I’m very encouraged by the East Midlands Baptist Association. They are
currently advertising for a new Regional Team Leader, stating they wish ‘to
appoint a dynamic, spirit filled person to serve as an apostolic leader’. I
think it’s the first time one of our Baptist Associations has included the ‘a’
word, in an advert. Hopefully it wont be the last, as if we are to ever
re-enter the history books as a movement, we need missional, apostolic
leadership at the leading edge of our networks of churches, we still call
Associations.
Once upon a time we only mentioned ‘apostolic’ in hushed tones because
it had been hijacked by fears of ‘heavy-shepherding’. That goes back to the
1980’s when self-appointed apostles were preying on Baptist Churches, or at
least that’s what we were told. Personally, most people I met, or observed,
only ever had the title thrust upon them by others and only came across as
intentionally seeking to steer the church back from the brink decline was
leading us towards.
Three decades on we’ve been lulled into a false sense of security
because we’ve not been declining at the same rate as some other UK
denominations. However, it is I believe a false sense of security, rather than
one rooted in Christ.
Here’s just three reasons why I believe we need to support the
identification and releasing of more with an apostolic ministry among us:
-
They integrate the message of integrity with the
message the gospel of Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God is still breaking into
life today, but there needs to be more. Our present, primary, cultural
environments tell us we need to be good news, as well as tell it.
-
They combine a passion for the legacy of the
church and the renewing of the Spirit. They combine the good foundations, already
given to the church (primarily the Bible), with an openness to his presence and
power today.
-
They marry an ability to work with the
structural frameworks, but not allow themselves to become stifled, or silenced
by them.
I’m sure there will be many who’s response will be ‘surely those things
need to be true of every Minister of the gospel today?’ … at least, I sure hope
so. The apostolic ministries need to be much more rooted in local churches and
certainly not reserved for anyone with a church designated title, but if we don’t
release such people into trans-local roles, we may never empower as many
locally based as the coming years will require.
Further details and an application pack are available on the EMBA
website at www.embaptists.co.uk. The closing date for applications is 3pm on 26th February
2016.
