APOSTOLIC SUMMIT OF EUROPE.
I was invited to participate at the 2002 Apostolic Summit of Europe, in Oslo Norway. It was convened by the International Coalition of Apostles, headed by Dr.
C. Peter Wagner (photo), Chancellor of Wagner Leadership Institute, Director of the World Prayer Center and Presiding Apostle of
the I.C.A. Other leading ICA members were John Kelly (photo-left), Ambassadorial Apostle of ICA and leader of his own network
ministries; Chuck Pierce, speaking in the photo, a major prophetic voice for the world prayer movement;Roger Mitchell & Michael Schiffman,
leaders of Target Europe prayer initiative; Ed Silvoso from Argentina; Naomi Dowdy from the Philippines; Sharon Stone from the
UK, and other world leaders of the Church.NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION.
What was affirmed in the summit was my hidden thoughts, which I had had prior difficulty in expressing. CDRM is part of a new global move of the Holy Spirit, equivalent to the Lutheran Reformation of 500 years ago, or, the Pentecostal Outpouring of 100 years ago. The new Apostolic Churches and Ministries emerging world-wide have more or less similar characteristics, which are also the key features of CDRM. The New Apostolic Reformation is a large subject to cover in its entirety. Because it is so important, I have inserted below some representative excerpts from C.P.Wagner's articles which can be found on his website:
New wineskins.
We need a 21st-century church that's based on all the biblical principles. Every time God has moved in the world through history-through the early church, through the Constantine time, through the Roman Empire, through the British colonization to our present day-He has always provided new wineskins. What we need to be tuned into is the new wineskins. We need new wineskins to hold this new wine that God is pouring out.
Hear what the Spirit is saying.
We also need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. When the Bible says to hear what the Spirit is saying, it is a present-tense verb. It is not a past-tense verb. So, naturally, we need to remember and take into account what the Spirit said to the churches. The Spirit doesn't always say the same thing. He is always saying new things. Part of what God is calling us to do is to tune into the new things the Spirit is saying to the churches and then move ahead as the Holy Spirit leads to implement what He is doing.
Fastest growing churches.Far and above anything else, the new wineskin that God has designed for the church in the 21st century is what I call the New Apostolic Reformation. The churches of the New Apostolic Reformation in this first year of the 21st century are already the fastest-growing churches on every inhabited continent of the globe. We are witnessing the greatest change in the way of doing church since the Protestant Reformation. This, in my mind, is by far the most dramatic new thing God is doing.
Recognition of the Apostles.
This change takes various forms. In the introduction to my book, The New Apostolic Churches, I have listed seven characteristics that these churches have that are different from traditional churches. But of all seven, the first one reveals the most dramatic change: The recognition by the body of Christ of the gift and office of the apostle. We now realize that an apostle is a contemporary gift and always has been, or should have been. Apostles are being set in place along with prophets, as both of them should be.
Apostolic Networks.
The most authentic form of New Testament apostleship is the formation of apostolic networks, which are God's new wineskins for what used to be denominations. So, it is a way for churches, ministries, pastors and church leaders to coordinate the ministry God has given to them under a structure. This is not a bureaucratic structure, and it is not based on legal rules, but it is based on personal relationships. So, the apostle leads this, and to the followers it is voluntary. There is no legal structure that requires anyone to follow an apostle. This is what is bursting forth all over the world in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the United States. Apostolic networks are forming the fastest-growing segment of Christianity worldwide.
Authority through Trust.
Here is the difference in how authority is exercised in these new apostolic networks. In traditional Christianity, particularly in denominationalism in the last 400 years, the authority has been placed on groups rather than individuals. The way that authority is exercised is trust. If there is trust in the leader, then to the degree that the followers trust the leader, the leader gains more and more authority. In traditional Christianity there was a conscious decision not to trust individuals, but only to trust groups. Therefore, we have congregational government. We have Presbyterian government with its sessions. We have church boards. We have synods. We have general assemblies. We have councils, and we have any number of groups of people that make the decisions rather than individuals.
The big difference in the New Apostolic Reformation is the amount of authority delegated by the Holy Spirit to individuals as opposed to groups. That plays out on two levels. First, it plays out on the local church level, where the pastor is now the leader of the church rather than an employee of the church. In traditional Christianity, the pastor is an employee of the church. In apostolic Christianity, the pastor is the leader of the church. Then it plays out trans-locally, with apostles being people who have extraordinary authority over numbers of churches.
Apostle is a spiritual gift.The apostle is an apostle because God has given that person a spiritual gift, just like a pastor or an evangelist or anyone else. So, the source of this is God, and there is accountability to God. But let's say the apostle is over a network of churches. Naturally, there is not much question that the pastors of those churches are accountable to the apostle. That is what the apostle is for.
Pastors benefit as apostles add value.
The basic benefit is for the pastor. The pastor, by becoming a part of an apostolic network, becomes a better pastor. The pastor is placing himself or herself in a position where God's government of the church is operative. Since it is voluntary, the only reason a pastor follows an apostle is because the apostle adds value to that pastor's life and ministry.
Church Government.
Ephesians 2:20 says that the foundation of the church is apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. First Corinthians 12:28 says that God gave to the church first apostles, second prophets, and third teachers, and then in the same verse it says that administrators come later on the list. We have basically been operating our churches with pastors and administrators first, instead of apostles and prophets first. That is not following God's design for the government of the church. But even though we had it backward, God has been blessing us, and we have practically fulfilled the Great Commission in the last couple of generations. So, imagine what is going to happen when we get it right.
Through their association with an apostolic network, God can move a local church to new levels that He otherwise would not be able to because that church is based on the foundation of apostles and prophets. So when a pastor, who is the leader of the church, affiliates with an apostolic network-with an apostle-then church government is coming into a proper place, and the church will be a better church.
Do we need Apostles today.The Scripture tells us that Jesus, when He ascended, left behind apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. That's in Ephesians 4:11. These, of course, are for the equipping of the saints. Then in that same passage, Jesus lays the foundation for the church that tells how long they are supposed to function. All apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers are supposed to function "till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).
If you believe the Bible, there is only one way you could argue against the need for the apostles and prophets. That would be to say that we have already attained "to a perfect man" and "to the measure of the stature of the fullness" and all of the "unity" that we are supposed to have. Anyone who believes that the church is where it should be now in unity and in the stature of Christ could say that the use for apostles and prophets has terminated. But very few people I know think we have reached that stage of the "unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God" that is talked about here. Most believe we still have a way to go, and until we reach it, we still need the apostles and prophets as well as the evangelists, pastors and teachers.
Education.
The major change [in the education models for today] is that the incubator for new leaders is now the congregation rather than the educational institutions. Because apostolic leaders believe in the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, they do their best to allow-not only allow but almost require-all their church members to discover their spiritual gifts and be in some kind of ministry in the congregation. As this happens, cream rises to the top, and the leaders then become apparent. The pastor has his or her eye on this. Then most apostolic churches are going for what we call homegrown leaders.
Denomination transformed.
Of all the denominations that I have come across as I have been studying this for almost 10 years, I have only found one denomination that has actually made the change from a traditional, bureaucratic denomination to new apostolic leadership. They still call it a denomination, but they are transformed to new apostolic leadership. It is the Australian Assemblies of God. It is amazing. This next month, David Cartledge, one of the apostles who has been leading this change, is coming out with a new book called The Apostolic Revolution. It is a very insightful book. I got to do the forward for it. It is insightful about how a denomination has intentionally turned around and become apostolic. He has quite a few things to say about the American Assemblies of God, incidentally, which is not inclined to take that step.
"Pentecostal Cessationists!".Some use the adjective "apostolic" and not the noun because they do not believe that the gift and office of apostle are operative in the church today. A case in point is the Assemblies of God of America. An official public denominational position statement was issued by the General Presbytery of the General Council of the Assemblies of God on August 11, 2000 under the title, "Endtime Revival-Spirit-Led and Spirit-Controlled: A Response Paper to Resolution 16." Under a subsection, "Deviant Teachings Disapproved," one of what is referred to as a departure from scripture which threatens the life and stability of local churches is "The problematic teaching that present-day offices of apostles and prophets should govern church ministries at all levels." This teaching is attributed to "persons with an independent spirit and an exaggerated estimate of their importance to the kingdom of God." Such persons are "wrongly interpreting 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 2:20 and 4:11."
This paper argues that "The leadership of the local church, according to the Pastoral Epistles, is in the hands of elders/presbyters and deacons. There is no indication in these last writings of continuing offices of apostles and prophets, though the ministry functions still continue." The section ends by arguing for the adjective, not the noun: "We affirm that there are, and ought to be, apostolic- and prophetic-type ministries in the Church, without individuals being identified as filling such an office."
David Cartledge of the Australian Assemblies of God, in his book Apostolic Revolution (Paraclete Institute), attributes this position of the American Assemblies of God to "Pentecostal Cessationists!" (p. 236).
Definition of Apostle .
An apostle is a Christian leader gifted, taught, commissioned, and sent by God with the authority to establish the foundational government of the church within an assigned sphere of ministry by hearing what the Spirit is saying to the churches and by setting things in order accordingly for the growth and maturity of the church. What I have excluded in this definition: There are three biblical characteristics of apostles which some include in their definition of apostle, but which I have chosen not to include: (1) signs and wonders (2 Cor. 12:12), (2) seeing Jesus personally (1 Cor. 9:1), and (3) planting churches (1 Cor. 3:10). My reason for this is that I do not understand these three qualities to be non-negotiables. They characterize many, perhaps most, apostles. But if a given individual lacks the anointing for one or more of them, this, in my opinion, would not exclude that individual from being a legitimate apostle.
The title "Apostle".There continues to be discussion as to the necessity of actually applying the title "apostle" to individuals in the church today. Some argue that functioning as an apostle is enough without needing to use the title. My conclusion is the contrary. While I concede that the function is the most essential consideration, I also believe that there is increased power in the use of the title "apostle." The function, in my opinion, will be more anointed and more of a service to the church if the title is used. Jesus Himself was the one who coined the new term "apostle," (Luke 6:13) (It does not appear in the Old Testament.), and I suspect that He had a distinct purpose for doing it. Later on, both Paul and Peter introduced themselves in their epistles with the title "apostle." Today we freely use the titles "pastor" or "reverend" or "bishop" or "evangelist" or "doctor" (i.e., teacher), and there seems to be little reason, other than a possible fear of change, to exclude the title "apostle" as a designation for contemporary church leaders. It is also important to recognize that "apostle" occurs in one of the lists of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 (see 1 Cor. 12:28). The gift and its accompanying office are significant enough to be declared, along with prophets, as the foundation of the church (see Eph. 2:20).
Apostolic Spheres..
Among practicing apostles, I have found a relatively low level of practical understanding of apostolic spheres. All apostles recognize that they have divine authority, but not all are aware that this authority is only activated within a divinely-appointed sphere. Once apostles get outside of their sphere, they have no more authority than any other member of the body of Christ. Paul relates spheres to authority in 2 Cor. 10. In verse 8 he "boasts" of his authority, leading to verses 13-16 in which he deals with spheres. He says, for example, "We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us-a sphere which especially includes you" (2 Cor. 10:13). This reflects Paul's remarkable statement in 1 Cor. 9:2: "If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you."
Toward a useful terminology..
The current apostolic movement is so new, and it is developing at such a dizzying speed, that a considerable amount of confusion has arisen. Who is an apostle? Are all apostles the same? How do bona fide apostles minister? Here is a terminology that seems to me to be helpful, at least at this moment:
Vertical Apostles.
1. Ecclesiastical apostles. Apostles who are given authority over a sphere which includes a number of churches, presumably in an apostolic network headed up by the apostle.
2. Functional apostles. Apostles who are given authority over those who have an ongoing ministry in a certain specific sphere of service which has defined boundaries of participation.
3. Apostolic Team Members. Apostles whose apostolic ministry functions in conjunction with an apostle who is seen as the leader of a team of one or more other peer-level vertical apostles. They may be assigned specific spheres by the leading apostle. These are more than administrators or assistants or armor-bearers.
4. Congregational apostles. Apostles functioning as senior pastors of dynamic, growing churches of more than 700-800.
Horizontal Apostles.
1. Convening apostles. Apostles who have authority to call together on a regular basis peer-level leaders who minister in a defined field.
2. Ambassadorial apostles. Apostles who have itinerant, frequently international, ministries of catalyzing and nurturing apostolic movements on a broad scale.
3. Mobilizing apostles. Apostles who have the authority to take leadership in bringing together qualified leaders in the body of Christ for a specific cause or project.
4. Territorial apostles. Apostles who have been given authority for leading a certain segment of the body of Christ in a given territorial sphere such as a city or state.
Marketplace Apostles.
It seems clear that some marketplace apostles would be vertical (perhaps in a large Co.) while others would be horizontal (bringing together peer-level marketplace apostles). The more we work with marketplace apostles, the more clarity will come in due time.
The nature and role of ICA.
ICA is primarily an American organization headed by Apostle C. Peter Wagner, who is involved in two fledgling organizations which are attempting to bring apostles together in order to encourage the formation of meaningful personal relationships. He is "presiding apostle" of the International Coalition of Apostles (ICA) and "convening apostle" of the New Apostolic Roundtable (NAR). Although each has its own function, both are based on building personal relationships.
ICA sees itself as a vehicle for bringing together apostles from around the world in a broad network to facilitate mutual acquaintance and communication among apostles. It is expected that initially 500 to 1,000 apostles will join. Membership is by invitation only, and members are asked to pay a monthly fee to sustain membership. The office, in a suburb of Dallas, is managed by John Kelly, executive apostle.
Communication will be facilitated through an annual ICA meeting in the Dallas area every first week in December and through "apostolic summits," which John Kelly plans to convene in different parts of the United States and other regions of the world. According to C. Peter Wagner, the ICA is not designed as a functional accountability structure. It is, however, a vehicle which hopefully will spin off a significant number of smaller accountability groups. Principles of group dynamics dictate that a meaningful accountability unit based on personal relationships must not exceed 25 members.
