The Pillars' Legacy

My friend called me yesterday and told me a pillar of the church I left had died. He was a Charismatic in what was once a very evangelical church in a very liberal denomination. He was a prayer warrior and was able to deliver many people from their emotional and spiritual bondages. Today I thought about his legacy. But what is his legacy? This church now is going down the emergent trail. What a disappointment to his legacy. I began to think of all the things he did for that church as well as what so many other pillars had done and wondered how the church could have gotten so off? As I was thinking about this, I realized that the people who changed people's lives had left the church, many hurt; others in disgust; others had moved away or died. And our pillar of faith had to drop out to care for his Alzheimer's wife. This left "the termites" who undermined the church's very doctrinal base as well as elders who seemed to be more carefree doctrinally than those pillars who left or died.
So what was the use of what the pillars had done if it had all gone up in smoke?
But then I realized something. While they were active in the church they had mentored and helped and prayed for people. THey had readically changed lives. A few of those people who had accepted the pillars' ministry were still there fighting for the faith of the church. But most had left. However, those that had left had gone to other churches taking the legacy put into their lives by the pillars with them, thus enriching their new church. My optimism returned.