Spend five minutes with Bill Spencer and your feet start to itch. You get the feeling you should get up and do something. Something positive, something that will benefit others.
The dynamic head of The Narrow Gate Foundation has that effect on people. I watched it happen a couple weeks ago at the Marc Adams Woodworking School outside of Franklin, Ind., where a special weeklong class was underway.
There in those cavernous buildings filled with woodworking equipment and the smells of sawdust and wood glue, 15 young men from the foundation and several dozen other woodworkers from all over the country painstakingly cut and assembled an intricate wooden box. When finished, each box would hold a leather-bound Bible, which the young men had already hand-tooled.
The class, sponsored by Marc Adams, focused on one of several disciplines instituted by The Narrow Gate Foundation to help young men find their way in the world, to learn who they are and to discover their purpose in life.
“Our society is flooded with young men who have no idea what they should be doing,” Spencer said during a brief interview after class. “As a result, they do nothing or make bad decisions.” Many wind up living aimlessly from day to day, he added.
Those who find their way to The Narrow Gate take on a minimum six-month commitment that starts with 30 days of roughing it in the wilderness.
“Camping, hiking, surviving, sleeping in tents regardless of the weather exposes a person’s inner strength,” Spencer said. Other disciplines include leathercraf, metalworking and woodworking.
Spencer had no idea his own path would lead to such a ministry. Until 2002 his world was music, first as a member of a gospel group and later as a backup singer, guitar player, road manager and ultimately publishing director for country music star Loretta Lynn in Nashville, Tennessee.
It was in Nashville that Spencer and his wife Stacy began what would become the Narrow Gate Foundation. It started with two young men that needed help. A year later they were working with seven. Since the foundation began in 2004, an estimated 300 men between the ages of 18 and 25 have gone through the program.
There are strict criteria for acceptance to the program. Candidates must be open to faith, have a desire to change, must exhibit authenticity, be open to feedback, exhibit tenacity and discipline, and have the ability and desire to learn.
The foundation operates out of a 122-acre rustic estate outside of Nashville where the Spencers see a bright future for a growing number of young men. More information is found at www.narrowgatefoundation.org.
