James C. Gerdeen, Professor Emeritus,
Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado-Denver
[Feb 28, 2010] —
My wife was right. I admit it.
In 2002 I was contemplating my upcoming retirement and realized I wanted to be involved in some kind of Christian ministry. At the same time my wife Wanda and I were hopeful we could move back to the Midwest to be closer to our children and grandchildren.
That same year I was asked to pastor a congregation only 200 miles from our children. I had been a pastor years ago, before I entered academia. This new opportunity seemed to be more than a coincidence — it must be God’s hand!
With My Experience…
I would also be training mission pastors at that location. I was asked to write a proposal for a $2 million grant to support the effort. Why of course, with my experience I was sure I could do that.
In hindsight I realized that I made a hasty decision. I had not done my homework. Too late we learned the congregation was growing old and dying out. It had experienced two church splits.
Consequently, my time was spent nursing a dying body and there was no time to reach out to the neighboring universities as I wished. And I did not receive the grant. After two years, I resigned, giving the church a six months notice.
What had gone wrong?
Lessons Learned
Had I, a mature Christian with much experience, made a bad decision? One who over the years had helped people discern God’s will? Months of more godly contemplation revealed some lessons to be learned:
First, I had ignored my wife’s discernment when she cautioned me and now said “I tried to tell you.” We were supposed to be partners, a team. I humbly apologized.
Second, God showed me my pride, the chief of sins. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall ” (Prov. 16:18). When answering God’s call earlier in my life, I had to take real steps of faith and really trust the Lord. This time, I found that instead I had trusted my own abilities.
Humiliated, I went to my file, took out that vision and mission statement I had written years earlier as a professor associated with the faculty ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, and updated it.
After more godly contemplation I asked myself “Who Am I?”
Then I asked God, “Where do you want me to work now in your kingdom?”
The answer was clear. Since I have rapport with faculty and grad students, God led me to contact Faculty Commons to become an Affiliate Staff Member for work in Missouri.
Colleagues, retired or still active, may I encourage you to learn some lessons from me? Who are you trusting?
(c) 2010 James Gerdeen