Fifty-one years seem like a long time unless you are looking at them in the rearview mirror. For 51 years I have been honored to serve the Lord in a number of capacities through Open Bible Churches. This is the last article I will write for the Message with the title “President” in front of my name. As I contemplate the conclusion of my service as president at the end of this term, I cannot help but look with thanksgiving in the rearview mirror.
There have been so many experiences, so many opportunities to stretch and grow where I had no previous experience. There were many occasions to look deep inside myself when contemplating my circumstances with the Lord and declare to Him, “I know you placed me here. I need you to help me figure this out and lead where you want me to go.” And for 51 years He has faithfully done that, extending grace on which I was dependent, wisdom when my own was lacking, strength for what I understood would be a distance run, assurance that I would never be alone in doing so, and favor, which I have always known was a gift from Him. If I have accomplished anything, all glory goes to God. I own responsibility for anything else that might not have been as accomplished.
I am an Open Bible “lifer.” Although I don’t remember it, I am confident that I was in attendance at the Church of the Open Bible in Iowa Falls, Iowa, my first Sunday home after birth. My parents were the kind of people every pastor wants – always at church whenever the doors were open, faithful participants on workdays, tithers, loyal to the pastor and wife, and quality ambassadors for the church. The Open Bible church was the center of my family life. School, sports, and anything else was subordinate to church. If there were any schedule conflicts with church commitments, there was no question that church commitments would always reign supreme. Consequentially, my primary relationships were in the church. I looked up to my pastors and had tremendously supportive and affirming relationships with them. Years ago, while most of them were still alive, I wrote a personal letter of loving appreciation to each of them, describing their influence on me and affirming that to whatever degree the Lord was using me then, they contributed to that by believing and investing love, time, and care in me. I loved and respected my Sunday school teachers, including the ones that I quietly assessed as being terrible teachers. I noted the holiness of their lives and their belief in me, and I accepted them because of those attributes. One of those teachers could absolutely put me into a slumber, but I so respected who he was, his devotion to the Lord and the Bible, and his walk of consistency that I endured his teaching. I learned from his life and who he was more than what he taught in Sunday school. I learned to love Open Bible. Open Bible missionaries were our missionaries. Open Bible leaders from anywhere in the country, from east to west, were our leaders. There was no sense of regionalism or local isolation in our family’s love for Open Bible. We were not the only ones or the center of the known universe; we were joyful about being part of a worldwide Open Bible movement. That was so deeply instilled in me that for the rest of my days I have believed in and advocated for an Open Bible vision as primary rather than segments of our group as primary. My loyalty was cemented, even when later tested by major disappointments in people and institution.
The Open Bible church was the center of my family life. School, sports, and anything else was subordinate to church. If there were any schedule conflicts with church commitments, there was no question that church commitments would always reign supreme. Consequentially, my primary relationships were in the church. I looked up to my pastors and had tremendously supportive and affirming relationships with them.“
I was nine years old when the Spirit of God supernaturally apprehended me. I was not looking for Him. He found, filled, called, empowered, and led me from that day forward. I was to never be the same. Although I still had to transition from a boy to a man, I had an assurance from Him that it was all under His control. My life would belong to and be dedicated to Him. All of this transcended my understanding. I did not know where it would lead, but I was aware that because of that life-defining encounter, I was special in God’s sight. I must hasten to add, that did not mean more special or better than other people. There was absolutely nothing comparative with others when I say that I knew I was special. It was not a horizontally applied description; it was strictly vertical, founded in a loving embrace of God that defied both explanation and understanding.
There was an intriguing footnote to my self-discovery when I was in ninth grade. I was in the process of building a campaign, only because others had nominated me, to be elected student body president of my junior high. (I was elected.) Thelma Cave, my pastor’s wife who was gifted artistically and delighted to help with designing my posters, told my mother, “He is going to be president (then called general superintendent) of Open Bible Churches someday.” Why my mother told me about that is one of life’s mysteries because one of Mom’s missions in life was to make sure I would never think too highly of myself. However, as soon as she shared Thelma’s comment with me, I immediately knew in my spirit that I was to lock those words in a side room, never to play with or think about them, only to be unlocked and opened by God, if ever. I would never seek to make what turned out to be a prophetic declaration come to pass. Anyway, I had no thoughts about entering pastoral ministry, which I knew closed that door. Nice affirmation, but it was not going to happen. It was only after it did happen that I reflected on Thelma’s words. She saw what I did not.
However, I never felt called to be a pastor. Isn’t that the only way God calls and can use you? My pastor while I was in high school virtually peppered me about going to Bible college. I felt no such inclination and resisted what felt like pressure from him. I attended a local community college for two years while living at home. (I was frugal and wanted no debt!) I then transferred to the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in history and political science. Although I selected a teacher training track, I was most intrigued by government. My secret desire was to be a born-again senator for the state of Iowa or a United States ambassador. However, through a sequence of events I realized those dreams would not be fulfilled. I would stay with the education track and earn my certification to teach high school. I did my student teaching in the Cedar Falls, Iowa, high school and applied for teaching jobs in social studies as graduation from college approached.
I discovered that a pursuit of excellence can be misunderstood by many people! Pursuing excellence is not the same as perfectionism. To a perfectionist, no pleasure can be obtained by doing a good work. Perfectionism continually haunts with the threat of failure if one would fall short in any way. Nothing can ever be good enough for a perfectionist. By contrast, a pursuit of excellence is a God-honoring resolve to give one’s absolute best at all times, not settling for or accepting mediocrity as a standard. Excellence may not be perfect, but excellence represents the best that can be done, and excellence will always go higher and farther than failure to pursue it.
The teaching market dried up at that time! There were no jobs available, even in the most remote and isolated outposts of civilization. God has His way of working in every situation. I learned that Open Bible College was looking for part-time teachers, so Barbara and I met with the dean. She was hired to be the college bookkeeper and I was hired to teach part-time, at the exorbitant salary of $40 per week. We were thankful! God was good to us, giving us favor and opportunity to serve in many ways. I could never have paid for such a rich education! When I was 24 years of age, I was appointed executive vice president and, at 29, was named president of the college. I will always say I owe Open Bible College more than it ever paid me. That era of service was followed by years of service in several capacities at the national office followed by service as the regional executive director for East Region Open Bible Churches before being called to the presidency.
I have embraced every place of service as the will of God for my life and resolved to give every ounce of my fiber to it. God would ultimately have to do the work, but perish the thought if a lack of energy, will, or work ethic on my part would hinder what He wanted to do! I discovered that inextricably linked to the call of God on my life was a commitment to pursue excellence. They are welded together for me.
I discovered that a pursuit of excellence can be misunderstood by many people! Pursuing excellence is not the same as perfectionism. To a perfectionist, no pleasure can be obtained by doing a good work. Perfectionism continually haunts with the threat of failure if one would fall short in any way. Nothing can ever be good enough for a perfectionist. By contrast, a pursuit of excellence is a God-honoring resolve to give one’s absolute best at all times, not settling for or accepting mediocrity as a standard. Excellence may not be perfect, but excellence represents the best that can be done, and excellence will always go higher and farther than failure to pursue it.
My heart is filled with humble appreciation and thanksgiving for the opportunities both He and Open Bible Churches have given me to serve. I trust I have made a positive difference during my season. Barbara, my lovingly faithful, loyal wife and fellow sojourner, and I have traveled thousands of miles and met for countless hours with pastors and spouses, offering a safe place for personal sharing of burdens and challenges, and providing opportunity to visit about ministry. What an honor that has been, to be invited into the lives and journeys of such dedicated servants of the Lord. It has been much more than strategizing about ministry nuts and bolts; it has been walking together in sharing about life, family, and calling. Barbara and I have been touched by the unrelenting determination of people to follow God’s calling despite health challenges, limitations caused by age, and life-altering circumstances. What a privilege it has been to learn about and pray with them about their journeys. We love all our ministry associates who, over many years, became our friends. How we will miss the opportunities to interact with them during travels.
It is time to pass the baton to my successor (identity unknown at the time of this writing). Please give to him and his wife the love and support with which you have blessed Barbara and me. I look forward to great days of fresh anointing, vision, and fruitfulness throughout Open Bible Churches. Thank you, Open Bible, for your love, for believing in us, and for providing so many opportunities to serve. We will always cherish what we have been privileged to do over 51 years and our hearts are filled with gratitude for God’s never-ending faithfulness.
About the Author
Randall Bach
Randall A. Bach delights in opportunities to serve the Lord, including his current assignment as president of Open Bible Churches. He earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Regent University. Randall and Barbara, his wife, have been in ministry almost as long as they have been married. They are grateful to have celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2021. Randall loves the church, pastors, and church leaders and is convinced that God loves to work through them to make disciples, develop leaders, and plant churches. A voice for Evangelicals, his work has been featured in several publications, including Ethics: The Old Testament, The New Testament, and Contemporary Application. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the National Association of Evangelicals. Randall has produced and edited several publications and other resources, including the Message of the Open Bible, We Believe: Core Truths for Christian Living, a doctrinal course for youth called We Believe for Kids, and Thriving in the Spirit, an instructional book about the Holy Spirit and how we should respond to Him. He also led the creation of ACQUIRE, Open Bible’s online leadership development site.
