BETTER TOGETHER | The Kind of Leader Every Church Needs
Most people never realize how far their influence reaches. The best leaders continue shaping others long after they are gone. One of those leaders in my life was J.P. Seley.
I was sitting in my friend Les Strickland’s living room when the pulpit committee from Tippett’s Chapel FWB Church interviewed me. Everything seemed to be going well until Mr. Seley asked, “You mean you aren’t planning to quit your job?”
I explained I intended to serve as a bivocational pastor. Although I could tell he wasn’t convinced, I appreciated his honesty. I’d known Mr. Seley in another context, but this was my first experience with him as a prospective church member. He was a straight shooter. You never had to wonder what he was thinking. Looking back, I came to appreciate that quality because I always knew where I stood with him.
As pastor, our church experienced a few challenges. Like many young pastors, I quietly wondered if the church regretted calling me. One day, I shared those concerns with Mr. Seley. His response surprised me. “As far as I can tell,” he said, “our best days are ahead.”
Those simple words changed my perspective. He wasn’t just reassuring. He was encouraging. From that day forward, I knew he had my back, and that confidence gave me the courage to keep leading.
One Sunday evening, after our young people sang a song that didn’t match everyone’s preferred style, I could sense tension in the room. Then Mr. Seley stood. My heart sank, and I wondered what he would say. He smiled and said, “Pastor, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am right now to see these young people singing in church.”
With one brief statement, he redirected the congregation’s attention away from personal preferences and toward what truly mattered, the next generation. That moment shaped our church far more than he probably ever realized.
Mr. Seley also demonstrated faithful love, first when his sister became ill, and later when his wife developed Alzheimer’s disease. He cared for both of them with remarkable faithfulness. When his wife entered a care facility, he visited every day, living out what it means to love your spouse “for better or for worse.”
As the years passed, Mr. Seley urged us to let him know when he was no longer serving effectively. He loved the church too much to become an obstacle. Eventually, that day came. While visiting him in the same care facility where he faithfully visited his wife, he said, “Pastor, you have to take my name off the church roll.” I asked him why. He explained he had tried to leave the facility “unauthorized.” Then he said he didn’t want to do anything to hurt the church. Even in his diminished capacity, his greatest concern was the reputation of the church he loved.
Mr. Seley passed away at age 94 —16 years ago this month. I still hear his voice. So do many others who served alongside him. We smile, laugh, and remember. His influence did not end when his life did.
That is godly influence. A life marked by faithfulness, encouragement, humility, sacrificial love, and devotion to Christ’s church continues to shape people long after the leader is gone. Every church needs leaders like J.P. Seley. May God help each of us be that kind of leader.
