# Apostolic-Prophetic Movement The **governance doctrine of the NAR**. Where the [[Third Wave of the Holy Spirit]] described a renewed charismatic experience and the [[Seven Mountain Mandate]] described a cultural strategy, the Apostolic-Prophetic Movement describes how the church itself should be *structured* to carry out the Third Wave's mission: with the offices of apostle and prophet restored as governing authorities, exercising supernatural authority over networks of churches and ministries. The framework is rooted in a particular reading of Ephesians 4:11: > "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers..." The Apostolic-Prophetic Movement interprets this passage as a description of **five ongoing governmental offices** — not a historical account of early church leadership. Accordingly, the current church is incomplete because only three of the five offices (evangelist, pastor, teacher) have been functioning, while apostles and prophets have been absent. The "restoration" of apostles and prophets, the movement claims, is what God is doing now. ## The Five-Fold Ministry Framework The framework's standard articulation holds that all five offices are required for the church to function properly: - **[[Apostles]]**: Plant and govern churches, establish doctrine, exercise strategic spiritual authority over networks and territories - **Prophets**: Receive and declare God's current word; forecast events; guide the church prophetically - **Evangelists**: Proclaim the gospel; win converts - **Pastors**: Shepherd local congregations; provide ongoing care - **Teachers**: Instruct in doctrine and scripture In practice, the first two offices (apostle and prophet) receive nearly all the theological and institutional attention, while the other three are treated as already-functioning and relatively unproblematic. ## How Apostolic Authority Works The movement's operational theology of apostolic authority typically includes: - **Commissioning**: New apostles are recognized by existing apostles through prayer, prophecy, and public commissioning ceremonies. There is no single credentialing body, but there are informal networks (Wagner's International Coalition of Apostles was the most formal attempt). - **Covering**: Individual churches and ministries "come under the covering" of a senior apostle, who provides spiritual oversight, conflict resolution, and strategic direction. - **Networks, not denominations**: Apostolic networks replace traditional denominational structures. A church can be "aligned" with one or more apostles without formal membership in a denomination. - **Governmental prophecy**: Prophets operating under apostolic covering address not just individuals but regions, nations, and political systems — legitimating prophetic engagement with electoral politics. ## Institutional Expressions Key institutional expressions of the movement: - **International Coalition of Apostles (ICA)** — Wagner's apostolic credentialing body, founded 2001 - **Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders** — cross-ministry body of senior prophets - **[[Global Spheres Inc]]** — Chuck Pierce's institutional home for Wagner-lineage apostolic networks - **[[Generals International]]** — Cindy Jacobs' prophetic-training and coordination organization - **Harvest Apostolic Prayer Network (HAPN)** — Che Ahn's apostolic coordination body - Thousands of local and regional "apostolic networks" of aligned churches ## Critiques The Apostolic-Prophetic Movement has been criticized from multiple directions: - **From cessationist evangelicals** who reject the framework entirely on biblical grounds, arguing apostolic offices ceased with the New Testament authors - **From mainstream charismatic and Pentecostal theologians** who accept ongoing spiritual gifts but reject the claim that formal apostolic offices with governing authority have been restored - **From Pentecostal denominations** (Assemblies of God, Church of God) that have issued formal position papers distinguishing their theology from the NAR's apostolic-authority claims - **From abuse-of-authority critics** who note that the framework's lack of accountability structures makes spiritual, sexual, and financial abuse significantly more likely (as the 2023 [[Mike Bickle]] / [[IHOP-KC]] scandal illustrates) ## Why It Matters for the KB The Apostolic-Prophetic Movement is the **authority claim** that makes all the rest of the NAR's political action possible. Without claiming actual supernatural authority — authority comparable to the biblical apostles — NAR figures would be ordinary charismatic preachers offering opinions. With that claim, they are divinely anointed governors speaking God's current word to nations. This framework is what converts a prayer rally into a governmental act, a prophecy into a political prediction with theological force, and a pastoral endorsement into a binding spiritual command. The political consequences of the movement cannot be understood without first understanding the governance theology that makes those actions make sense to their participants. ## See Also - [[New Apostolic Reformation]] - [[Third Wave of the Holy Spirit]] - [[Seven Mountain Mandate]] - [[New Apostolic Reformation Ecosystem]] - [[C. Peter Wagner]] - [[Cindy Jacobs]] - [[Chuck Pierce]] - [[Global Spheres Inc]] - [[Generals International]]