Faithful to the Call
by Dean Ridings
Biola College student Lorne Sanny's life was never the same after meeting Navigator founder Dawson Trotman at an early-morning campus Bible club. Discipled by Daws, Lorne joined Nav staff in 1941. And after Dawson's sudden death in 1956, for the next three decades Lorne served as The Navigators second president and chairman of the board.
Today this self-described 80-year-old cancer patient identifies with the apostle Paul's words to his protege Timothy (2 Tim. 4:6 8), as he continues to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. In this interview, Lorne challenges us to do the same, as he reflects on what God has done and is doing through the ministry of The Navigators.
Q: Why did God raise up The Navigators?
A: God found a man in Dawson Trotman who was like David, of whom He said, I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do (Acts 13:22b). God's problem is not a shortage of ideas. His problem is a shortage of people who will wholly give themselves to carrying out His ideas, who will be obedient.
When God finds a person who will fulfill all His will, He enables that person to do so. I m reminded of King Saul, who returned home to Gibeah accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched (1 Sam. 10:26). In the same way, God touched the heart of Dawson Trotman, and The Navigators was born.
Q: What s been the key to The Navigators enduring impact?
A: It has become a cliche, but a key to the Nav success through the years has been prayer. The Nav work began in prayer and has been carried on by God in answer to prayer. Not just prayer in general, but the prayer of faith. Faith is relying on God to do what He has promised. An outstanding example of that is what Paul said in Acts 27:25, So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
Dawson and others of us since believe that God gave us promises like Isaiah 54:2 3, Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. Since 1933 God has been doing that. Today Navigators are ministering in more than 100 countries.
Another of those promises is Isaiah 60:22, The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly. Nothing delights me more than to see a nobody become somebody for God.
Q: What ministry contributions are you most pleased with?
A: I m most pleased with adding to the sum total of spiritually qualified laborers available to Christ all over the world. That s our calling: multiply laborers. A laborer is a person involved in the process of winning others to Christ and building them up in the faith.
Though it s not unique to The Navigators, I'm pleased with our emphasis on the fundamental disciplines of the Christian life. This is illustrated by what we call The Wheel, the Christ-centered, Spirit-filled life maintained by the Word, prayer, fellowship, and witnessing by life and lip.
There are two main disciplines that come out of those fundamentals. One is a daily quiet time, time with God in His Word. I ve never met an effective Christian who did not have a consistent, disciplined quiet time, usually in the morning.
The other discipline is memorizing great truths, promises, and commands from the Bible. For me, Scripture memory has paid greater dividends in my Christian life and ministry than any other form of Scripture intake.
Presently I m 80 years old and battling cancer. The daily quiet time and review of Scripture are essential to my walk with God. For instance, one of the great promises proving true in my life these days is Psalm 18:28, You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. What He is doing for me, He will do for every believer.
Q: What s your perspective on The Navigators today?
A: The Navigators today thrills me to no end. I prayed that I might leave The Navigators on track and in good hands. That is happening. The Navs are solid for at least another generation. They are gifted and called, dedicated and disciplined. When the Lord s time for me comes, I can depart in peace.
Q: What must we remember if we re to continue to make a difference for eternity?
A: First, as Paul told Timothy, Remember Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:8a). He is the stone the builders rejected and has become the capstone (Ps. 118:22). As Jesus Himself said, I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).
Then remember as John Wesley said, God does nothing except in answer to prayer. The psalmist put it this way, Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy (Ps. 126:5).
Finally, remember that it s the Word of God that is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). So we figure out ways to expose people to the Word of God, all the way from sharing an appropriate verse to involving them in investigative Bible Study. In other words, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4).
Biola College student Lorne Sanny's life was never the same after meeting Navigator founder Dawson Trotman at an early-morning campus Bible club. Discipled by Daws, Lorne joined Nav staff in 1941. And after Dawson's sudden death in 1956, for the next three decades Lorne served as The Navigators second president and chairman of the board.
Today this self-described 80-year-old cancer patient identifies with the apostle Paul's words to his protege Timothy (2 Tim. 4:6 8), as he continues to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. In this interview, Lorne challenges us to do the same, as he reflects on what God has done and is doing through the ministry of The Navigators.
Q: Why did God raise up The Navigators?
A: God found a man in Dawson Trotman who was like David, of whom He said, I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do (Acts 13:22b). God's problem is not a shortage of ideas. His problem is a shortage of people who will wholly give themselves to carrying out His ideas, who will be obedient.
When God finds a person who will fulfill all His will, He enables that person to do so. I m reminded of King Saul, who returned home to Gibeah accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched (1 Sam. 10:26). In the same way, God touched the heart of Dawson Trotman, and The Navigators was born.
Q: What s been the key to The Navigators enduring impact?
A: It has become a cliche, but a key to the Nav success through the years has been prayer. The Nav work began in prayer and has been carried on by God in answer to prayer. Not just prayer in general, but the prayer of faith. Faith is relying on God to do what He has promised. An outstanding example of that is what Paul said in Acts 27:25, So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
Dawson and others of us since believe that God gave us promises like Isaiah 54:2 3, Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. Since 1933 God has been doing that. Today Navigators are ministering in more than 100 countries.
Another of those promises is Isaiah 60:22, The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly. Nothing delights me more than to see a nobody become somebody for God.
Q: What ministry contributions are you most pleased with?
A: I m most pleased with adding to the sum total of spiritually qualified laborers available to Christ all over the world. That s our calling: multiply laborers. A laborer is a person involved in the process of winning others to Christ and building them up in the faith.
Though it s not unique to The Navigators, I'm pleased with our emphasis on the fundamental disciplines of the Christian life. This is illustrated by what we call The Wheel, the Christ-centered, Spirit-filled life maintained by the Word, prayer, fellowship, and witnessing by life and lip.
There are two main disciplines that come out of those fundamentals. One is a daily quiet time, time with God in His Word. I ve never met an effective Christian who did not have a consistent, disciplined quiet time, usually in the morning.
The other discipline is memorizing great truths, promises, and commands from the Bible. For me, Scripture memory has paid greater dividends in my Christian life and ministry than any other form of Scripture intake.
Presently I m 80 years old and battling cancer. The daily quiet time and review of Scripture are essential to my walk with God. For instance, one of the great promises proving true in my life these days is Psalm 18:28, You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. What He is doing for me, He will do for every believer.
Q: What s your perspective on The Navigators today?
A: The Navigators today thrills me to no end. I prayed that I might leave The Navigators on track and in good hands. That is happening. The Navs are solid for at least another generation. They are gifted and called, dedicated and disciplined. When the Lord s time for me comes, I can depart in peace.
Q: What must we remember if we re to continue to make a difference for eternity?
A: First, as Paul told Timothy, Remember Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:8a). He is the stone the builders rejected and has become the capstone (Ps. 118:22). As Jesus Himself said, I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).
Then remember as John Wesley said, God does nothing except in answer to prayer. The psalmist put it this way, Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy (Ps. 126:5).
Finally, remember that it s the Word of God that is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). So we figure out ways to expose people to the Word of God, all the way from sharing an appropriate verse to involving them in investigative Bible Study. In other words, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4).
