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TO UNDERSTAND the Apostolic Faith organization, it is necessary to examine our foundation. We trace our heritage back to the holiness movement of the late 1800s which emphasized entire sanctification as a second, definite, instantaneous experience subsequent to justification. It was upon godly individuals of that background that God poured out the Pentecostal experience of the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in another language.1 The Holy Ghost outpouring in the city of Los Angeles, California, in April of 1906 came to be known as the Azusa Revival. What God accomplished in that group of saved and sanctified people laid the foundation for what we continue to stand for today.
This was the starting point for the establishment of the Apostolic Faith work, as Florence Crawford, our founder, was among those who went to the humble mission on Azusa Street seeking for more of God. There she received her sanctification and, just a few days later, the baptism of the Holy Ghost. From that time on, her burning desire was to spread the message that the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit was available for believers who had been sanctified. Along with the other leaders on Azusa Street, she taught that sanctification was not only a second, definite, and instantaneous experience, but also a consecrated way of life which demanded carefulness with regard to conduct and appearance.
Florence Crawford soon felt God’s call to take the message to other areas. At the end of December in 1906, she preached at a series of meetings in Portland, Oregon, in an old blacksmith shop which had been converted into a mission hall. God blessed those services, and in time, the pastor of the group offered to turn his church over to Florence Crawford. God’s plan was unmistakable, and in 1908, she moved to Portland to establish the headquarters for the Apostolic Faith work. At that point, the Azusa Street ministry turned over two of the copies of the publication mailing list, and transferred to her the responsibility of publishing The Apostolic Faith paper. Just over one year later, on October 12, 1909, the Apostolic Faith organization was registered with the State of Oregon.2
Our founder’s purpose in establishing this holiness organization was to maintain and teach all the doctrines as taught by Christ and by His Apostles, and to spread the Latter Rain Gospel to every land.3 Although not all of the religious organizations that sprang from the Azusa Revival have upheld the original doctrinal position of those who received the Holy Ghost at that time, we strive to continually emphasize what was taught in April of 1906. We value our roots in that Azusa Street movement, but even more importantly, we value our Biblical roots. Our foundation is the Word of God, although the Azusa Revival provided the framework for what we are today.
Our vision for the future is rooted in our heritage. We cannot separate where we are going from where we have been. We are committed to upholding the doctrines of the Word of God and passing on to the next generation the Gospel that was delivered into our hands.
1 See Joel 2:23, 28-29.
2 The history book of our organization, titled The Apostolic Faith – History, Doctrine, and Purpose offers a more complete account of our historical roots.
3 For more detailed information on the doctrinal position of the Apostolic Faith organization, see the section of this manual titled Doctrines of the Holy Scriptures.
THE MISSION OF THE APOSTOLIC FAITH organization has always been evangelism: endeavoring to present the Gospel in its fullness and to lead unbelievers to God. In addition, there is a focus on encouraging the development of holy, Christ-like character in the lives of Spirit-filled believers.
Just as God has an individual call for each of His followers, we believe He also has a specific role for organizations in the general mandate Jesus delivered to His disciples, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The mission statement of the Apostolic Faith organization attempts to express in words the purpose that has been in place since the organization’s founding. It provides both a corporate and individual challenge, and establishes goals for our branch churches around the world as well as for the headquarters church. It reads:
The mission of the Apostolic Faith Church is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this as we:
Pray – We make prayer the basis of every ministry and encourage communion with God as the way we grow to spiritual maturity in Him.
Preach – We emphasize the original Pentecostal doctrines of salvation, sanctification, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, continually striving to develop fully committed disciples of Jesus Christ.
Publish – We publish the Gospel through the printed word, the spoken word, and through our personal lives, daily looking for opportunities to spread the message, “Ye must be born again.”
Daniel 12:3 says, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” God chose men and women as his tools to spread the greatest news the world has ever known. He designed the message of the Gospel to be handed from person to person.
Paul the Apostle instructed Timothy, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust” (1 Timothy 6:20). He was directing the younger minister to preserve a pure Gospel by preaching healthy doctrine. That charge was delivered to Timothy so that he would deliver it to others, and that same charge is ours today. A Gospel which proclaims God’s power to save the repentant heart, sanctify the converted soul, and pour out the Holy Spirit on sanctified believers has been committed to our trust. It is our mission to preserve and pass it on to those who follow us.
JUDE WROTE TO EARLY CHURCH believers, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). While “the faith” Jude mentioned certainly includes believing faith, it is far more encompassing. The faith includes the entire scope of Biblical doctrine—every teaching and practice the apostles and other writers of Scripture were inspired to write and teach.
The name of our church, “The Apostolic Faith,” refers to the faith which was expounded and practiced by the apostles. However, the phrase was used before Florence Crawford came to Portland to establish this work, and even before she arrived at the Azusa Street revival where she experienced entire sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It had been in use for a number of years by religious groups who were striving to experience and revive teachings that reflected the faith of the apostles.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, prayers were ascending in different parts of the world for a spiritual quickening similar to the one which had occurred recently in Wales. In searching the Scriptures, many found promises concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was to take place in the latter days, and began to pray for the fulfillment of those promises. Among those seekers was a man named Charles Parham, who is viewed historically by evangelicals as the father of the modern Pentecostal movement, and the first one who used the term, “the apostolic faith.”
Parham believed that those who had been converted and had received what they referred to as the “second blessing” or sanctification, as taught by John Wesley and holiness organizations, should seek “a baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire.” In 1898, Parham established his headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, where he operated a mission and an office. In 1899 he began printing a magazine he called “The Apostolic Faith” for the purpose of proclaiming the teachings for which he stood.
In October of 1900, Parham opened the Bethel Bible College in Topeka and assigned his students to study the doctrines of the Bible. They started with repentance, justification by faith, restitution, and entire sanctification. As the Christmas season approached, Parham had plans to leave for a few weeks, and he left his students with instructions to study the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Upon his return, they were to give him their conclusion as to whether or not God would still pour out that Pentecostal experience, accompanied by the Biblical evidence of speaking in tongues.
On New Year’s Eve of 1900, shortly after midnight, a young woman student by the name of Agnes Osman was lost in prayer when the power of the Holy Ghost descended and she found herself speaking in a language she had never learned. Soon others also received what they called “Pentecost.” When Parham returned, they told him that they not only believed in the experience, they had experienced it themselves. Soon after, Parham himself and several of his other students also received the Holy Spirit. In fact, on January 22, 1901, the local newspaper, the Kansas City Journal, had a headline which read, “Apostolic Faith Believers Claim the Gift of Tongues.”
Before long, Parham closed his school and began to evangelize in the Midwest. He did not want to be a denomination; he had left the Methodist Church because he felt like they had departed from the holiness teachings that they had previously embraced under their founder, John Wesley. His self-described motive was to restore the teachings of the apostles—the apostolic faith—so he called his group by that name.
Between 1901 and 1905 he gained some converts, and they began traveling from town to town in “bands” proclaiming the “apostolic faith.” The Original Apostolic Faith Movement archives relate, “Although the original Apostolic Faith movement as established by Charles F. Parham in 1901 has never been officially recognized as an organized body due to Parham’s rejection of organizational structure, it was the first Pentecostal coalition of ministers and churches to maintain a common faith-based theology, holding to tenants of faith centered around the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the biblical evidence of speaking in other tongues as the initial sign of Spirit baptism.”
Parham moved to Houston in 1905, where he started “The Apostolic Faith Mission.” At the end of that year, Parham was contacted by a black man named William Seymour. Because of the racial divide which existed in society at that time, Seymour could not enter the classroom, but he sat outside the door. He listened and heard and believed the Pentecostal message.
A short time later, Seymour was invited to Los Angeles to speak at a church. He took Acts 2:4 for his text, preaching about the baptism of the Holy Ghost. His message was not received in that holiness church—in fact, they padlocked the doors of the building so Seymour could not re-enter. He ended up in prayer meetings at 214 Bonnie Brae Street. On the last day of March in 1906, the group embarked upon a ten-day prayer meeting based on the fact that the disciples had tarried for ten days preceding the Day of Pentecost, and these believers wanted to practice it just that way.
God honored their prayers. On day ten, April 9, 1906, the Holy Ghost descended and a number of sanctified individuals received that experience. Shortly thereafter, the group moved to Azusa Street because they had outgrown the Bonnie Brae Street location. It was there that Seymour himself received the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
When Florence Crawford went to Azusa Street to investigate what was happening there, the name “Apostolic Faith” was being used. The verse, “Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” had been taken as a motto because that had been the motto of the group in Houston, Texas. Within a week or so she experienced sanctification and a week later, was baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Florence Crawford entered wholeheartedly into the efforts on Azusa Street. Many inquiries were coming in from people who wanted to know more about the Pentecostal outpouring, so she and a woman named Clara Lum began reporting what was being said and done in the meetings in a newspaper publication called “The Apostolic Faith.” At the end of 1906, Florence Crawford came to Portland, Oregon with the Pentecostal message. The pastor of the church she visited offered her his pulpit permanently, and in 1908, she moved to Portland. In time, legal requirements necessitated that the group organize and incorporate, and “The Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon” was adopted as the formal name of our organization.
We are challenged when we consider that “The Apostolic Faith” refers to the faith of the apostles, and motivated when we consider the history of our name. We do not want to drift away from the apostolic faith. May God help us to embrace the challenge and live up to the standard set forth by the teachings on which our name is based.
OUR COMPANY'S LOGO should portray the true identity of the business, and our identity in the Apostolic Faith organization has always been to draw attention to Jesus Christ. For that reason, the design of our corporate logo is based on Jesus’ words found in John 12:32: “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” It features a phrase that has been with the Apostolic Faith work since its inception, “Jesus the Light of the World.”
This phrase was initially displayed in 1917 as an electric sign on the first Portland headquarters church building at Front and Burnside. When the headquarters church was relocated to Northwest Sixth and Burnside in 1922, the same message was placed on top of the new building, where its dominant position at the heart of downtown Portland for over sixty years made it a well-known landmark.
In 1921, when the tabernacle on the newly-obtained campground was constructed, the same words were placed there. People familiar with Southeast Portland recognize the big domed building with the words, “Jesus the Light of the World.”
Over the years, we have used a number of different ways to illustrate this phrase. As years have come and gone, branch churches in many locations have chosen to display the same heartwarming message. Today, on six of the world’s seven continents, Apostolic Faith churches display the words of the corporate logo.
It is also featured on much of the Gospel literature produced by our organization, having first appeared in one of our print publications about 1918, in the paper The Apostolic Faith. It appears on nearly every page of the corporate website, and branch churches are encouraged to incorporate the logo into their local church promotions.1
1 Different image formats may be required for use on letterhead, banners, signs, and vans, so multiple versions of the logo are available on the Ministers Resource page of our website. Options include the image with and without a background, and in color, black and white, and line-drawing styles.
IN THE EARLY DAYS of the Azusa revival, leaders of the movement took the Bible verse Jude 3 for a motto: “Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” The word faith in this verse referred to the set of beliefs, doctrines, and practices once delivered to the saints. The word delivered has the sense of something transmitted or handed down, accompanied by a charge for the recipient to be the custodian of it—to manage it and to treat it properly.
It is not hard to understand why Jude 3 was chosen as a motto. The outpouring of the Holy Ghost on saved and sanctified individuals at Azusa Street rapidly attracted attention from the secular media. Faced with persecution and ridicule, those who had received the Pentecostal experience soon understood the necessity of contending. Something precious had been entrusted to them, and they realized that Jude was encouraging whatever struggle was necessary to defend the faith. The Gospel message preached by the Apostles of the Early Church must not be eradicated by criticism or compromised by false teachers. As recipients, it was their responsibility to uphold the message and see that it was transmitted to others.
The workers putting together reports at the revival epicenter decided to feature this verse on their first publication that carried abroad the news of the Pentecostal outpouring. When Florence Crawford came to Portland, she kept the verse on the papers printed at the new location; this verse has appeared on every issue of the flagship publication of the Apostolic Faith organization. Jude 3 is also inscribed on the cornerstone of the headquarters church in Portland, Oregon, along with the words, “Founded 1906” and “Built 1983.”
As ministers, we have accepted a charge to uphold the Gospel. We have been commissioned by God to proclaim this faith without fear or compromise, and to hand on to the next generation what was delivered to us.
ONE OF THE PRIMARY PURPOSES of the Apostolic Faith organization since our inception has been to lead men and women to the place of repentance and forgiveness for sin, and to an understanding of the Latter Rain Gospel. This necessitates being alert to opportunities to expand our outreach into new fields.
Typically, establishing a church in a new area begins with interest expressed in our organization. The initial contact may have occurred when an individual or group received Gospel literature printed by the Apostolic Faith, visited our church website, or had a personal contact with someone connected to this work. Often, there is a period of correspondence with headquarters, in which the Biblical doctrines and practices upheld by this organization are explained in greater detail. Gradually, this correspondence provides insight about the group’s understanding of our doctrinal position and its willingness to follow the practices and guidelines of the Apostolic Faith work. In time, this may lead to a visit from a representative of headquarters, at which time the possibility of the group becoming a part of the organization may be explored as the Spirit leads.
In a case where a group of associated groups or church congregations has expressed interest in becoming a part of the Apostolic Faith, it may take a number of visits from a headquarters representative before we can be assured that they are all one with us in doctrine and are willing to adopt our methods of operation. This Minister’s Manual may serve as a basis for explaining in detail what we stand for and how we operate. Leaders of the congregations can also be encouraged to view the services posted on our organization’s website as a means of gaining understanding about how we conduct our services.
Meetings in Homes and Temporary Facilities
Many Apostolic Faith branch churches started from gatherings of believers in private homes. We encourage this method, especially in locations where there are only a few believers. Holding Bible studies, prayer meetings, or even simple church services in a home, and inviting neighbors, friends, and relatives to attend, is in accord with the pattern established in Scripture. Members of the Early Church taught the Gospel in private homes as well as in larger assemblies.<sup>1<sup> In some towns, private homes served as meeting places for smaller churches,<sup>2<sup> while at other times, groups simply gathered in a home. According to Acts 10, it was in one such meeting in the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius that God revealed to Peter that the Gospel message was for all who would believe in Jesus Christ.
Obviously, any home meetings held under the auspices of the Apostolic Faith organization must uphold the doctrines and practices of this organization, and operate under the supervision of the nearest District Superintendent.
Church services in homes usually are quite simple. Sometimes they are structured along the lines of a Sunday school class or informal Bible study. If there are enough people present, the program may consist of singing, perhaps a testimony or two, Bible reading, a brief message, and a time of prayer. In some cases, small groups have found that watching services on the corporate website at www.apostolicfaith.org/video-archive can be a real blessing and uplift. Workers from an Apostolic Faith branch church can also go, whenever that is possible, to support the efforts of those holding meetings in areas where there is no established church as yet.
If space constraints permit, those who attend home meetings should be encouraged to invite others who might be interested in gathering with the group of believers. If the numbers grow and a solid foundation of workers develops, it may be possible in time to secure a larger facility where Gospel services could be held.
Most new churches meet at least for a time in rented facilities such as schools, hotel conference rooms, or community centers. Though the meeting location is temporary, those in charge should make every effort to create a warm and inviting environment. The facility should be clean, provide comfortable seating and adequate parking, and be equipped with a suitable sound system. Signage directing visitors to the meeting area, along with flowers and a display of Gospel literature, can help to create a friendly atmosphere. The goal should be to make visitors feel welcome and encourage them to come again.
Evangelistic programs/outreaches
Conducting evangelistic campaigns is another form of outreach into a new field that has brought fruitful results in the Apostolic Faith organization. Typically, we hold campaigns of this nature to ascertain whether there is interest or potential for developing a work in a particular location. In years past, churches of a neighborhood or community nature occasionally have opened their doors to us. However, we have found that it is often best to conduct our campaigns in rented conference rooms or other community facilities, in order to avoid restrictions on our preaching or manner of worship.
A well-organized evangelistic campaign will have at least five major components:
Expansion into new fields takes far more than simply seeing opportunities. We must be certain that our timing and the steps we take toward evangelizing and/or establishing a work in a new location do not get ahead of God. Wherever God guides, He provides. Ultimately, the work will grow and expand according to local response in any given area, and God’s sovereign will. If He wants us to move forward, He will open the doors, and we must always align ourselves with His purpose and timing. When we do, a small seed sown in good soil and watered with prayer can result in a bountiful spiritual harvest for God’s kingdom.
IT IS IMPORTANT for us to remember that while growth is the natural state of a healthy organism, there are different kinds of growth, some of which have nothing to do with numbers. A church can be alive and growing spiritually even though the number of people attending remains constant. If those in the church are growing “in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), and following His will for their lives, both individually and corporately, that church is experiencing true growth. Conversely, a church can see its numbers increase, and still be spiritually lifeless. While expansion is important and we should always be alert for outreach opportunities, numerical increase in our numbers is not our primary goal.
WE HAVE FOUND that entire sanctification and the sanctity of marriage are two doctrinal teachings that we must explore especially carefully and thoroughly with those who express an interest in becoming a part of the Apostolic Faith work. It is necessary to be certain that we are unified in understanding, as some people who generally agree with our teachings have a slightly or totally different view of these two doctrines.
1 See Acts 5:42 and 20:20.
2 See Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, and Philemon 1:2.
IT IS BIBLICAL for the church to set apart individuals in the ministry for special tasks of leadership.1 In the Apostolic Faith organization this is done through ordination and/or installation. Ordination Services and Installation Services are handled in a similar manner.
Ordination Services
Ordination is the public ceremony by which leaders of the church authorize a minister to serve as a pastor or other designated role in the Apostolic Faith work.2 While ordination does vest in that individual the legal authority to perform certain civil duties and conduct business as a representative of the organization, we view the event primarily as a solemn, spiritual charge and commissioning as much as a legal or liturgical rite. It is important as an acknowledgement of the prior divine call, commission, and qualification of the person, though it is not a requirement for serving as a minister.3
In the Apostolic Faith organization, we typically hold ordinations during a regular church service or during an ordinance service. At the appointed time during the meeting, the Superintendent General or the District Superintendent presiding over the ordination ceremony announces to the congregation that the designated minister is to be ordained at that time. Often, he gives a brief explanation of the Scriptural purpose and basis for ordination. Then, in accordance with examples provided in the Word of God,4 members of the ministry and elders lay their hands on the minister, and pray together for divine anointing upon him or her.5 Those who are present join in prayer that God’s blessing will rest upon the life and service of the one being ordained.
We believe that it is the Holy Spirit who confers authority and power for ministry, rather than those who participate in the ordination ceremony. No particular person or group of individuals is essential to the ordination process; it can be done by any minister or ministers who have been granted permission to do so by the leadership of the Apostolic Faith organization.
Installation Services
Installation is similar to ordination in that it is a public ceremony by which leaders in the Apostolic Faith organization appoint a minister to a designated leadership role in our work. The main difference is that an installation does not include legally-issued credentials or certification; rather, it represents a corporate appointment or designation within the organizational structure of the Apostolic Faith. Often, installation appointments relate to supervision of geographic districts where our churches are located, or serving on a Board of Trustees.
In some countries or regions of the Apostolic Faith work, installation services are held for pastors, though this is not required when a minister assumes a pastoral role. At the headquarters church, installation services relate specifically to the appointment of District Superintendents.
The service itself is generally conducted much like an ordination, by the laying on of hands by qualified ministers and elders.
In the United States, the credentials and authorization of both ordained and installed pastors can be revoked at any time by the Superintendent General if the minister’s faith and practice fail to align to the Gospel of Christ, or cease to be in accordance with the doctrines, constitution, and bylaws of the Apostolic Faith organization. In countries outside of the United States, the District Superintendent is authorized to do this.
1 See Acts 1:21-26; 6:1-6; 13:2-3.
2 See the topic Ministerial Credentials and Ordination for more information on this subject.
3 In some cases, individuals in our work have assumed the role of pastor because a sudden vacancy in the pastoral ranks necessitated immediate placement of a minister in a particular location. In those cases, unless the pastoral assignment is designated as being only temporary, the acting pastor may be ordained at a time of the District Superintendent’s choosing. During the interim, he is allowed to perform all of the functions of a pastor except those for which the State requires an ordained minister.
4 See 1 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6.
5 In light of the Biblical role of women in the church, the Apostolic Faith organization makes no distinction between men and women in the work of the ministry. Godly women who give evidence of the call of God upon their lives, and who qualify spiritually, are accorded the same privileges as men to labor in the ministry. See the topic Women Preachers for more information on this subject.
MINISTERS MEETINGS are regularly scheduled events in the Apostolic Faith organization. At these sessions, those who serve as ministers and pastors in our work gather to study topics relevant to our ministerial responsibilities, and to hone our abilities through structured training, that we may be “able ministers of the new testament” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
At the headquarters church in Portland, ministers meetings are held every year during the spring special meetings and the summer camp meeting. All ministers and pastors, both active and retired, are encouraged to attend. These times remind us that we are not serving in isolation, no matter what our geographic location or proximity to other Apostolic Faith churches. Rather, we are part of a divinely ordained and God-commissioned group, and we approach the responsibilities of our calling shoulder to shoulder with fellow ministers from around the world. As we share plans and goals and learn together, we come away feeling better equipped and inspired to putting our best efforts into moving the Gospel forward.<sup>1<sup>
In addition to the sessions held during special meetings and camp meeting, the ministerial staff in Portland meets from time to time throughout the year. Ministers meetings are also held during regional camp meetings and at district meetings, and should be held in individual churches where there are several on the local ministerial staff. Even if there are only two or three ministers at a given location, it is a good plan to meet occasionally to discuss ideas, plans, and details of the work.
Godly counsel is of particular benefit to those of us in the ministry. We need one another! Often the issues which face us cannot be shared with our families or the flock of God, but Scripture records numerous examples of spiritual leaders who conferred with each other regarding matters affecting the church. For example, the disciples discussed with elders of the early church the appointment of deacons to care for the widows (Acts 6), the prophets and teachers at Antioch sought God’s direction together until the Spirit revealed that Barnabas and Saul were to be sent out as missionaries (Acts 13), and the apostles and elders in Jerusalem came together to confer about the danger of reverting to the law of Moses (Acts 15).
All of us can learn from the experiences of others. When we face challenges in our work for the Lord, those challenges are not unique—very likely some of our peers have been through similar circumstances. Older ministers can offer insights and perspective based upon years of experience in the Gospel. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that “Iron sharpens iron,” and the guidance and advice of seasoned Gospel veterans is an invaluable resource. Ministers meetings are one venue where we can tap into that experience.
The ministers meetings held in Portland during special meetings and camp meeting have an annual theme. Over the years, these themes have included: Higher Ground, Sharing God’s Love, Follow Me, Hold the Fort, America’s Mission Field, Lessons in Leadership, The Art of Preaching, God Gave the Increase, and Equipped to Serve. Individual sessions under these headings have developed topics such as evangelism, helping troubled people, marriage and family issues, financial planning, enduring hardness, ministerial protocol, holding funerals, and a wide range of other topics. Various ministers are selected to act as facilitators/speakers for the sessions. In many cases, handouts and topic summaries are distributed to attendees. Transcripts and videos of these sessions are posted on the minister’s page of the website at www.apostolicfaith.org.
In conclusion, the benefit of gathering together as ministers is much more than information shared or techniques we learn. An additional benefit comes in the cultivating of our unity of purpose. We are persuaded that this work has a unique calling in the world, and that the teachings and way of life the Latter Rain Gospel advocates are relevant today. Ministers meetings help us to keep moving forward with a unified purpose. Unity is not a goal that can be achieved once and then relegated to the sidelines for a number of years. It requires a constant process of communicating, adapting, evaluating, and learning. To walk in unity, we must have a shared understanding of how we operate, and ministers meetings are one of the ways we achieve this.
<sup2>1<sup2> For more information regarding interaction between pastors and ministers, see the section of this manual titled Relationships with Other Ministers.
THOSE OF US who serve as pastors in the Apostolic Faith organization occasionally hold meetings specifically for the people of God who are part of our church. We refer to these gatherings as “Workers Meetings.” At times, we open such meetings to all who are involved in any capacity in the work of the Lord. In other circumstances, we invite only a particular group, such as the ushers, Sunday school teachers, or musicians. While our workers meetings may include instruction and challenge, our goal always should be to uplift, appreciate, and inspire our companions in ministry, remembering that we are all “labourers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9).<sup>1<sup>
Workers meetings are held for a variety of purposes.
Plan. When the local church undertakes a construction project, seasonal program, or community outreach, planning must occur. We often gather small groups of individuals from the church family who have appropriate skills or backgrounds, and work with them to establish direction, discuss implementation, assign tasks, and track progress, for Scripture tells us, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established” (Proverbs 15:22).
Through the years, workers meetings have sometimes been held to discuss the purchase of a piece of property, securing of a different facility, refurbishing the sanctuary, or other business matters. We recommend using ordinance meetings as a time to accomplish this.
Inform. Those who are involved in the work obviously have an interest in the forward movement of the Gospel, so it is appropriate to bring them up-to-date occasionally on what has been happening in other locations around the world. Presentations related to a newly-emerging branch of the international work, the outreach at headquarters, or a particular missionary trip goal has proved to be a blessing and inspiration to the people of God. We have found that the more the people of God are informed about a particular outreach, the more wholeheartedly they will support it.
Encourage. Challenges come to every congregation. In such times, we may feel a need to gather those who carry the burden of the work and do what we can to encourage hearts. There are many Scriptural precedents for this. When the Children of Israel faced the Red Sea, Moses reassured them, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13). On the eve of crossing over into Canaan, Joshua encouraged the people that God “will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites” (Joshua 3:10). The Apostle Paul’s letters often included words of support to his fellow workers. Encouragement has strengthened many an individual and group to overcome hard places.
Equip. As pastors, we have a responsibility to facilitate the efforts of the workers in the church. Meetings with groups such as Sunday school teachers, custodial staff, greeters, and musicians will help us understand their challenges and respond to their needs as God directs. In the spiritual realm, workers meetings offer a setting where we can teach and equip those involved in the work to be good altar workers, to give a strong testimony, to be friendly and welcoming to visitors, and other “family matters” of this nature.
Admonish. The New Testament is full of admonitions given by the Apostles to various groups in the Early Church. Peter taught, “All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Paul exhorted believers in Philippi to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27), and instructed the Ephesian church to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). We too have a charge to “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). Admonitions given in a group setting may eliminate the necessity of dealing personally with challenges that could otherwise come up. It will also band the workers together as a united force for God, and in unity there is strength.
Warn. There may be times when, as shepherds of the flock, we must identify errors that could threaten the spiritual well-being of our congregations. Paul cautioned the elders at Ephesus, declaring that after his departure “grievous wolves [shall] enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise…” (Acts 20:29-30). Like Paul, we must warn the people of God about harmful influences that can come from both outside and inside the church. Workers meetings traditionally have been the place where this is done, as such matters are best handled when only the family of God is present.
In conclusion, laboring together in the church with the saints of God requires unity, cooperation, and commitment to a common purpose. Workers meetings are one way we can cultivate these attributes, and thus influence God’s people to continue to move forward in alignment with God’s purposes for our organization.
<sup2>1<sup2> For more about our connection with those in our congregations, see the topic Relationship with Workers in the Church in this manual.
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