Jack and Robert both related to new stream movements as well as to Pentecostal denominational people. Jack Hayford, the former President of Foursquare Churches, transferred his school, The King’s University, to Gateway Church under Robert Morris. Olen was an original founder with us in starting Messianic Jewish Bible Institutes that came out of the greatest Evangelistic success in Jewish ministry since the first century. The first meeting of the International Coalition of Apostles met at his church. They include us in their mission! Morris’ spiritual father, Olen, is now at Gateway. This is the 3 rd largest Church in America and the #1 missions giving Church in America. Olen is the spiritual father of Robert Morris who leads Gateway Church. One of our most important partners was Olen Griffing in Dallas, who planted Shady Grove Church. For many years, I served on the accountability board of Larry Kreider’s Dove Network and related to his network in East Africa under Ibrahim Omandi. I would encourage you to research some of our historic relational partners. Since that time, we have become connected to streams of churches that have the same view as we do. In the same way, as the Assembly of God in Australia and the Pentecostal Holiness Church denomination today, we added this aspect to our representative form of government in our network (1984). This keeps us from tripping over one another. Though we reject titles before our names, we generally accept the importance of understanding who has been given the gifts and calling to function in various roles. Apostle, I should add, with a little “a” in function, but not at the same level as the original Apostles of whom some wrote the Scriptures and were the Eyewitnesses of the Messiah Event. We came to believe that leaders of a growing movement of congregations are biblically functioning in the role of apostles. It matches the synopsis I gave in my 1982 book, Growing to Maturity. Jerry Dirmann, a leader in the Foursquare Church denomination, recently gave a good summary. Sometimes more than one of the Ephesians 4 gifts is given to one person. (The idea of the restoration of five-fold ministry understanding goes back to the early Pentecostals of over 100 years ago.) Indeed, if one wants to see a strong pastoral congregation, one does not put an evangelist in charge unless he also has the gift of pastor. Though the government of the Church is by a plurality of elders, both in a local congregation and an association of congregations, we came to believe that God gives different kinds of giftings to leaders who are called to do different things. To pass the test, the theory in science, historical account or even a description of a political, social or religious movement, has to take into account all of the relevant evidence.Īlmost 40 years ago, we believe God helped us understand Ephesians 4:11 ff. In philosophy, we call this test of truth, comprehensiveness. This is so for writing history as well as for understanding movements, be they political or theological. When I was a student at Wheaton College over 50 years ago, I learned that if one wants to have an understanding of any area of existence, one has to take into account all of the relevant evidence/information available and seek to comprehend it together, as a whole.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |