A decade ago there were 18 in the tank. In the end, it was just him. Some died; he ate the others. He was the lone survivor. He’s gone now. But for the last 10 years, Bill the Piranha (pictured on top) witnessed almost every major decision made at Fellowship. From the vantage point of his tank in my office, Bill saw the highs and the lows of the church.

I named Bill in honor of my friend Bill Hybels. Bill (Hybels, not the piranha) typifies what it takes to survive in church leadership over the long haul. He’s tough; he’s tenacious; he’s persistent. And it takes all of that to lead out in ministry.

To be a pastor, you’ve got to have the instincts of pygocentrus mattereri, commonly known as a piranha. You have to be willing and able to make cutting decisions and have a razor-sharp edge. You have to swim strong in the face of danger and go deep into waters that others want to avoid.

No one does that as well as Bill Hybels. He’s a breed of leader who is tough, instinctive and persistent. Maybe it’s the new breed of piranha we should all emulate: hybeletrus pastoreri.