Do Some Older Leaders Want A "Mini Me"? Lack of Trust In Younger Leaders

Gave me something to think about. Certainly does not apply to everyone, but makes one self-examine.

"A middle aged couple approach me in the aisle after a conference presentation wearing earnest expressions and bringing a serious question: 'If the way you describe young adults is accurate, we are concerned about whether we can leave the church (organization) to these people!' During moments like this, I think God, in his wisdom, he created us with a voluntary circuit breaker between our thoughts and our words . In my mind, I shouted back, 'Who do you think you are to write off a whole generation as unfit for duty? I know one of your kids, and I would be proud to have her as the pastor my church!' But out of my mouth came just six quiet words: 'Well.... No one else is coming.'.... Older leaders routinely give lip service to the necessity of developing the younger generation. But when I hear these speeches, I get the sense that we elders often operate from a mental picture of that envisions the new cohort as strikingly similar to ourselves – in other words, a junior version of us." (Off-Road Disciplines. Earl Creps, pg 177, 2006