“If You Want Good, Your Nose Got to Run”: Pastor Dennis Wade on Generational Vision and Family Legacy

 

When we talk about legacy, are we only thinking about what we leave behind or who we’re leaving it for? In a world where success is often defined in the here and now, generational vision asks us to lift our gaze. It urges us to live not just for ourselves, but for those coming after us.

What are you building that will outlive you? Who are you paving the way for? Who are you encouraging, equipping, and praying for even if you never get to meet them?

Psalm 145:4 declares, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” That’s what generational vision looks like. It’s not just about inheritance, it’s about impact. It’s about laying foundations others can build on, carrying faith, purpose, and values from one generation to the next.

This excerpt weaves together faith, legacy, leadership, and the beauty of seeing beyond our lifetime.

 

Meet Pastor Dennis Wade

From growing up in a bustling British-Jamaican household shaped by entrepreneurial parents, to becoming one of the voices that helped define the sound of British gospel, Pastor Dennis Wade’s life is a tapestry of calling and commitment.

As part of The Wades, a groundbreaking gospel group, he helped shape the soundscape of UK gospel music. But music was just one layer. Pastor Dennis has spent his life wearing many hats: seasoned executive coach, motivational speaker, mentor, pastor, and co-leader, alongside his wife, Lorna of a life devoted to service.

Whether in business, ministry, or social action, he continues to ask the same powerful question: Who are you lifting as you lead?

 

“If You Want Good, Your Nose Got to Run?”

Growing up as the first child born in the UK to Jamaican parents who arrived in the late 1950s, Pastor Dennis recalled a childhood marked by laughter, struggle, and a strong work ethic. His parents, both entrepreneurs in catering and baking, laid a firm foundation of love and discipline.

“They came with very little,” Pastor Dennis said, “but they worked extremely hard. Our home was filled with laughter… My parents had lots of little sayings they’d recite to us parables that taught honesty, responsibility, and hard work.”

One such Jamaican proverb has stayed with him: “If you want good, your nose has to run.” In essence, achieving anything worthwhile requires effort, sweat, and perseverance. These values, he added, were handed down to his own children and now grandchildren six boys who are growing up with the same principles of purpose, family, and faith. “We want them to start from where we left off, to stand on our shoulders and go even further. Whether it’s in ministry, family, or career, I’ve always tried to model and pass down those values.” He Says.

Q: You mentioned your grandchildren, six of them, all boys! What does generational vision look like in your role as a grandfather?

Pastor Dennis Wade: Yes, six grandsons! I’ve been very hands-on with them. For me, generational vision means passing on the best of who we are. Not just our stories, but our principles, our faith, our family values, our mindset. I say to them and to the young people in my church: start from where we finished. Be twice the height we are.

We’ve always believed in showing, not just telling. So when we toured across Europe, France, Germany, Italy, we took our kids with us. They watched us minister, lead, perform, and connect with others. Some of them are now producers, actors, creatives… but more importantly, they’re grounded. They carry that same sense of value and community.

Q: You’ve worn many hats: singer, pastor, executive coach, mentor. How do you balance these roles without losing your core sense of purpose?

Pastor Dennis Wade: That’s a great question. I often say to people, everything I do is ministry. Whether I’m in church preaching or in the boardroom consulting, it’s all service. The ministry is not just a five-fold apostle, pastor, prophet, it’s about how we show up for others.

At the core of all my roles is a commitment to serve and add value. I always ask myself: How can I help this person become better? What value can I bring to this space? I’ve learned to see my entire life as an offering, a way to impact others for good.

Q: Many people struggle with transition especially after doing something for so long. You toured for 18 years. What helped you pivot when that season ended?

Pastor Dennis Wade: We toured for 18 years, yes. But while doing that, we also held mainstream jobs. I was in management in sales and marketing, my brother was in catering. We also pastored at the same time. So when the music slowed down, we didn’t feel lost. We had other streams of purpose and work to turn to.

To those who feel stuck after a big transition, I always say: you have more gifts than you know. Ask yourself, what would you do even if no one paid you? That’s a clue to your purpose. You can turn passion into a business model. Begin to explore other sides of yourself. We’re creative beings God didn’t make us one-dimensional.

Q: You and your wife have fostered children and championed others through your home. What led you into fostering and what has it taught you?

Pastor Dennis Wade: It really started with my parents. They took care of children beyond their own. I remember two girls, Puna and Vigwa, whose Nigerian parents trusted my mum to care for them after school. That spirit of hospitality was ingrained in us.

When Lorna and I got married, it continued naturally. After church, we’d have 20 or 30 young people over for lunch. So when we started fostering, it wasn’t strange it was an extension of how we lived. We ended up fostering for 10 years, and some of those children are still very much part of our family today. It’s taught us about love, about legacy, and about the unseen ways you can change a life.

Q: For someone considering fostering or adoption but feeling unsure, what would you say?

Pastor Dennis Wade: I’d say, start where you are. Prepare, yes, but don’t wait for perfect conditions; they may never come. These children add to your life in ways you can’t predict. You’re giving, yes, but you also receive so much.

In Caribbean and African cultures, we’ve always raised one another’s children. Fostering and adoption are modern terms for something we’ve done for generations. It’s something we can still do, and we should especially as people of faith. We’re called to serve the vulnerable.

Q: You now work with high-performing leaders. What mindset shift do you help them make for lasting impact, not just success?

Pastor Dennis Wade: The key is: being before doing. A lot of leaders focus on activity, goals, achievements. But who are you becoming? What are your core values? I tell them to take a hard look at themselves, know your strengths, know your blind spots, ask yourself if you’re truly living what you believe.

As believers, we have a blueprint in Christ. He’s our model. If we shape our character around His, everything else flows from that. Out of being comes doing. You can build lasting impact if you’re rooted in who you truly are.

Q: Final question: what do you hope people will say about your life 20 years from now?

Pastor Dennis Wade: I want to be remembered as a servant leader. Someone who pointed people to Christ. If I’m no longer here and people can still see Christ in the values I lived by, then I’ve done my job.

It’s not about me, it’s about what I’ve poured into others. I want the ripple effect to continue long after I’m gone. That’s legacy.

 

Legacy That Lives Beyond You

Pastor Dennis Wade’s story is a vivid reminder that legacy is not just about the spotlight moments or public platforms, it’s about quiet consistency, generational impact, and service rooted in purpose. From gospel stages to boardrooms, foster homes to church pulpits, his life reflects a profound truth: when we live with generational vision, what we build can echo far beyond our time.

It’s easy to measure success by personal milestones, but the real question is; who are you building for? Whether you’re raising a family, mentoring others, building a business, or serving your community, legacy is in the everyday decisions to lead, to lift, and to love well.

 

So, who are you paving the way for?

As Psalm 145:4 declares, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” Let that be our commitment to live in a way that outlives us.

Take the Next Step

Legacy doesn’t begin tomorrow, it begins today.

Reflect: Who are you intentionally pouring into right now?

Act: Whether through mentoring, fostering, coaching, or simply being present, choose to build beyond yourself.

Pray: Ask God to show you the people He’s calling you to lift, even if you never meet them.

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Share this article with someone who’s passionate about purpose, leadership, or legacy. Let’s multiply impact one generation at a time.

 

 

“Adapted by Praise Afolabi based on an interview held by Eloho Efemuai, host of Arise with Eloho”