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Two Years in 800 Words: A Handover Note

It is hard to describe in one word, what the past two years have been like, serving as President of FECA Nsukka. It’s been a whole lot of things: demanding, stretchy, and lesson-filled. There were high and low moments, travel experiences, friendships built, goals achieved and shortfalls also. Two years is such a long time and isn’t such a long time all the same. Depends on where you’re looking from.

Leadership in FECA, especially in Enugu Zone, isn’t glamorous. There are no perks or special privileges. As President, you are called “Papae” but that is where it ends. A common aphorism one would most likely hear on a handover day is “In FECA, you will spend and be spent.” This is a true saying. FECA leadership places a demand on everything you have to give; your time, energy, money, and so on. FECA would have to be your priority for those two years. You will come to understand that you’ve been called to service, in every sense of the word.

You know, when people are told that in God’s house the leader is a servant, most people somehow still do not picture a servant. Maybe a “servant” who is highly decorated and regarded, maybe a “servant” who others would still have to serve. But no, service in FECA will have you discard such thinking. 

There is no spotlight whatsoever. You will work and most likely get no special recognition for it. One would learn to put in the work and not expect to be clapped for or lauded. I saw some leaders struggle with this, and this is my foremost advice to the incoming leaders of FECA: work with all of your heart and expect no praise or glorification in return.

Leading young people is a tough job, especially when you are not paying them to do what you want. 

“Why should I come out as early as 7am for a secondary school outreach?” 

“Why should I pray for three hours when I have everything I need?” 

“Papae, I didn’t feel like coming to fellowship today because my cloth was not ironed.” 

Here are different sets of people with different levels of understanding of the vision; too many young ones with too much opinion for their good. The wisdom to lead and pass the vision across to all over time, could only be God-given.

I had a leadership house of 15, excluding myself. 15 different people with varying perspectives to issues and different expectations from service; 15 people I didn’t know so well, but would have to work with for the next two years. We worked at creating a bond intentionally. Many thanks to the Vice President, Joy. She did most of the work in fostering oneness. It was not the big things, though; it was the minutest of things. The journey to Jos, the intensive door to door outreaches during the initial strike period, the late-night dinner and jokes at “FECA Lodge.” We created the bond we needed to get the job done.

As President, it took me a while to come to terms with the fact that my leaders were human and would fall short of my expectations most of the time. The standards set were very high, at least in my head. At a point I could only see the things that weren’t up to the standards I needed. It would keep me disgruntled very often. I had to take intentional steps to make allowances for their mistakes. I had to learn to appreciate the progress people had made, even when I could see a million ways that they could have done it better.

I have a lot to talk about, but I want to keep this below 800 words. Leadership in FECA toughens you up. It is a rugged growth process, and while you’re in the process you may not recognize the work that is being done on you till you look back after two years. I attribute all of my growth over the years I’ve spent in Nsukka to FECA. The training in God’s word, prayer, evangelism, and in character also. 

There were influences. I had people I admired and wanted to be like. I patterned my life to be just like theirs. I probably would not be the man I am today if I didn’t meet FECA. I can remember how I was five years ago when I joined; how crude and headstrong I was. You would not have seen a President in me. But herein lies the beauty of leadership such as we have it in FECA: seeing young lives transformed. It is my story, and it is my commitment to give anything to see more lives transformed through FECA.

May the vision never die.

KTVB!

 

P.S. FECA is Federation of Colleges Ex-Students’ Christian Association.

Comments

  1. Unknown14 December 2020 at 03:15

    This is beautiful sir... Its time for a higher phase of servant hood.

    ReplyDelete

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