God must have directed many generous people to send in the first $110,00O, and our staff was certainly consulted before we took the last $65,000 out of our carefully built up $70,000 severance fund. (Now our staff can't resign!)  What glorious weariness we experience here together. How about it? Pray! Ask God if He wants you to come and join us. We need every kind of talent to assist Him as He directs. That $6,000,000 payment next year won't go away. It's getting closer (September '83). We can make it only if 400,000 more join the Frontier Fellowship and give their first $15 to, us. But we cannot "direct" that to happen.

So what? "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, mighty!" That is good enough. Rejoice with us!

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