A Tribute to David Shelton
by Scott Lackey
December, 2006 at our Christmas Dessert Theatre
When Deb and David first asked me to speak. . . I remembered an email I’d sent them that mentioned I have two heroes in my life: The author John Eldredge and David Shelton. David’s example has had immeasurable impact on me. I first met David in 1989 as part of a mission’s trip to Greece. He was a man of God and leader unlike any other I’d ever met. There was godliness to him mixed with good humor. David was a man with great authority, and yet a humility too. David was a man’s man. He could be dog piling with the guy team members one minute, but then turn around and tell the team what to do and we all knew it must get done. His character commanded respect.
John Eldredge in Way of the Wild Heart writes about 5 stages of God’s development of the masculine soul. Beloved son, Cowboy, Warrior, King, and Sage.
When I first met David, he was in the King stage. A king is a fine thing to behold. As a king, David would be on stage bringing the Word to life in front of hundreds or thousands, while unofficially ministering to many off-stage as well. Now, David is moving in to the stage of the Sage. The Sage stage has a different face as John Eldredge describes it. The King steps, by and large, out of the limelight and begins to minster to other would-be or already kings out of his great wisdom and experience. His influence may appear to decrease now, but in fact this is the time of his greatest contribution to the Body of Christ. While David previously ministered to hundreds for days or weeks, through his mentoring of artists he will now impact thousands and tens of thousands of destinies for many decades. The greatest contribution of this ministry lies in the days to come.
I share with you Paul’s admonition, “Let no debt remain except that of love. “ And ask you not “What will we do in our relationship to this ministry in its time of greatest need?” I leave you instead with: “What will we do in our relationship with this ministry as it stands poised ready to step into its greatest time of impact in the Body of Christ? Given all the Sheltons have invested in the Body of Christ, will we not continue to stand with them?
