The Shaking of Nations - A Harvest Tsunami Is On Its Way....

How could Paul do this, considering that today we emphasize

the need for years in training leaders at distant locations, at

great cost to students and colleges? The answer is again in

how we understand biblical church formation and leadership

development, and how we trust the Holy Spirit with the church's

life and growth.

Jesus saw the church as the gathering of two or more in

agreement in the presence and leadership of the Holy Spirit

(Matt.1 8:19-20). Such churches could be started anywhere

and everywhere under the leading of young leaders who were

selected by apostolic teams.

Most of these new leaders were working people in the

community, who met the basic requirements set by Paul and

other apostolic leaders. Chiefly those requirements had to do

with the candidates’ character and spiritual gifting ,and the

recognition of their leadership by God’s people and apostolic

covering. These church leaders were expected to continue

learning as they led their church under apostolic oversight, with

the help of the five-fold gift ministries and ministerial letters

(Eph. 4:11-12).

So, the ideas of growing churches through buildings, years of

college training for leadership, student loan debts, and

developing the business skills in running an eccleseastic

corporation were never in the thinking of the early church.