Apostolic Team: to grow the kingdom.

Apostolic elders are five-fold ministry gifts that are fully matured and set aside in the local church for apostolic ministry outside the church of locality or residence.  These “sent ones” plan for growing the kingdom by increasing the authority and the sphere of influence of the saints in and beyond the local assembly.  They are only partially involved in the church of residence giving only input and requested ministry to the Presiding Elder to keep the local church as a strong prophetic/apostolic base for their operations.

The primary task of the Apostolic Team is to enlarge the vision beyond the “walls” of the local church, motivating for involvement with all that is happening outside the local church.  The primary activity is to provide apostolic input to related churches, and provide oversight in cases of mother-daughter relationships.  Apostolic Elders are a gift to the territorial Body of Christ and function is not restricted to residential ministry.

The objective of apostolic oversight is not pastoral care to members of a church (who are under the direct authority of local elders).  It is to bring support, wisdom and constructive counsel for effective growth of the church.  The apostolic is for oversight and the pastoral for maintenance by a related and healthy structure of those who carry the apostolic burden and vision to fulfillment.

The Apostolic Team is for strategic advance of God’s movement in a territory through:

• Confrontation of the demonic
• Release of authority, truth and ministry
• Maximization of momentum
• Impartation of revelation truths and gifts
• Lifting churches to a higher dimension
• Mentoring and fathering

Apostles have the capacity to breakthrough, to release ministries and to set the church in order.  The disorder in Corinth was due to reversion from the Apostolic order (i.e., 1 Cor. 12:28).

Apostles have ability to enable people to see and know the purposes of the church = destiny.  They carry impartational authority not legislative.  The Spirit will show the direction for the church and how to implement that and the apostle is able to help others comprehend that and participate in it.  Essentially, the apostle is the primary source for the generation of faith in the people of God.  Apostles give direction and vision to release divine destiny.

APOSTOLIC TEAM: Jeff Beacham, Pat Greeley,  Maureen Healy, Walt Healy, Doris Kaufman, Angel Morano. Cindy Panepinto, Gary Panepinto

Elders watch over the flock of God as Bishops and tend and feed (as shepherds).  The ministry is:  watching over, guiding, feeding, ruling, teaching, and exerting protective care.

As a singular government this team’s highest commitment is to represent leadership as one team.  As pastoral elders they are to rule and govern the local church (1 Tim. 3:4-5 / 1 Thes. 5:12-14) ruling well the household of God to bring order, harmony and spiritual well being.  This is co-pastoring, being joined in Spirit.  (The pastoral elders are responsible to be accountable to the senior elder in God’s distribution of “governments” (1 Cor. 12:28).

The Senior Leader relates to both teams: to Apostolic Elders regarding the kingdom of God and the territory of influence, and to the Pastoral Elders regarding the congregation and the vision.  Pastoral Elders deal directly with the congregation. The pastoral elders guard the House of God from false doctrines, false ministries, outside interference of the local church government(s) and division within the ranks (Rev.2:2; 1 Tim 4:1-3).

Function of Pastors:
God is calling for the growth and maturation of senior pastors until they can take on an apostolic role.  This does not mean every pastor will be an apostle but that there will most certainly be a redefining of the function of New Testament pastoring.

Today’s pastoral role centers on the people and their needs; the apostle centers on God’s call and purpose.  New Testament pastors must carry the burden of the Lord, not of the people.

Today’s pastoral role feeds the people to put on weight; the apostle trains the people to put on muscle.  New Testament pastors meet the root needs of people, not the felt needs.

Today’s pastoral role performs services for the people; the apostle’s role demands the performance of the people.  New Testament pastors help people do what they are capable of doing.

Today’s pastoral role equips the leader to meet peoples’ needs; the apostle equips every believer for the work of the ministry.  New Testament pastors lead people into fulfillment of God’s will for them.

Today’s pastoral role has maintenance as a goal; the apostle has maturity of individual and corporate lives.  New Testament pastoring renews the minds of believers in order to change lifestyle.

PASTORAL TEAM: Ralph Freda, Maureen Healy, Walt Healy, Tom Hoffman, Bob Oettinger, Cindy Panepinto, Gary Panepinto, Jim Wehrer