posted
I'd like to invite comments about my own website that details at length my present understanding of the work of itinerants in the NT. I see these folk as a designed process by our Lord for the well-being of the church to face adaptive, growth, and problem-solving needs over time.
Technically, we might call this work in today's vernacular, "organizational and leadership development," but with the caveat that these are itinerant lay folk (as we all are!) without any special authority or power position. They either manifest a spiritual life that those who come to know them recognize, or they have no "place" of service among the saints. Both of these areas of labor among the saints are towards transmitting a mutual peer, relational, one-another servant basis (particularly emphasizing the presence and present headship of Jesus Christ in the Body rather than representative, mediatorial men in that role), not building wood, hay and stubble with a worldly, hierarchical, power-based model of organizational structure and positional leadership.
Take a look at http://www.church-task-force.com
I am open to discussion, other insights, differenct perspectives.
I ain't interested in buying any tall green arch bishop hats though.
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Dear Art, I agree with the lay emphasis - many people think that just because you fellowship in a home without a 'pastor' as such, that you are prone to special errors in doctrine and practice reserved by Satan just for you and yours... However, they neglect to see that this has already happened within their own IC denomination and many years ago to boot.
The five fold ministry giftings (I don't believe that God is handicapped and is missig a finger) are each representative of of a certain aspect of Christ's ministry. He was the evangelist, as he preached the gospel to the poor, he was the pastor (chief shepherd ala John 10) the apostle "as the Father has sent me, so I send you..." the teacher who taught Nicodemus that he must be born again and the prophet who could tell the woman at the well all about her sinful life (not to mention Matthew 24 etc).
In 'ascending on high, He gave gift unto men...' in other words, there was a spiritual divestiture of the ministry of Christ, amongst chosen members of His body, that has endured for each generation of the church. People often get mixed up over differences between offices (elders and deacons) and ministries (five fold gifts) and we can also be deceived (false prophets, apostles, teachers etc) as in these days, we don't see much of 'signs following the word' but rather 'people following the signs around, without any real word being preached' and so the church is prone to this kind of deception (false signs and wonders - antichrist spirit).
True ministries don't have long lists of letters after their names, as they are known rather for their simplicity of life and doctrine, and for the power that life and doctrine gives them to overcome and minister to others in need. How some people can say that such ministries were disbanded after the first century, in view of the church's dire needs of today escapes me.
Austin Hellier Downunder
PS: couldn't access your website from the Google search list - is it down at the moment?
Email this page to someone.
