International Director Emeritus Lawrence Tong shares his thoughts on how we can prepare the next generation to be leaders.
Lawrence Tong (Singapore) served as OM’s International Director from 2013 to 2025. He started serving with OM in 1978 when he joined Doulos and met his wife, Susan. He spent five years each on OM’s ships, Logos, Logos II and Doulos, worked in the ship ministry head office in Germany and served as field leader in East Asia. His excitement to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers within walking distance of everyone on earth is what propels him into motion daily.
The Millennial generation — those born 1981–1997, according to Pew Research Center — accounts for 27 per cent of the world’s 7.4 billion people. India, China, the United States, Indonesia and Brazil have the largest Millennial populations, accounting for nearly half the world’s total.
The mindset of millennials is vastly different from that of previous generations and will change the way missions will operate for decades to come. Resisting this reality is futile; rather, it’s imperative for missions to actively recruit millennials for positions of influence, leadership and ongoing impact.
As an organisation, we have to ask ourselves: Are we preparing them to lead? Are we actively engaging in mentorship opportunities?
Mentoring needs to be one-on-one, face-to-face. As we all know, online meetings can only take a conversation so far. Mentors reveal how they handle pressure, make decisions and repair relationships through in-person interactions. Leaders model behaviour the way a skilled craftsman teaches his/her apprentice: with compassion, care and time.
The practice of apprenticeship — expanding skills and understanding under the mentorship of a seasoned leader — is more crucial than any number of courses, books or blogs. Responsibility, even at an early age, yields experience and confidence going forward. And as OM looks to the future, we as leaders need to be seeking opportunities to utilise the hearts and skills of the millennial generation.
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In our movement, mentoring is invaluable. Current leaders must be intentionally mentoring the next generation — as part of their active, intentional ministry and work. Are we willing to take a chance with our successors by giving them genuine responsibilities for problem solving and innovation?
As with any endeavour, there is the possibility of failure: not everyone mentored will succeed. But failing to invest in younger people is guaranteed failure. There’s no such thing as a perfect disciple or perfect mentor. We shouldn’t wait for perfection before sending our people out or bestowing a role on them.
A major concern of older generations is a perceived lack of commitment on the part of millennials. Older people have invested decades into ministry, whereas to some millennials, a two-year commitment sounds like a life sentence! Yet I’ve seen millennials get married; that’s a long-term commitment!
The real issue is that, historically, we’ve not challenged millennials enough and shown them how investing in our mission will let them create an impact. Their passion to change things for the better is impressive. We need to empower them to take new steps of faith.
A number of mission organisations are asking how they can recruit more young people. Instead, we should be asking how we can make our vision and movement more attractive to them. It might involve shedding rules and rethinking six-month open options. Millennials aren’t looking to us for positions or riches; they want to make an impact, and that’s surely something we can offer.
The reality in most churches and social groups is that different age groups don’t intermingle. This is a shame, because each generation has so much to offer others. On OM’s ships, we create family groups that deliberately mix younger and older people. There’s nothing stopping any team or church from doing the same. In the end, it’s not about age but mutual respect. And through apprenticeship relationships, we can help bridge gaps between generations, cultures and ideologies.
Finally, may I offer some advice to millennials who want to serve God in missions? There’s a place for you in OM. Our world is much bigger than you think. Today is a day of new things.