Every church evangelist, pastor, pioneer, minister, vicar (whatever the title) needs a right-hand man/woman!
Is your calling to be the 'second-fiddle'? Every church, para-church organisation needs one, as well as the usual close team and the wider circle of committed believers.
Barnsley is famous for many things, including the birthplace of one extraordinary Christian pioneer, James Hudson Taylor (JHT). I have at least 8 biographies of JHT on my bookshelf and how his mission work reached the millions in China. I have one biography on Benjamin Broomhall (B.B.) 'A Flame of Sacred Love' by Norman Cliffe, published by OM & OMF.
Who is B.B? He was JHT's right-hand man back in England.
Apart from the supernatural partnership that JHT had with the living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, humanely speaking B.B. was the man behind the man (JHT). B.B. and his wife Amelia (sister to JHT) had found "their destiny" (p40) in ensuring the 'China Inland Mission' base back in the UK developed, and endured with a fruitful ministry that indeed counted for eternity, providing the support and infrastructure for the mission work in China. It was "undoubtedly a case of the right person being in the right place at the right time" (p46).
One principle he followed, based on his business background was to "only sell success" p53 which in reference to the magazine 'China's millions' meant "omitting any references to set backs and dismissals". Hmmm...debatable point for honest and transparent Christianity, but I can see his point. He was, after all, building an organisation from the other side of the world to JHT and his growing band of pioneers who were bravely and courageously venturing into unknown areas of China with the good news of Jesus. This was in the days communication was a bit different from the instant communication of 2012.
To quote William Carey, the original modern pioneer missionary, would say of his right-hand man, "I'll go down the mine if you will hold the rope". There is no doubt that B.B, (and JHT had another right-hand man previously - William Berger), was a rope-holder. "The very nature of rope-holding is remaining in the background when important work is done" (p124). But the work cannot be done with the rope-holder.
Is God calling you to be a right-hand man/woman for the spread of the gospel? Benjamin Broomhall and his wife Amelia are unsung heroes, but without them, perhaps the church in China today would not be growing as fast. At the last estimated count 8% of the 1.3 billion population are Christian - that's over 100 millions followers of Jesus Christ.
Are you called to be the 'rope-holder'?
