Do the names Ravi Zacharias, Robert Morris, Carl Lentz, and Steve Lawson mean anything to you? Zacharias was a famous Christian apologist. Robert Morris was a well-known pastor of Gateway Church. Carl Lentz was the Lead Pastor of Hillsong Church in New York, and Steve Lawson was a pastor of Trinity Bible Church in North Texas. What do all these men have in common? All of them committed some kind of sin that led to their leaving their position as pastor.
On the other hand, have you heard of Myung Lee, Kenneth Wells, and Larry Willis? Each of these men is in the process of retiring from ministry after long and faithful ministries.
Pastor Myung Lee served for 42 years in ministry. He started his ministry in Abilene. He pastored a local church there. He also helped two churches in West Texas to get on their feet to reach the Korean population. He came to the Carrollton area over 10 years ago and started the church plant One Light Church. He retired on May 2 after pastoring this church for 10 years.
Pastor Kenneth Wells served for 50 years in ministry. He started out in ministry on staff at a Lewisville church. In 1981, he was called to pastor Northview Baptist Church in Lewisville. He recently celebrated his 45th year as pastor of that church. On May 17, 2026, he retired from ministry in that church.
Pastor Larry Willis served in ministry for 37 years. He served in support ministry roles for the first 19 years. In 2008, he came to Morse Street Baptist Church in Denton as their senior pastor. On June 30, he and his wife, Doris Willis, will retire as the pastor and first lady of that church after 18 years of faithful service.
While the first group of men you have heard of is due to their large platform, the second group you may not have heard of is due to their smaller platform. Yet from a kingdom platform, these men are to be celebrated. Their ministries are to be modeled.
Paul, in writing to his young protégé in the book of II Timothy chapter 4 verse 2, challenged Timothy to preach the word, in season and out of season, to correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. He concluded the paragraph with “fulfill your ministry” in verse 6. These men have fulfilled their ministry without a scandal looming over their heads.
Oh, that each of us would fulfill our respective ministries with faithfulness. May we focus our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, as we cross the finish line. May our Lord and master then say to us well done, thou good and faithful servant.