Nick,

Sorry it took me a month to see your comment posted. (Email alerts must be getting marked as spam.)

Yes, looks like we have similar experiences in general with Royal Rangers. I'm game for talking more about whatever. I'll send you an email.

Blessings,

Silent Eagle

Test comment

Jordan, I think I remember telling your his before... I remember when you were West Division Pioneer of the Year. That was the year I was West Division Trail Ranger of the Year for the first time. Made lots of friends through Ranger of the Year, as well as Junior Leadership Training Academy.

Anyhow..

The leadership in the current Marsh era of Royal Rangers is distincting itself to be a relative ministry, slowly becoming more dynamic. Marsh made a big point that we're not the best at scouting, that's what the Boy Scouts specialize in. The goal of Royal Rangers is to reach, teach, and keep boys for Jesus Christ. National office has modified the naming of things, such as leadership positions and some events. They eliminated "commander" and changed to terminologies like "directory"and "leader". Royal Rangers is still a church scouting organization, yet less boy scout driven and less para-military. That doesn't mean they did away with the leadership structure, which is still in place. Boys sure do need that structure.

All things said and done, I'll agree with anyone that says medals are meaningless and the true purpose behind this ministry (or any other ministry) is impacting lives for Christ. In my case the journey of the GMA made me into a man of God. That's what it is all about.

I see that serious revamping taking place, just hope it is the right revamping and it sticks. I hope men of God will get their work clothes on and get dirty!

What you allude to is a genuine concern. More on that in moment...

Just to clarify, this post related to behind the scenes administration and organization, the behind the scenes work. In any ministry, administration seems far from "spiritual" or "evangelistic" or "discipleship". In Acts 6:1-15, Stephen is chosen to be one to serve the widows food, since there was a need there. That's not administration, yet that was an area of need that takes God's people to step up and serve.

I Corinthians 12:28 talks about the Holy Spirit gift of administration, which takes care of the needs of organizing, facilitating, and running ministry. In the Church, we do need people to organize and run things, so that there is some form and function. When we have the right people with that gift in place, doing administration for the right reason, motives, and are functioning administrative as needed, then we have health administration in place. Unfortunately this is an area of political and religious corruption at times.

In the end, we need to be driven by Christ for God's purpose, in God's ways, for God's reasons. I believe we're in agreement there. As for the leadership network in Royal Rangers, it is a mix bag of good, bad, and ugly. I'm a GMA, but I'll tell you and everyone that the medal is meaningless, since what is the point of any of that is what I've become over time in Christ. That's the difference between pride and purpose... I'd say I have been reached, taught, and kept for Jesus Christ, not just through Royal Rangers, yet through my relationship with Christ along side of countless true Christians.