It’s hard to respect a leader who doesn’t practice what he preaches. Imagine listening to an Army General instruct on accurate shooting, when he himself had never shot a gun. An English teacher’s lectures would seem meaningless to you if she didn’t know how to speak English. And it’s hard to respect Christian leaders when they seem to say through their lives, “Do what I say, not what I do.”
That’s why I’m glad our President at CIU, Dr. Bill Jones, is a different kind of Christian leader. He practices what he preaches. Some pastors and teachers may preach, “Memorize Scripture! It’s important!” but how many actually do it themselves? Well, Dr. Jones says, “Memorize Scripture! It’s important!” But he memorized ALL of Mark 1-5 this year and was bold enough to recite all that Scripture from memory in a recent chapel.
I know I’ve preached to people, “Tell people about Jesus! It’s important!” But how many times have I actually done that myself? Well, Dr. Jones constantly teaches his students in his Evangelism and Discipleship class, “Tell people about Jesus! It’s important!” But he actually does it. He humbly asks for prayer from CIU students during chapels before Gospel sharing opportunities. He builds relationships with local businessmen and leaders around Columbia, so that He can have opportunities to share the Gospel. And he constantly gives unbelievers the opportunity to accept or reject the message of salvation.
As our fearless leader leads the charge toward evangelism and Scripture memorization, students are inspired to equip themselves with tips and tools for evangelism, the discipline of Scripture memorization, and persistent prayer. All because Dr. Bill Jones practices what he preaches.
-Aaron Sobey