Understanding The 5-Fold Ministry

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

(Ephesians 4:11-13)

The Scripture verse above highlights five distinct areas or roles of ministry which God has given to the Church as a gift, so that the Body of Christ can operate in totality and reach maturity. Essentially the five-fold ministry establishes a group of leaders to govern the Church based on divine calling in one of five areas, which together provide a holistic and balanced perspective to complete Christian ministry. The five-fold model functions on the basis that leaders with the call of an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher oversee ministry areas where they have a proven anointing to grow and edify the Church.

The Lord Jesus is the embodiment of all these ministry calling in that, whatever He has called us to do, He is. That is, He is the Apostle, He is the Prophet, He is the Evangelist, He is the Teacher and He is the Shepard. As He bestows all these ministry calling upon us, it is our cardinal duty to manifest His nature through these areas - in all wisdom and anointing as we fully surrender to His Holy Spirit.

The Call of An Apostle

APOSTLES are generals sent by God as wise master builders – who lay foundations for others to build upon. They break new grounds and usher in God’s work in fresh territories for the Church to expand and flourish in new domains. They rebuild, repair and restore in order for God’s work to remain steadfast in areas where the Church is getting dormant. To execute their mandate, they operate in immense divine authority such that, a single apostle can dismantle ungodly foundations in an entire region and authoritatively establish divine, acceptable patterns.

The authority of an apostle works beyond the precincts of the Church, and is governmental in nature. That is, they are also empowered to influence the affairs of men in various spheres of life and the world in general – such that, an apostle can dictate the course of a nation’s leadership and influence its governing systems to favour the establishment of God’s kingdom. 

The mantle God places upon apostles is unique and multi-faceted in that, they can function in any ministry capacity as the occasion demands. Since they are commissioned to invade new territories and pioneer God’s work – and depending on the spiritual matrix of that region – an apostle can operate as a prophet, an evangelist, a pastor or a teacher - and later pass on the mandate to others in those ministry positions. Because of the uniqueness and the demands of their calling, apostles exhibit high levels of the anointing - with most of the gifts of the Holy Spirit being manifest upon them, and they have a great depth of revelation and understanding in God’s Word.

Apostles possess great leadership abilities – with much humility and a servant-leadership approach. This is because they are “general overseers” of the Body of Christ, and govern over the affairs of God in a given region. They have a universal approach in dealing with the Church as they see the Church of Christ as one entity globally. Thus, they are a great unifying factor in the Body of Christ, and are excellent at solving conflicts. They are equipped with wisdom to handle all types of matters in the Church, and capacity to deal with all kinds of leaders – including those who are well seasoned in the faith.

The anointing upon apostles is structured to stir up the gifts and callings of others to assist them in exploring their purposes in God. They are called to raise and mentor others for ministry work, and are very fatherly in their approach. They repair the breach by creating new platforms and breaking limitations for believers to function at their full potential as God intended - both as individuals and as a corporate body.

Apostles are great visionaries, and always look at the bigger picture for the benefit of future generations. They always have elaborate plans for God’s work and see far in the spirit in regard to His will, as the LORD entrusts them with details of His intentions for individuals, regions and nations.

The Call of A Prophet

PROPHETS are not known by the gifts they possess, but by the burdens they bear. Whoever is called in the office of a prophet has a tremendous burden that is very specific – with great responsibilities. Prophets are anointed to bear the burden of the LORD, with a return to God as their clarion call. As the LORD told Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 1:10 that, "I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant,” prophets wield tremendous power from the LORD to enforce divine plans and to destroy the works of darkness in large territories - the way Moses did over Egypt. They can withstand immense persecution, and are often empowered to stand alone - even against an entire nation. They are mainly lone-rangers, and are often called to usher in a dispensation, or to sway a generation towards a particular divine course. Their ministry is characterized by a lot of divine presence - with the LORD always affirming their words through signs and wonders.  

The demands of the calling of a prophet are so extreme, such that those called into it often try to run away - because the refining fire God takes them through alone before He can qualify them is so intense!

Prophets are key spokesmen of God, thus, they have unprecedented ability to hear God in any situation and at any time. They always have a great depth of revelation in God’s Word - with a deep perception of His will. Dreams and visions are their forte, and they can demystify great, hidden mysteries of God. The LORD does not do anything without alerting them, and they see far and wide in the spirit - with great discernment. They are spiritual watchmen who stand guard, and are always aware of the schemes of the enemy, and will always sound the alarm or blow the trumpet on noticing any impending danger.

You may not know it but actually, prophets rarely foretell the future; they mainly speak forth the mind of God, declare, instruct, admonish and enforce the will of God in a given situation!

Prophets hardly care what others think or feel. Their primary concern is the will of God and adherence to the instructions they are given by the LORD. They are structured to project the sentiments of God over a given situation - be it anger, love or judgment. They are extremely brave, and often rebuke or admonish sharply without fearing anyone - and can be a terror even to a whole nation!

Anyone called in the office of a prophet has great intercessory abilities, as they stand in the gap between God and people during extraordinary circumstances. They possess highly authoritative mantles that can build or destroy within seconds, and that's why God warns that they must not be caused any harm!

The Call of An Evangelist

EVANGELISTS have strong oratory abilities because they are appointed by God as forerunners in presenting the gospel to the world. They are field workers who are always labouring in the harvest to win souls, and are equipped with high persuasive skills that may sound like sweet words in the natural but are flames of fire in the spirit. The anointing of God is embedded in their words, such that they break bondages, dismantle strongholds and dispel demonic forces simply by uttering a few words – especially when addressing people who do not know God.

The ministry of an evangelist is characterized by a lot of angelic activity - mainly warrior angels - because they are always at the battlefront; right at the enemy’s camp to win souls. The mantle God places upon them is so powerful such that, one evangelist is sufficient to paralyze demonic activities in an entire region, subdue strong principalities of darkness and set the captives free for the gospel to spread.

Evangelists have a good grasp of the Word of God. They have a deep understanding of the Great Commission, and an excellent perception of God’s eternal plan of salvation. They perfectly understand who the Lord Jesus is, and are good at presenting Him to someone who has never heard of Him. They fellowship closely with the Holy Spirit and depend on Him in their evangelistic missions.

The gift of healing and word of knowledge are prevalent upon evangelists, and the LORD often uses them to show great signs and wonders – including raising the dead – to convince non-believers of the reality of God. They are highly merciful and magnanimous - with a lot of compassion towards the lost as God uses them to present His love and the offer of forgiveness to the world.

Anyone called in the office of an evangelist is a “friend of sinners” in that, they always gravitate where non-believers are. They are called to blend with the heathen to win them. As such, you’ll always find them in the company of drunkards, societal outcasts, addicts, dissidents, known criminals – and anybody who do not know God. They never judge or condemn them, but lets them see the gravity of their deeds through the gospel. They are good at follow-ups, and know how to speak with backsliders and fallen believers to get them back to Christ.

Evangelists are key in Church growth, because they are harvesters – and will always want to work at the backdrop of a strong church group where newly won souls can be nurtured.

The Call of A Pastor

PASTORS are ministers appointed by God to shepherd the Lord’s sheep: The saints. They are commissioned to guide believers in their walk in Christ, and are the principal custodians of the household of God. They are anointed to bear the burden of the people within the Church – with much compassion, empathy and sympathy. Their authority enables them to wage extensive warfare on behalf of the flock, and to provide elaborate cover to shield the sheep against many vicious battles unbeknownst to them.

The words of the Lord Jesus – feed My flock and tend My sheep – reverberates in the minds of pastors, because it’s incumbent upon them to be full of God’s Word – with impeccable ability to hear the Lord’s voice in order to effectively nourish and lead the children of God – with exemplary teaching and leadership abilities. As the Lord says, “My sheep hear My voice... and they follow Me,” pastors are the embodiment of the shepherdship of the Lord Jesus, and are faithful stewards who are careful to know the state of their flock at all times because the Chief Shepherd will require an account.

The office of a pastor is extremely taxing, with inconceivable daily sacrifices. Whoever is called thereof must be sure of his election – with unwavering steadfastness in seeking God because the enemy lives by the maxim “strike the shepherd and the sheep will flee” to curtail God’s work within a given assembly of believers.

Pastors are often susceptible to dejection due to the magnitude of their burden. To stay cushioned and rejuvenated in God's power, they keep in prayer, fasting and ministry of the Word earnestly, and the LORD often provides them with a wide support structure, i.e., elders, deacons and intercessors to bolster their fruitfulness.

Anyone ordained by Lord Jesus as a pastor exhibits great discipleship capacity; an ability to nurture a new believer from the rudimentary stages of salvation to the full stature of Christ. They function by the Spirit of the LORD: The Spirit of wisdom and understanding; the Spirit of counsel and might; the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD – because a shepherd must be abundant in wisdom, rich in knowledge, excellent in understanding and all-encompassing in divine counsel in order to lead and bring up God’s people – with much humility and the fear of the LORD.

Pastors are versatile in their functionality in that - depending on times and seasons the LORD is taking a particular flock through - they can be apostolic, evangelistic or prophetic in their approach in order to effectively communicate a specific plan from God in that distinct time and season. Since they are called to nurture believers, the anointing upon them is structured to stir up, train and equip rising or budding vessels of God within their congregations, e.g, apostles, prophets, evangelists, other pastors and teachers - and they often know when to release them for their respective ministries.

The Call of A Teacher

TEACHERS OF THE WORD are ministers appointed by the LORD to ground the Church in the truth, and are the chief custodians of sound doctrine in the Body of Christ. They are anointed expositors - who labour to enhance spiritual growth and maturity in the Church by unravelling the manna of God’s Word. They guard against false tenets and heresies to precipitate a seamless development of believers into the full stature of Christ. As the LORD says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge,” and that, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” He has raised teachers – who are empowered to bring the Church to the knowledge of the truth by affirming the veracity of the Word.

Teachers of the Word exhibit a pronounced comprehension of God’s Word. They function by the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ Jesus – the Word of God. They labour in the Word tirelessly to unearth the truth and to show themselves approved to God, as workmen who are rightly dividing the word of truth. They stir believers to discover what the Scriptures say, its significance, how it applies to their lives and how to align to it accordingly. They guide the Church in developing a divine character and adopting essential, righteous attitudes based on scriptural emphasis.

Teachers of the Word use the Scriptures as their authority to instruct, counsel and admonish for the Church to walk in complete obedience to the Word of God. Their anointing enables them to teach with much authority, whilst commanding attention and opening the understanding of the listeners for them to perceive the deep, hidden mysteries in God’s Word. As they execute their mandate, teachers understand that spiritual transformation is a process that takes time, thus, they exude great patience and faithfulness in their ministry as they endeavour to see lives transformed and configured to the image of Christ through the exposition of the Word.

The Lord Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us. Teachers of the Word brings this Scripture to life as the mantle upon them projects Christ as they teach, such that His presence is made manifest – with the Holy Spirit confirming through signs and wonders the potency of the Word. Healings, deliverance and breakthroughs occur as they teach - and the anointing upon them breaks strongholds, subdues the powers of darkness and sets captives free simply by exposing the truth.

Anyone called in the office of a teacher is an ardent hearer and doer of the Word, and they inspire the Church to live in truth by demonstrating it. Their ability to perfectly model the Word of God before people often makes then great leaders in the Body of Christ - who are full of the Spirit and truth.

Knowing Your Calling:

One tragedy we have in the church today is that many people simply do not know their calling; many are operating in capacities God never appointed them in, yet God's power, wisdom, and anointing only manifests fully through an individual who is in his or her rightful calling.

We have pastors who were never called thus; apostles without even a vestige of understanding of the term 'apostle' and the mandate thereof; prophets who brand themselves thus merely for the prestige of the title - and think it's about giving prophecies; evangelists who imagine that to evangelize is to have a public address system and a podium before a crowd of sinners; teachers who have not even read the scriptures; gospel music ministers who think it's about stardom on the pulpit and producing hit songs and best-selling albums...

The big question is: How can one know his or her calling? Until we come to that place of true calling in God, we cannot bear fruit to His kingdom.

The key to knowing one’s calling is in Mark 3:14, which says:

“He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.”

That first part “that they might be with Him” is what many ignore, and rush to preach without first taking time at the feet of Jesus to be His true disciple. The twelve were first DISCIPLES, before He named them APOSTLES, but few today are keen on first being a true disciple of Jesus!

Growing Into Your Calling

We don’t get into our ministry calling by studying it like a syllabus; WE GROW INTO IT BY DEVELOPING OURSELVES IN GOD; in character and stature as per Ephesians 4:13. And there is no way of doing that except by first being at the feet of Jesus – the way the disciples were before they were named Apostles: Then He reveals our calling in Him, and makes us bear fruit in it. He says in John 15:5 that, “Whoever abides in Me, and I in him will bear much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.”

When the Scriptures say “Many are called but few are chosen,” it is not about our ministry calling but OUR ELECTION IN CHRIST. Our first calling is to BE WITH HIM. God is more interested in our WALK with Him than our WORK for Him. Our ministry calling is useless to Him if we are not keen on abiding in Him. This is why the Lord Jesus will reject and cast away many ministers of the gospel, saying, “Depart from Me, I never knew you,” because they were never abiding in Him to bear the fruit of the Spirit in order to produce the righteous works of God!

The time we take to grow in Him in order for Him to usher us into ministry depends on our level of obedience to Him; our diligence in studying the Word and being doers thereof (as everything God does is through His Word), and our submission to His Holy Spirit - because it is not us doing the work of ministry, but Him in us. Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

God will always work on you before He lets you work for Him!