LAST LESSONS #92 – KAREN

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13:17 

In 2012 Rafiki installed Karen Elliott to be the Executive Director to take my place in that job. It was time for me to give that responsibility to someone else and I was happy to do so. Although I would remain the Founder (obviously!) and President of Rafiki (which I am to this day), Karen would take on the task of directing the work of Rafiki. I want to tell you why she was chosen. 

Her History 

Karen was born in 1958. She had been working with me for many years. I had trained her to be a BSF Teaching Leader when she was only 28 years old, and she told me then that she wanted to be a missionary. As you can imagine she won my heart! She did become a missionary to Nigeria with TWO/Rafiki where she taught BSF classes for ten years and eventually became a BSF Area Advisor. She did an excellent job. When she came home, I invited her to become a Rafiki staff member and she accepted. At the time, she did not know that I had in mind for her to follow me as the Director of Rafiki. 

Her Qualifications

• The most important qualification for anyone in Christian ministry is that they believe the gospel, have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and are sound in their doctrine. Karen was raised in a doctrinally sound church, learned sound doctrine in BSF, increased in sound doctrine in Rafiki, and now attends a doctrinally sound church.
• Karen is well educated. She has a master’s degree in education and is presently working on a doctorate. Obviously, Karen is intelligent. Furthermore, she has worked in the world of finance and became the treasurer of the denomination in Nigeria with which Rafiki worked.
• Her knowledge of Scripture taught Karen to learn to follow before she was ready to lead. That means that she followed Jesus, her various employers, and the leaders in Rafiki. In the years that Karen served under my leadership, I never heard her complain about not being the leader. LESSON: I am convinced that no one can lead without first learning to follow. 

Her Commitment 

There is no question about Karen’s commitment to the Lord through Rafiki. She has been unwavering in her loyalty to her calling. She says she is in Rafiki until the Lord takes her home! Furthermore, Karen loves what she is doing. She says it is the best job in the world. Of course, I agree with her! 

Lessons: 

1. God prepares those he calls into leadership. Consider how God prepared Moses and David and Paul. For what is God preparing you?
2. You can’t teach what you do not know. To teach the Bible you need to know the Bible and you know the Bible by studying it. Are you studying the Bible regularly? Every day? Karen does, and I do. 
3. Once a person is saved by God’s grace through faith, the next step is to give one’s life unreservedly to the Lord to use as he wills. Sometimes it’s called “surrendering”, or “dedicating”, or “committing”, one’s life. Whatever you want to call it, it means giving all of you to the Lord. Nothing held back. Karen’s life belongs to the Lord.
4. Commitment is not temporary. Giving of one’s life to the Lord for his purposes means forever. God showed me that he wanted to use me in different ways at different times. However, when he would change my task for him was his decision, not mine. Karen has given her life to God’s calling whatever it is. 

Karen is God’s choice as Rafiki’s Executive Director now, and I hope for many years to come. She is loved by all who know her—especially me!