I read a post by a
minister friend the other day on Facebook that I fully agree with: “Five-fold
Ministry offices of Ephesians 4:11-13 exist but very rarely operate as a team,
let's believe for the creation of these this year.” However, after reading this
statement it really made me think: “Why don’t we see them operate as a team?”
I believe one would be
hard pressed to find a Pentecostal, Charismatic,
Word of Faith, Deliverance, Apostolic or Prophetic Believer that did not
believe in the Five-fold Ministry or Ascension Gifts of Christ for the Church
today. With so many streams of the Ecclesia
believing in their existence: “Why is it we do not see the full
manifestation of them?” I have several thoughts along that line that I would
like to share from what I have witnessed over the last 35 years in the Body of
Christ.
I can recall back in the
hay day of the Word of Faith movement back in the early 1980’s that Rev.
Kenneth E. (Dad) Hagin taught on the Five-fold Ministry Gifts. Many Ministers from
many camps or streams have taught these gifts ever since; yet my minister
friend still needed to make the post on Facebook that I quoted to start this
Blog some 35 years later. This Ought Not Be!
When I was growing up my
Father was a Pastor of a local church. Shortly after I was married in 1982 and
moved to Tulsa to attend Rhema Bible Training College, he left the Pastorate
and started operating as a Missionary/Evangelist, yet many stilled referred to
him as a Pastor. After some years, he received his Doctorate of Divinity and
moved to Trinidad to operate predominantly as a Teacher and Administrator as
the President of a Bible College, yet some still referred to him as a Pastor.
Several more years passed and he and my Mom began to be recognized by many in
the Body of Christ in certain circles or streams as Apostles; yet some still to
this day refer to them as Pastors.
My own experience in
ministry is somewhat different yet the same as well. I started in ministry
operating in the Office of the Evangelist, yet some called me Pastor. After
some 25 years or so God began to transition me into the Office of the Prophet,
and to my surprise, folks began to call me Prophet. In March of 2016 after
about 16 years of functioning as a Prophet, I was commissioned as an Apostle by
my pears. Folks began to call me Apostle. Then God had me step into the role as
the ‘Set Man’ or ‘Senior Leader’ of a local church, and guess what folks are
calling me? You guessed it…Pastor!
How can this be? Could it
be that with all our teaching on the Five-fold Ministry Gifts, folks still do
not understand them? Are we not as smart as we think we are? Here are some of
the Hindrances to their Manifestation as a Team as I see them:
Calling Everybody Pastor: We have this tendency in the church that if somebody
is a preacher or minister they are automatically called Pastor, even if they
aren’t. If you are the ‘Set Man’ or ‘Set Woman’ of a local church than you are
a Pastor, even if you are not.
False Humility: We have people who are Apostles or Prophets who are afraid to refer to
themselves as God has called, appointed, and anointed them; so, they refer to
themselves as Pastors as if they are being humble. Apostle Paul said: “I
magnify mine office” and “I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle.”
Apostles & Prophets Are Super Saints: Many have this thought that if one is an Apostle or
Prophet, they must be some sort of Super Saint, always walking in the anointing
and power of God never having a flesh moment and we just could not attain to
that. Nothing could be further from the truth! Peter and Paul were Apostles
that clearly had flaws and issues that are not hidden in Scripture. Moses and
Elijah were two the greatest Prophets yet they also had flaws and issues a
plenty, which Scripture also reveals. If all of them did so will Apostles and
Prophets today.
Tradition: Jesus
in speaking to the religious leaders of His day said: “…making the word of God
of no effect through your tradition.” The Traditions that we hold onto…how we
have always done it…how it has always been…impedes the progress and the manifestation
of ‘Current Truth’ even though we want to experience it and know it is so.
Envy & Jealousy: Ministers that are insecure in their own calling, are
threatened by others in other offices leading them to envy and jealousy of
their Brothers & Sisters. This behavior is destructive and leads to the
belittling of others and their calling; while making, themselves feel equal and
adequate. This is nothing more than the enemy’s comparison trap which must be
avoided at all costs.
Poor Understanding Of The New Testament Pattern: For all our teaching, you would think that folks would
understand what Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:28 about FIRST APOSTLES,
SECOND PROPHETS; but alas that is still not the case. Pastors are hardly
mentioned at all in the New Testament and Apostles are mentioned repeatedly. Yet
we see an abundance of Pastors, or those called Pastors (who might not be Pastors) and very few Apostles. Somehow, we have
it reversed and are out of order as far as the New Testament Pattern goes. The
New Testament Church was meant to be APOSTOLIC; NOT PASTORAL!
Lack Of Honor: A
quote by a Man of God I greatly admire and honor comes to mind: “What you Honor
you draw to you; what you Dishonor you repel from you.” Because we have not
learned to Honor one another’s gifts and anointing(s) we are repelling each other’s
gifts and anointing(s). If you don’t Honor my gift, you repel my gift; if I don’t
Honor your gift, I repel your gift. With us acting like that please tell me:
How can we be a Team?
Our goal is to see the
Five-fold Ministry Gifts or Offices flow as a Team. My Minister friend said: “Let
us believe for the creation of these this year.” I say: “Let us remove these
Hindrances and watch them Manifest!”
