Passing the torch in ministry is a difficult proposition. After all, God called me to this work, and I have seen Him work through me in amazing ways. If I just walk away now, who will I be? What if the next leader heads the program in a different direction? Leaving ministry can often feel more like “thanks for your contributions, you are no longer needed” than the “well done, good and faithful servant” we are all hoping for.
I made a lot of mistakes early on, but by God’s grace and with the wise and helpful minds and hands of the other men in our unit, the program thrived over the next 15 years. Every year, I felt less like an imposter and saw God working through me more clearly. Eventually, I became comfortable. I could set the plan for the year and share the vision with my lieutenants with minimal stress. Our team of men was a dozen strong, and the students under our care numbered more than twice that. We were a smooth-running machine, and young men were growing in their leadership through the Battalion program. By every measurable standard, we were a successful ministry.
Then, just over three years ago, I heard God’s voice in a new way. While reading Paul’s letters to Timothy, I was convicted that I was not training up my replacement. Why would I need to worry about something like passing the torch anyway? I was only 37, strong, mentally sharp, and deeply excited about this Brigade ministry. But none of those things qualified me to ignore God’s command on my heart. I realized I was being called to train another man to take charge of the program I loved so dearly. “Alright, Lord,” I prayed, “show me who You have in mind.” As I looked around our unit, one young man stood out; Isaiah, he had both a hunger for greater responsibility and the growing competency to handle it.
When I sat down with him and asked what God had been working on in his life, it became clear that he was fully committed to Battalion ministry, but perhaps feeling underutilized. That conversation led to a shared commitment: Isaiah and I began meeting regularly for mentoring, training, and intentional leadership development. Not long after we started, I asked him if he thought part of God’s call on his life might be to become the captain of our unit. He immediately said he didn’t feel ready, and regardless, Battalion 1180 already had a captain. I told him that was a perfect reason for us to pursue it. Sometimes leaders need to be willing to get out of the way, trusting that God does not call the fully prepared but prepares the called.
Today, Isaiah has been leading our Battalion for two full years, and I now serve alongside him as a lieutenant. That role reversal has been life-giving not only for us, but for the entire program. He sometimes does things differently than I would, and that is a gift. It reminds me that he is relying on the Lord to guide him, not simply following in my footsteps. This journey has taught me a humbling and necessary lesson: we cannot hold on to authority so tightly that we miss God’s plan to raise the next man for His purposes.
Passing the torch is not an optional task reserved for the end of our usefulness; it is a calling placed on all of us.
We may not understand God’s timing or His methods; we are simply called to be faithful. And part of that faithfulness is mentoring, training, and releasing disciples to carry the flame forward under God’s power and grace. The flame of the torch was never ours to keep, only ours to pass.
