These 3 Elderly Christian Heroes Are Shaping the Future of Ministry From a Zoom Call

Seminary Professor Reveals 5 Lessons His Elderly Christian Heroes Are Teaching the Next Generation of Pastors

Dr. Chuck Lawless, professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has been inviting his three living Christian heroes to speak to his graduate level classes via Zoom and Teams over the past several years.

The three men, aged 95, 82, and 77, have spent significant time with his seminary students, answering questions about discerning God's calling, balancing family and ministry, knowing when to transition between ministries, and the secrets to finishing well in the faith.

Lawless says his students show remarkable enthusiasm for these intergenerational encounters. While he typically assigns broad topics like "finishing well," students consistently go deeper, asking personal questions about faithfulness and perseverance.

Most seminary students lack substantial real world spiritual mentors. Their heroes tend to be internet personalities rather than people they can ask questions of directly.

That observation is one of five key takeaways Lawless identified from these interactions. He noted a deep hunger among young leaders for older Christians who have remained faithful through adversity, especially after witnessing too many spiritual leaders fall or fail.

Lawless also pointed out that older believers bear responsibility for introducing younger leaders to mentors and heroes they admire and respect. Even brief conversations with spiritually mature individuals through digital platforms can profoundly impact young leaders' trajectories.

In one memorable class, author Robert Coleman, who wrote The Master Plan of Evangelism, concluded his session by singing a hymn that left the entire classroom nearly silent.

Chuck Lawless Challenges Christians to Become Godly Role Models for the Next Generation

Lawless concluded with a challenge to every believer: Will young leaders tomorrow want to learn from you? He emphasized that true spiritual heroes earn their influence not through seeking fame, but through humble, consistent faithfulness throughout their lives.

The professor's fifth and final observation was that each Christian should live today in such a way that future generations will want to learn from them. This, he says, happens through walking with God daily in humility, not by chasing a platform.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is the kind of story the world ignores but the Church desperately needs. We live in an age where young Christians are more likely to follow an influencer with a ring light than an elderly saint who has walked with God for seven decades. The fact that seminary students are sitting in stunned silence when a 95 year old man of God sings a hymn tells you everything. The hunger is real. The Church needs to stop outsourcing discipleship to algorithms and start putting young believers face to face with battle tested saints who actually finished the race. That is how we build an unshakable generation.

Take Action

• If you are an older believer, reach out to a young Christian this week and offer to meet regularly for prayer and mentorship.
• If you are a young believer, ask your pastor to connect you with a seasoned saint in your congregation who can walk alongside you.
• Support Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and their work equipping the next generation of church leaders.
• Read Robert Coleman's The Master Plan of Evangelism to understand the biblical model of life on life discipleship.
• Support Christian discipleship and mentoring ministries through The Shepherd's Shield.