After he served as a youth minister for more than a decade, Reid Ward resolved to help reverse some troubling statistics he had seen develop.
Ward is praying his new book, “Legacy Leadership: Principles for Leaving a Spiritual Legacy,” will be a weapon in the spiritual battle for the hearts of children and teens, as well as the youth pastors and parents who influence them.
Currently serving as minister of education and discipleship at Bush Memorial Baptist Church, Troy, in Salem-Troy Baptist Association, Ward grew increasingly alarmed at the great number of individuals who were involved in church while in high school but quit attending as college freshmen. He was also disturbed by statistics showing the average tenure of a youth pastor at a church is just 18 months.
Ward, who has been on staff at Bush Memorial since 2007, set out to find a way to help reverse the negative trends. In 2003, he and his wife, Rayanne — along with a group of supporters — founded Legacy Ministries.
“When we first started Legacy, we saw (that) if we were going to impact the body of Christ, we must develop leaders, and to do that we must minister to those who are ministering to students,” Ward said.
Legacy’s goal, he explained, is to partner with churches to cultivate a youth and family ministry that has at its core discipleship and family “generational faithfulness” — one generation living God-honoring principles and teaching them to the next generation.
Statistics indicate that the event-based method of youth ministry does not emphasize discipleship and therefore “is not developing solid, mature believers,” Ward explained. “We’re not equipping students for graduating, moving away from home and having their faith tested.”
With ministry headquarters at Bush Memorial, Ward conducts Legacy Ministries conferences across the Southeast. He teaches youth ministers how to work with parents for the “long haul.”
“We work with youth pastors on a long-term basis to help them develop a biblical ministry model that equips parents to be the primary disciplers of their children and grandchildren,” he said.
Ward added that partnering with parents to develop disciples requires a five-, 10- or even 15-year ministry plan. He said accomplishing that requires a commitment to long-term effectiveness and a shift away from event-based youth ministry.
Ward understands the pressure of expectations to produce “bigger and better” youth events. “That’s why I had to write a book,” he said.
His how-to manual, geared to youth leaders and parents, was released in May by BookSurge Publishing. It addresses three main areas: having integrity in character and relationships, having insight to walk intensely with Christ and living with intentional, purposeful leadership and vision.
Otis Derrah, senior pastor at Bush Memorial, said discipleship is the main focus at the church. Staff members are united in emphasizing discipleship, he said. Plus, the church’s ministries to children and youth are built around encouraging and equipping parents to be the primary source in their children’s discipleship. Ward strives to embody these principles in his everyday life.
“Reid’s ministry is reflective of [the discipleship] emphasis, and his passion for authentic discipleship is contagious,” Derrah said.
A year ago, Anthony Gardiner, a native of Puerto Rico and a U.S. Army veteran, became part of a group of men who meet individually with Ward for a morning prayer and Bible study time each week.
Gardiner is now a missions major at Baptist College of Florida, where he is preparing to minister full time to Spanish-speaking people either in the United States or Central America. Gardiner said he learned a great deal by having the opportunity to watch Ward in action at home with Ward’s own children.
Gardiner now applies Ward’s example of “generational faithfulness” at his own home by leading his sons in daily worship.
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