Ken Roberts, a 40-year friend of mine from Cleveland, Ohio, has consistently demonstrated a God-given gift to help people on the pathway to success. Like saints of old, he “bears on his body the marks” that fashioned him and that enable him to equip others to follow in his footsteps.
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I still remember the day I got the phone call that Ken’s wife, Debbie, had been killed in a car accident. Ken later related to me the heart-wrenching details of that day.
It was a Tuesday morning that had started out like any other day. Ken and Debbie grabbed a cup of coffee in the kitchen, moved into the living room and began their morning routine of preparing for the activities of the day. They then went back upstairs, dressed for the day, kissed, said their goodbyes, and headed off in opposite directions.
An hour later, Ken got a message that a nearby hospital was trying to contact him. His wife had been in a car accident. I remember Ken telling me how he rushed to the hospital and was hurried into the emergency room, where his lovely wife of 25 years was lying in a coma. Over the next few days, Debbie’s organs began to shut down, and three days later, she was dead.
But of course, that hasn’t been Ken’s only experience with suffering. Shortly after his wife’s passing, the church that Ken had pastored for over 20 years began to unravel. Here is that painful journey, in Ken’s own words:
“I was in my early 40s and, at the time, the senior leader of a large congregation in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. From its inception, the church possessed that ‘golden touch.’ Within a few short years, we had grown to one of the largest churches in our city. We were known for the passion of our worship, the excellence of our performing arts, and the overall vitality of our spiritual community. We were respected among both charismatic and evangelical churches, and as a result, we had helped initiate several Christian endeavors within our city, our region, and places around the world.
“But that once-golden touch had waned, and the last few years felt as if we were making bricks without straw. Everything was hard. We experienced one grinding season after another. We would gear up to take one step forward, only to take three steps back. One disappointment was followed by yet another. Perseverance became our daily motto, and survival became our main mission.
Building Project Blows Up
“Next, we experienced a difficult and depleting building project. Similar to a stormy marriage engagement, our plans were on, then off, then on, then off again. After 10 years of starts and stops, the 42-acre campus, 55,000-square-foot building, and 1,300-seat, state-of-the-art auditorium — with a $10 million price tag — was finally completed.
“But not without its first taking a titanic toll on all of us.
“With more than a million dollars in cost overruns, and a sudden downturn in the economy, when we moved into our new facility and didn’t experience the expected and needed growth, the financial pressures became enormous. The dream of having our own facility quickly became a nightmare, and the previous hassles of setting up and tearing down in a high school auditorium every Sunday — for over 20 years — didn’t seem like such a headache anymore.
The Pastoral Team Perishes
“The final blow was the unraveling of our pastoral team — most of us having served together for almost 20 years. The financial pressures of our new building and the shattering impact of the loss of my wife widened the divisions already among us. Like a broken windshield, the cracks quickly spread throughout our entire congregation. The erosion brought about through ongoing misunderstandings, unresolved conflicts, and blatant mistrust picked up speed, and like a mudslide, everything began to give way.
“One by one, members of our pastoral team began disbanding and drifting away — some to saner and safer places, and others, not sure where to go, just anywhere but here. Cherished friendships were broken, and our once compelling dream crumbled. Wounded and disillusioned, members began walking away.
“I remained the senior leader for another three and a half years. But it was an overwhelming, hellish time. I finally resigned, and, sadly, within three short years after my resignation, that great congregation that I had led and loved for over 20 years was no longer even in existence.”
As With Job, God Intervenes
I watched as Ken went through that deep, painful valley. It was heart-wrenching. But I was amazed at what God did in Ken and what God has done through Ken during his extended season of trials:
“First, God used it. He didn’t cause it, but He did use it to shape me more and more into the image of His Son. Second, God used my tragedy not to move me away from my destiny, but to move me toward my destiny. Now, I can help others navigate through their seasons of crisis so they won’t get shipwrecked in the midst of suffering, but ultimately finish well!”
Four Reasons People Quit
What are some of these common challenges that the Enemy of our souls uses to derail us?
- Disappointment
Life will bring disappointments, so I find it’s important to let our disappointments lead us to a deeper engagement and to trust in God. Let Him use disappointments to deepen our faith, not weaken or destroy it.
- Discouragement
Life can beat us up. It can drain courage right out of us. So learning to strengthen ourselves in God, letting God’s word put courage and faith back into us, is crucial to staying on the journey over the long haul.
- Disorientation
We all go through seasons in which we aren’t sure what’s happening within us or with the things that are around us. This is the time to revisit what God has previously said to us and what He continues to say about us. His word and His presence are anchors and lights in uncertain times.
- Deception
The Enemy is a sly one. He’s always telling lies — lies to us, lies to us about us, lies about God, lies about His word, and lies about others. So we need to stay grounded in God’s word, we need to stay in conversation with His Spirit, and we need to stay in fellowship with His Church.
Resources for Reset
Today, Ken Roberts helps multitudes come through their seasons of intense struggle — whether financial, relational, ministerial or marital. He pinpoints those key places in which many can get stuck and then end up not finishing well. Survey what Ken does to help scores of people beat the odds and finish well on his website: www.thelegacyleadershipgroup.com.
A Testimonial of Miraculous Turnaround
Davey Blackburn was a young church planter in Indianapolis whose wife, Amanda, was murdered during a home invasion, along with their unborn child. Davey returned home and found his wife lying on the kitchen floor, shot in the back of the head. Ken befriended Davey and helped him walk through that dreadful crisis journey. Now, eight years later, God has healed and restored Davey; he’s remarried and is now leading a ministry that helps thousands of people (https://www.nothingiswasted.com/our-story).
My covenant brother Ken is someone you can trust to help you recalibrate your life so that you will rediscover your destiny in God, ultimately beat the odds, and finish the race well!
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Larry Tomczak is a cultural commentator of 46 years, an IFA board member, a bestselling author, and a public-policy adviser with Liberty Counsel. His innovative video/book, BULLSEYE, develops informed influencers in 30 days (see www.bullseyechallenge.com). Hear his weekly podcast here. Photo Credit: Canva.