GlocalNet

I finished my time with several leading Southern Baptist mega-church pastors and enjoyed it at the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics. That was the first time I’ve ever been involved with mega-church pastors from my historic roots and, candidly, I was a little apprehensive about it. Most of the time, when I am with mega-church guys, it’s a different group. It was fascinating, interesting, intriguing, confusing at times, but overall fun and very beneficial. Some of those guys really have incredible senses of humor which came close to getting me in trouble a couple of times. Getting to hang out with Don Soderquist and learn from one of the greatest living businessmen alive was a rare and incredible opportunity.

One pastor I really enjoyed a lot was John Morgan from Sagemont Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. He’s been at his church for 42 years! It’s easy for people to develop opinions about some of these men who are key leaders of huge churches from seeing them from a distance, but when you get up close to them they can be pretty cool. Most of them didn’t ever anticipate what their future would be let alone expect it. Therefore, they’ve tried to manage it as best they can.

John is friends with Stewart Morris, the President of Stewart Title. I’m good friends with his son Malcolm, the CEO, who also started Living Water, the premier water NGO for the world. Malcolm and his wife Becky will be with me in Vietnam later in November. John is close friends to Stewart who is now 90. Stewart called John to come eat lunch with him--a subway sandwich! He told John he was going to give him something he gives only to employees when they come and it’s only been given out only one other time outside the organization--the personel manual. He asked John if he would he like it. John said, “Well Stewart I’d love to have it, I’d be honored!”

Perspective--based in Houston, Stewart Title has 13,200 offices world-wide, 47,500 employees, and processes a billion dollars a day through its offices.

Stewart carefully hands John a little piece of paper and on it are two words, “Do Right!” He said, “That’s it--ever since I’ve been leading this company that’s what we tell our employees.” I wonder if Stewart knew Ken Lay? I wonder if he ever challenged Ken Lay? It’s a good word for all of us - DO RIGHT!