Strong leadership is needed today among both the clergy and the laity. Edward M. Bounds, author and evangelist, pinpointed our need for strong leadership in troubled times when, years ago, he said: The church is looking for better methods. God is looking for better people. What the church needs today is not more or better machinery, not new organization or more novel methods, but people the Holy Spirit can use mightily in prayer.

We need men and women in the pulpit and on the governing boards:

• Who will assume responsibility for an aggressive leadership.

• Who know where they are going and how to get there.

• Who know the direction the people ought to be going and who know how to get the people going in that direction.

• Who believe the gospel is worth promoting and who get busy at it.

• Who believe that revivals can be had for a price and who are willing to pay that price.

We need men and women in the pew:

• Who will face up to life's priorities with courage.

• Who will support an ordinary pastor and church leadership with extraordinary loyalty.

• Who will gladly change their man-made methods to get some God-given results.

• Who will produce a pure and holy witness that will have its impact on the community.

• John Wesley said: Give me 100 men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.

From A Simple Faith by Fletcher Spruce compiled by James R. Spruce. Copyright (c) 1997 by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, Mo. Used by permission. To order copies call: 1-800-821-2890.

Fletcher Spruce was a pastor and church administrator for more than three decades. Before his death in 1974 he authored hundreds of articles and seven books. Following in his father's footsteps, Jim Spruce is a district superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene. He has authored several books, including Lord of the Valley.