I once preached alongside Joshua Harris. 

It was at a local conference hosted by a network I was a part of.

I preached the morning session. He preached the evening session. I got nothing but positive vibes from him. He shared encouraging words with me. He was generous in his availability to people. He served the attendees well with his sermon. This was in 2017.

But things would change in 2019. 

After being a best-seller author at the age of 21, a megachurch lead pastor at 28, he would announce that he no longer identified as a Christian at 43 (just 2 years after this conference). 

While many factors may have been in play, I couldn’t help but wonder how the role of being thrust into so much opportunity at a young age may have contributed to his later wrestling.

How quickly should young leaders be platformed? Do we set up young leaders for failure when we empower them too much, too quickly?

How do we wisely unleash the gifts of younger leaders so it looks beautiful 20 years later? Is there a way to make it fall-proof?

Simplistic Ways I’ve Heard This Addressed

1) One View: “It is dangerous to platform young leaders." 

This rationale says that younger leaders are not seasoned enough to handle the pressure and the praise of opportunity. This person would say that when gifting exceeds godliness, this person’s soul will crater which will soon crater one’s ministry. This view has a bit more cynical and suspicious evaluation of the human heart. 

2) Opposite View: “It is dumb to not release the gifts of God’s people because of age.” 

This rationale says that it’s silly to allow age to be the reason why we limit someone’s capacity to serve Jesus. They would point to the young age of Old Testament kings and prophets as a template and say young leaders today have the same Holy Spirit living in them as those who are older. This position has a more optimistic and hopeful disposition because of who God is and what He has done previously. 

So which one is it? 

Personally, I think it really depends. 

It depends on the evidenced sustaining character and competence we see today.

Why do I say this?

Because it’s impossible to project into the future. No one really knows. No one know if someone will be a Goliath killer or a Uriah murderer (Or both like King David). We don’t know whether someone will finish well or whether someone will renounce the faith. There are those who start well and end poorly. There are those who start poorly and end well. We can’t read the future.

The best we can do (without trying to be God) is assess:

1) Fruit of one’s character

2) Faithfulness in practice (which also reveals character)

3) Capacity of one’s gifting

And let them do the work of ministry in a way that:

1) Fits with their assessment

2) Done in community with others (not in isolation without accountability)

…ultimately trusting the grace and Spirit of God to ultimately carry them to finish well. I think that’s the best we can do. 

We can’t concoct a perfect formula. We can’t control the outcome. If someone stays faithful and pure, it will be because of the grace of God. If a young leader implodes, the same grace of God will still meet him or her in the ruins. We can only move forward with the information we have today. 

Concluding Thoughts

It’s an unsatisfying answer, but I believe it’s the right one.

The reality is you don’t have to be young and have a platform to face temptation or wrestle with internal complexities. Jesus faced temptation when the crowd wanted him to be king and when he was alone in the wilderness after his baptism. Everyone is on this journey regardless of age or ministry opportunity.

If you’re convinced young leaders should not be given significant ministry opportunities, I’d ask you to bring the power of the gospel and the intended role of the Body of Christ for support and accountability on equal footing with the negative headlines you’ve seen. 

If you’re convinced young leaders need to be platformed, I’d ask you to pray fervently for young leaders in your church. And if you have the keys to empower them in your church, please get to actually know the young leaders you’re empowering and not just be familiar with their gifts and how that can benefit the church. 

If you’re a young leader wanting opportunities, I want to encourage you to love Jesus more than everything in the world. If Jesus isn’t enough for you when you don’t have ministry opportunities, he won’t be enough for you when you have the biggest opportunities. We will be finished with ministry one day, but we will never be finished with Jesus. Your time will come. Until then, treat today’s assignment as the “big thing” because it is in God’s eyes. 

I was 31 when I preached at that conference. There are some who might’ve said I was too young to be up there. They may be right. All I know is, it was completely by his grace that the opportunity didn’t ruin me then, and it will be Him who sustains me on my last day then.