Unexpected Inspiration

It was March 1999. I was nursing a failing business, going to school at night, working part-time for FedEx, and driving a limousine. I was pretty low.

After our furlough in Palm Desert, CA from a three-year missionary term with Wycliffe Bible Translators in the Philippines, we were unable to obtain a new assignment there. I completed a Management course at Summer Institute of Linguistics in Dallas, and was referred to International Relations work, but the director of staffing in Manila office would not allow my wife’s position as a teacher to be our primary assignment so I could intern in the Government Affairs office. Likewise, stateside opportunities were being thwarted by a personnel director refusing to allow me to serve JAARS (our technical service arm) in a field representative position as I had for six years at Eastman Kodak. I was at a stalemate; and so, we resigned a 10 year tenure as technical support missionaries.

Now what to do? Leslie was already teaching in public school, which left me seeking a technical management position in the Coachella Valley where few tech jobs existed. My lack of an undergraduate degree kept me from several promising positions, even though I was told I was overqualified. After the rejection of Wycliffe and these interviewers, I was a bit desperate.

My wife suggested I start a business, as I knew a lot about radios; so I did. I developed a business plan that thoroughly impressed a business loan manager. With an SBA loan and my retirement funds I dove into self-employment. Setting up shop, a sprinkling of sales, repairing CBs for truckers, and developing a tracking system for the local transit company was a great challenge for me. Ultimately, my small draw against a meager net profit slowly drained the business. When the transit manager gave the contract to a relative rather than putting it up for bid, and a ruptured appendix put me in the hospital, I was down for the count.

Having moved the business into my garage, I started a three-quarter load at the community college at night and found three part-time jobs to help keep the family afloat. I was now determined to complete my BS degree so that I could advance in management. In addition to school, and fixing radio and data equipment for two FedEx stations, I started driving a limousine. Although the clients were often glamorous, the level of my self-worth was not.

I picked up the Lincoln Town Car and the client order and headed west on the 2 ½ hour trip to Claremont to pick up a Mr. Drucker. As the elderly gentleman settled into the front seat and we began some small talk, it occurred to me who he was. Wait a minute, I exclaimed . . . “You are THE, Dr. Peter Drucker!” He smiled and said, “Ja, that is me.” I almost wrecked the car.

I am sitting with the worldwide guru of management captive in my limo for two and a half hours . . . as the commercial says – Priceless! He asked about me and I poured out my story, leaving out no detail or the current state of my frustration. He was a most gracious counselor and mentor to me during that drive back to the desert as the keynote speaker at some conference. He put off those interviewers as the loser, not me; the unethical practice of the transit manager; and shortsightedness of the Wycliffe personnel managers. Quoting Teddy Roosevelt, he said, “Failure is the backdoor to success.” Experience is much more valuable than the degree, he said; the piece of paper says nothing of your actual abilities to succeed in business. However, he did encourage me to finish my studies, promising that they would complement my experience.

Of course I told the dispatcher that I would drive Dr. Drucker back the next day. A tired Dr Drucker slept most the way back, but took the time to further encourage me in my endeavors, telling me that he saw great promise in someone with the courage and fortitude to keep up such a load to provide for his family.

Within months I became Administer for a commercial business, then General Manager of two RV Resorts, and subsequently CEO of two ministries in need of restoration. After completing a graduate-level certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management at UC Riverside, two years ago [now 7 years ago] I took a shortcut into an MA in Global Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Thank you, Dr. Peter Drucker, for your inspiration during a limo ride.

“All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Rom 8:28.

PS: On June 11, 2011 I walked across the stage and received my MA in Inter-cultural Studies: Global Leadership from Fuller.

Failing at Ethics can be good if . . .

Teddy Roosevelt is known for the quote, "Failure is the backdoor to success."  I'm fond of such quotes – perhaps due to the fact that I'm pretty good at failing . . . and sometimes just as good at finding the silver lining through failure.  One of my "crash-and-burn" experiences led to one of those rare, unexpected blessings. 

After "hitting the wall" and not completing a paper in what should have been my last MA course at Fuller Theological Seminary ("Ethics of Bonhoeffer" - I'm really sorry Dr. Stassen), in order to make up for the failed credits I took "Advocacy for Social Justice."  

This was providential, as it challenged me to consider more deeply the sociological, historical, and political conditions in which the Church—and our ministry—must be the visible expression of God to the world.  It painted a picture of the manner in which our incarnational ministry should appear – as we provide both justice and salvation – intertwined in a way that they cannot be separated; one is dependent on the other.

So, although failing one of my favorite courses still stings almost two years later, I have realized once more that God can indeed make all things work to the good.

It’s true: Failure is the back door to success . . .

Considering My MAGL Experience at Fuller Seminary

Since walking across the stage at Lake Avenue Congregational Church on June 11, 2011 and “graduating” from Fuller Theological Seminary, I have been thinking of writing about my experience. However, building pressures of ministry and various professional and personal issues compounded against me that last spring semester as I doubled up classes, and I “hit the wall” in my studies. I could not get through that one last paper on the Ethics of Bonhoeffer – an outstanding course that stretched me in many ways. That failure required me to make up four units . . . and set me back emotionally and financially. It also provided a dose of needed humility as I was looking to add to my long string of hard-earned A’s and end with a high GPA (one of my dysfunctions of focusing on my accomplishments was seriously dealt with). Having made up for that misstep by struggling through another rather stretching course, I finally earned a Masters of Arts in Intercultural Studies: Global Leadership.

I never thought I could complete an MA program . . . you see, I never finished my undergraduate degree. My daughter Molly (who earned a BA at Wheaton and MSc at the University of Edinburgh) used to playfully chide me, saying I was cheating by skipping the BS. I think she understands what a feat this was for her old dad. Perhaps it was the underlying competitive nature of our family of four MAs that egged me on . . . or was it my own stubbornness?

In any case, this effort was one I chose to enroll in almost six years earlier, after earning a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management from UC Riverside. That really got things rolling, as I had already desired to complete my BS in Business Management at University of Redlands, but several close peers challenged me in that desire (with its cost and effort), saying that I had already attained that level of education through a lot of seat-of-the-pants management experience in several positions – culminating in turning around a nonprofit organization from embezzlement and closure. Although I saw their point, I still felt that I lacked something . . . I wanted to do better in the leadership role I found myself. As I struggled with my own dysfunctions and weaknesses, I sensed there was something I should do to provide a more solid basis for my leadership; I wanted to be a better leader.

My program director at that time suggested I look into Fuller Seminary, which has a special student classification – allowing those lacking their undergraduate degree to compile their accumulated studies and ministry leadership experience into an MA degree. I did apply, and started a program in Christian Leadership (SOT), and several years later transferred to Global Leadership (SIS) when I realized I needed the MAGL’s cohort structure to be disciplined enough to push through the busyness of ministry and complete my studies. The content of the MAGL was very compelling and related directly to my ministry and leadership focus.

The MAGL provided exactly what I needed to grow personally and professionally . . . being able to recognize my dysfunctions and potential through what Robert Clinton examines as Leadership Emergence. Being stretched in my theology and social understanding, I have been able to more fully establish what I believe and desire to accomplish through my faith and practice. I think understanding what is meant by “community” has provided foundation for truly being missional in thought and deed. Exploring it all with likeminded and similarly focused students from around the globe was an extraordinary experience.

There is so much more to share that is appropriate for this brief blog posting, I will have to expound on it further in additional posts . . .

I will just say that for those seeking to explore their own faith and leadership, I can’t recommend highly enough the learning experience you will find through Fuller’s MAGL program. If you are in a position of leadership in a church or nonprofit organization, and expect more from yourself, and desire to build into others, you need to consider this program of study.

Drop me a note or invite me for a cup of coffee if you want to explore if the MAGL is right for you . . .