Francis Chan met Ken in high school in 1985. They became close friends — the kind of friendship forged in shared classes, late-night conversations, and the intensity of being young and figuring out the world. Chan became a pastor. Ken didn't become anything religious at all.
The Long Wait
For three decades, Chan prayed for Ken. Thirty years. Not as a project. Not with an agenda. Just because he loved his friend and wanted Ken to experience what he'd experienced. They stayed in touch through moves, career changes, marriages, and all the distance that life creates between high school friends.
Chan never stopped inviting. Ken never accepted. And Chan kept praying anyway.
This is the part of the story that most people skip, because it's not dramatic. There's no midnight conversion, no crisis moment, no deathbed prayer. Just a man praying for his friend, year after year after year, while nothing visible changed.
The Year Everything Changed
In 2018, after thirty-three years of friendship and prayer, something shifted in Ken. Chan described it simply: Ken "suddenly saw Jesus as beautiful." Not convincing. Not logical. Beautiful.
There was no single argument that tipped the scales. No devastating life event. Just decades of faithful friendship, consistent prayer, and the quiet, persistent work of the Holy Spirit doing what only the Holy Spirit can do.
Chan baptised Ken and his wife. He said it was one of the most meaningful moments of his ministry — not because it happened on a stage, but because it happened between two old friends in the water.
What This Means for You
Thirty years is a long time to pray for someone. Most of us give up after thirty days. But the story of Francis Chan and Ken is a reminder that God's timeline isn't yours. Your job isn't to produce results. Your job is to love, to pray, and to keep the door open. Some seeds take decades to break the surface. Keep watering.