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PASSING THE MANTLE (2 Timothy 4:1-8)

REFLECTION

Passing the mantle is the theme for our reflection. Passing the mantle means Transferring authority to the next in line or the process of an incumbent handing over a position or authority to a successor. We shall reflect on the fact that senior ministers and those in higher office in ministry owe a duty to the next generation of leadership to properly mentor, nurture, guide, train and encourage them before passing the mantle, similarly, junior ministers must avail themselves to be mentored, nurtured, guided and encouraged to prepared to continue with the mission of God and the ministry of the Church even as the mantle leadership is passed to them.

Beloved in the Lord Paul’s first and second epistles to Timothy about mentorship, nurturing, guidance, training and encouragement. A young minister may excel academically but will perform poor or make certain fundamental leadership mistakes because of lack of experience. The vocation of ministry thrives on experience. It is for this reason Paul was consistent in mentoring, nurturing, guiding and training young Timothy was a pastor and an evangelist in the Church of Ephesus. As part of Paul’s concluding words in his letter to Timothy and a sign of passing the mantle of leadership to him, Paul wrote, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction…keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:1-2,5). Again, we experience another great example of passing the mantle in Jesus’ own ministry which I believe set the foundation and example for the Apostles to follow. After Jesus had called the disciples, he mentored, nurtured, guided and trained them. He passed the mantle of the mission and evangelistic ministry to them when He said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). This goes to prove that, every young minister before occupying a higher office or taking up the mantle of leadership in ministry must gain some years of experience under the mentorship, nurturing, guidance and training of a more senior, experienced and godly minister or minister. Many young ministers with exuberance but little experience run into avoidable challenges in ministry.

It is instructive to note that Paul wrote to Timothy when he was in prison and sentenced to death, this is why he wrote “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day —and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Nonetheless, he was intentional and purposeful about passing the mantle to Timothy even as he reminded him of his duties as pastor and evangelist. Paul was not selfish, his shared his knowledge and experience with young Timothy with the intention and purpose that Timothy would not make the mistakes he made in his own ministry and would succeed in his ministry. Paul understood the challenges of the ministry because of his own years of experience therefore he deemed it expedient to nurture, guide and train his son in the Lord and young colleague in ministry. This should be the relationship that must exist between outgoing and incoming officeholders in ministry. As an experienced minister leaves the ministry or exists in an office in the ministry, he is obliged to make his successor succeed by offering all the necessary advice and encouragement. Let us always remember that, it is not our ministry, It is Jesus’ ministry and we have only been called to participate or become partners in His ministry. This reflection teaches us the importance of leadership, mentorship, training and guidance as important elements in Christian ministry. The new order relies on the old order to succeed therefore the new order must be humble and have a learning disposition even as the mantle passes from the old order to the new order.

In summary, we have discovered that senior ministers and those in higher office in ministry owe a duty to the next generation of leadership to properly mentor, nurture, guide, train and encourage them before passing the mantle, similarly, junior ministers must avail themselves to be mentored, nurtured, guided and encouraged to prepared to continue with the mission of God and the ministry of the Church even as the mantle leadership is passed to them.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, like Paul, raise for the church well-equipped and seasoned ministers to nurture, guide, train, mentor and encourage the next generation of young ministers to keep the wheels of God’s mission turning in the world until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.