HOPE For Our Church by Bishop Fickett
*Article Excerpt*
Leading Through Generational, Cultural, and Ideological Tension
My great-grandfather, Hermon Small, lived to be 96 years old before the Lord called him home. Some of my fondest memories of him are tied to the way he prayed. His hearing wasn't great, and every so often his hearing aid would let out a high-pitched squeal that made you think the church was on fire. But when I heard that sound, I knew something special—it meant he was in the room. That sound became a signal of his presence, his faith, and his legacy.
Today, we find ourselves in churches where multiple generations—just like my great-grandfather and I once did—worship, serve, and journey in faith together. And while that reality brings great beauty, it also brings unique challenges. That's why it's more important than ever that we strive for unity—a unity that allows us to walk hand in hand, across generations, down the road of faith.
As a pastor, one of the most challenging aspects of ministry is meeting the needs of every generation. The Church stands at a crossroads—generational gaps are widening, cultures are shifting, and ideologies are colliding. If you're pastoring a church of any size, chances are you have three to six different generations sitting in your services at the same time. That reality can be a beautiful picture of health and joy—or a source of tension and grief.
Each generation brings with it the culture that shaped them. Some prefer hymnals over lyrics on a screen; some want the lights on during worship, while others feel more engaged when they're dimmed. These differences go beyond personal preference—they reflect deeply rooted cultural expressions that have formed over time. And the truth is, every generation eventually has to reckon with its own culture—what it got right, and what it may have missed.
But at the heart of it all, we must come back to this unshakable truth: the Church belongs to Christ. As Ephesians 1:22–23 declares, "And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." If that is true, then regardless of age, worship style, or background, we must pursue unity—not as a preference, but as a Gospel imperative.
The most breathtaking picture of this unity is found……
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Check out this article, HOPE For Our Church by Bishop Chad Fickett in its entirety by clicking here. It is one of the articles that can be found in The Virginian’s FALL issue.