What Makes a Good Mentor?
A dozen or so years ago, Foundry Church introduced an educational program called “Foundations,” a compilation of free seminary-level classes, mostly through biblicaltraining.org. The main idea was to point eager learners in the right direction toward greater biblical understanding and deeper faith. Secondarily, Foundations was designed to be a shared journey between a mentor and apprentice. I was chosen to be the program’s first test monkey, and I am deeply grateful to have journeyed through it with a great mentor, the recently departed Bill Brown.
Bill served as an elder for many years, giving freely from his deep well of wisdom and love for others. He always seemed to be holding back, as if he were waiting to share his great knowledge until I was truly ready to hear it. Unlike me, whose words spill out before they’re thought out, Bill considered the weight of his words carefully, recognizing the power of the tongue.
He and I spent a lot of time together over the course of several years. He was a great listener and counselor, having studied Counseling at Talbot School of Theology and Western Seminary. He was extremely patient, likely a result of supervising the post office for many years. And he was kind, no doubt related to his “retirement” years driving wheelchair-bound individuals to appointments and church.
Bill was raised in a pastor’s home, and he married a pastor’s daughter. His faith in Jesus was what truly defined him, and he cared deeply about biblical fidelity. He was concerned about those he loved getting off-track from the basics of the Bible. We talked about these things at The Breakfast Club (now Burrito Hooch ☹), and even on a road trip to Hermiston and back.
Bill wasn’t a quitter, which is why, when he asked me to help find a replacement leader for his life group, and I failed, he persevered, even while dementia took over. He never quit praying for his three daughters and eight grandchildren. He never stopped offering to help take care of his grandson, who relies on others for most of his physical needs.
My favorite thing about Bill, though, was how he interacted with his wife. Krystal is incredibly witty and fun, and with Bill always playing the straight man, they were a great comedy duo like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Earlier this month, Sam Lampe challenged the Men’s Breakfast crew to find and be a mentor. Sam’s a discipleship expert, and he regularly sees firsthand the power of mentoring relationships in making disciples. I, too, have seen the power in my special friendship with Bill. If you ask me what to look for in a mentor, I’d just point to a picture of Bill Brown. He exemplified Proverbs 20:5:
Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water; but a person of understanding draws it out.
