OPINION: 5 things Pastor Tim Keller taught me before he passed
, at least until Jesus returns. Don’t give up on young leaders if they don’t make the best first impression.Tim Keller was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America , one of the most conservative, stalwart denominations in the United States.
He was a conventional Reformed evangelical who teaches the inerrancy of Scripture, the penal substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, and justification by faith alone.He might have disagreed with New Testament scholar N. T. Wright about the Reformation. But he recommended Wright’s landmark book on the resurrection of Jesus. He didn’t reach all the same conclusions as the missiologist Lesslie Newbigin. But he still built on this work from a previous generation to set an agenda for Western Christians in the 21st century.Admit your weaknesses and ask for help Twice in his leadership at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Tim Keller needed to admit he had a problem. The church’s growth and complexity outgrew his managerial skill. Not even his prodigious work ethic could save him. Twice he called on friends to serve as his executive pastor and lead the restless staff. Just because you’re gifted in preaching doesn’t mean you’ve gifted in administration. In the body of Christ, every part has its role . The mouth isn’t more important than the hands. The best leaders know when to let go and empower others to play their God-given roles.I’m not sure anyone ever extracted more from seminary than Tim Keller did. The books he read and lectures he heard set the trajectory of his entire life. Many leaders would be content with that foundation of learning. Not Keller. Even when he was publishing a bestselling apologetics book in 2008, he was rethinking his entire apologetic method in light of new reading. Even in his final days, he was sending his friends and colleagues new book recommendations. Keller’s lifelong learning developed like rings on a tree. The core never changed. He just kept growing, kept adding layers. When I worked on the book, Tim Keller didn’t know if he had one more day to live, or 10 more years to write books and mentor the rising generation of Christian leaders. That’s life with pancreatic cancer. But then, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring, either .
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