I recently heard a preacher say, “Great men and women plant trees of which they never enjoy the shade.” It is a pretty amazing picture. True greatness is not measured by what we consume, but by what we contribute. It is about sowing seeds today that will grow into blessings for people we may never meet.
The Bible repeatedly affirms this truth. God calls His people to live with eternity in view, to invest in what will last, and to build into the next generation. Within the Baptist Bible Fellowship International, we have witnessed this principle on display for seventy-five years. Pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders have planted trees of faith, service, and sacrifice, and today we enjoy that shade.
The Biblical Picture of Planting
Psalm 1 describes the righteous as “a tree planted by rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season.” Jeremiah adds that such a tree will not fear drought but will remain strong and fruitful. These images remind us that the life lived for God produces blessings beyond itself.
Jesus used similar language when He said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Planting always involves faith and often sacrifices. The farmer does not see instant results. He waits, trusts, and labors for a harvest that will come later. Ministry is no different.
The Faithfulness of BBFI Leaders
The BBFI exists today because men and women before us believed this proverb and lived it out. In 1950, leaders gathered at the Texas Hotel in Fort Worth with a vision of planting churches, sending missionaries, and training leaders. They were not building for themselves alone. Many of them never saw the full shade of what they planted, yet we stand in it today.
Think of G.B. Vick, who carried the burden of training a new generation through Baptist Bible College. Consider Noel Smith, whose vision for a publication gave birth to the Baptist Bible Tribune, a voice that still encourages pastors and missionaries worldwide. Missionaries through the decades have labored in distant lands, sometimes serving for years before the first convert came to Christ. Yet they planted faithfully, and now there are thriving churches, schools, and leaders around the world.
Thousands of pastors in small towns and big cities alike have lived out the same principle. Many served bi-vocationally, giving up comfort and time to shepherd a congregation that may never make headlines. They planted trees, often without sitting in their shade, so that the gospel would continue to spread.
A Generational Vision
The Bible reminds us that faith is generational. Psalm 78 commands us to tell “the generation to come the praises of the Lord.” Paul told Timothy to take what he had learned and pass it on to “faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). Ministry has always been about more than one lifetime.
The BBFI is built on this same generational vision. Our churches send and support missionaries in nearly one hundred nations. Our schools continue to train young men and women who will lead long after we are gone. Our Fellowship leadership works to preserve unity and momentum so that the next wave of leaders can thrive. We are planting trees now, not simply for our comfort, but for their future.
The Call to Keep Planting
One of the hardest lessons in ministry is that results are not always immediate. A pastor may pour out his life and never see the revival he prayed for. A missionary may labor for decades before fruit appears. Yet Paul encourages us, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).
Our task is not to measure the harvest but to keep planting. God brings the increase. The leaders before us did not know how far their influence would spread, but they trusted the Lord with the outcome. We are called to the same.The statement is true: great men and women plant trees of which they never enjoy the shade. May the BBFI continue to be filled with such leaders, planting for eternity and leaving a legacy of faith for generations to come.
