APOSTOLIC FATHERING

An Article by John Thuringer in Arise Magazine (Summer, 2000) describes David Cannistraci’s ministry and his views on the current Apostolic Movement.

If anyone has experienced the fruit of apostolic fathering, David Cannistraci certainly has. For twenty-five years, he has practiced the art of being a spiritual son. Today, Cannistraci is the pastor of GateWay City Church (formerly Evangel Christian Fellowship) the same church he received Christ through earlier in his life.

"My uncle is Emanuele Cannistraci, a tremendous prophet of the Lord over the past fifty-two years who functions with a strong apostolic ministry," Cannistraci explains. "Over the years I have been trained by him in our local church as a minister."

Although he was raised in a Christian home, he did not make a strong commitment to Christ until he was fourteen. It was during the Jesus Movement that he had a real power encounter with the Holy Spirit and immediately wanted to be used in ministry. Four years after this experience, he enrolled in Bible school and later went on to earn both a Master's degree and doctorate.

"I began when I was nineteen as an all around helper in the church office," recalls Cannistraci. "Later I got into radio and television production on behalf of the church and started leading cell groups. As the cell groups started multiplying rather rapidly, the elders discerned a call on my life. I was then ordained and began to preach and teach."

Cannistraci continued to faithfully serve in his local church from 1979 until 1987. It was at this point that he had a profound experience with God who was calling he and his wife, Kathy, along with their two sons, to go to the Philippines as missionaries.

"We made a one year commitment, but really believed we would spend the rest of our lives there," Cannistraci remembers. "The harvest was so ripe there, the ease of evangelism was such a dynamic attraction to us."

However, it wasn't long after they arrived that their home church called, saying that they wanted Cannistraci to return and co-pastor the church with his uncle.

"After the healing crusades and church planting in the Philippines, it was kind of a culture shock for me to come back to the U.S.," says Cannistraci.

"But we really thought it was the Lord calling us, so we returned to build the church up and establish new ministries. Since returning in 1989, we have also planted four other churches as well."

Although there is a great deal more discussion about apostles today than there has been previously, Cannistraci says that growing up in the kind of church that he did, apostles and prophets are all he has ever known.

"Our church from its inception was apostolic and prophetic," he explains.

"As long as I could remember, we were involved with planting churches. The great privilege of my life has not been to study this topic, but experience it as a son. To be raised up within the context of loving and confronting relationships is a tremendous thing. I am the product of fathering much more than I am a product of my education."

Cannistraci's first book, "Apostles and the Emerging Apostolic Movement" (Regal, 1996), has received wide acclaim internationally, and was the first major work available on apostolic ministry. It has since been translated into several foreign languages.

"Apostles are those that are called and supernaturally empowered by Christ to go into the world with Divine authority to win and establish the lost in Kingdom order and truth, especially through the planting of new churches," says Cannistraci. "They have the heart of fathers. They are progenitors, like the patriarchs of the Old Testament. They are those who have inherited Abraham's call, the original apostolic figure in Scripture. Abraham went forth from his homeland to a place where God called Him to establish a family that would bless the nations of the earth. Apostles are fruitful men who raise up a family of churches to release believers into the earth to populate the kingdom of God."

Cannistraci sees apostles as equippers, training and nurturing the body of Christ to be apostolic, much like an evangelist causes the Church to be evangelistic.

"For years we have called apostles missionaries. But the thing that this term has often left out is the dynamic concept of raising up an apostolic people who are fully activated saints, mobilized for the work of the Great Commission," Cannistraci explains.

"As well as being fathers, with a nurturing, loving and reproductive side, I would also see them as generals in an army," he continues. "They have tremendous, broad powers of authority and are able to influence and mobilize people for specific Kingdom goals."

Cannistraci doesn't think you have to be famous to be an apostle. In fact, he thinks that most of the great apostles in the earth are unknown, quietly doing their job in the backwoods of Africa, China, and Latin America.

"I was just in Guatemala a few weeks ago and sat in a very humble office with a man who oversees eight hundred churches," relates Cannistraci. "He's a beautiful man, but no one has ever heard of him."

In addition, he sees apostles as reformers, calling the church to the standard of God and bringing correction when people get off track.

"We see Paul the apostle correcting the church and bringing reformation," Cannistraci says. "A lot of guys today are calling themselves apostles, it seems to be the designer label of the day. But when I think of apostles, I think of those that are truly expanding the boundaries of the Kingdom, growing it and making it larger. In this sense, men like Luther and Wesley were apostolic because they brought reformation."

There are a number of characteristics of false apostles that Cannistraci thinks are worth noting because so many people are getting caught up in what he describes as "apostolic fever." The first and foremost thing he believes everyone should understand is that a true apostle is one who has been transformed by Christ from the inside out.

"What makes an apostle false is that he lacks the true, internal transformation that is required to be an apostle," explains Cannistraci. "He may have a dynamic personality, he may be an influencer, or he may be famous, but ultimately he is masquerading because he is not a man changed by God."

He also points out that false apostles are characterized by methods that lack integrity or apostolic precedence. He cites things like secrecy, manipulation, flattery, pet doctrines, or attempts to isolate themselves from the rest of the body of Christ.

"Third, I think false apostles teach things that are not based on truth and pervert the gospel," Cannistraci adds. "We should make sure that we only follow those who are in relationship with others, who have a place of submission in their own lives and are recognized by others around them as apostles. If he's the only guy saying he is an apostle, that's a red light."

Because the command of the Lord to disciple the nations is an enormous task, he also believes that it calls for a great change. Among the changes is a shift from control-based relationships to empowering relationships, those that release the work of God as it is seen in the New Testament.

"Denominations have each been guilty of their own unique sin. But one common sin for many has been a hierarchical control which has worked against them," says Cannistraci. "God is emphasizing relationship, spiritual family, not denominational function. I am not against denominations, in fact I have written about the gift they can be when they are created by God. However, there has been this fear in the heart of ministers that they could lose their license or their church if they do the wrong thing."

"On the other hand, you have these tremendous new churches which play by an entirely new set of rules," Cannistraci continues. "They are liberated. Their government is simple and non-confining, providing good accountability without limiting the vision of the senior pastor in terms of fulfilling the Great Commission. These congregations are flowing with enthusiasm, financial blessing, and a readiness to take the gospel to the lost."

In so far as a denomination can facilitate relationship, Cannistraci sees it as a good thing. But the moment it begins to block relationship and stifle apostolic initiative-the ability to create and do new things without running it through a bureaucracy-it becomes a hindrance.

"Another picture of an apostle is that of a pioneer, a spiritual innovator, one who is willing to try new things and be creative," says Cannistraci. "I believe we are moving away from the wineskin of religious tradition to spiritual innovation."

When it comes to the topic of apostolic fathers networking together, Cannistraci sees a tremendous trend towards apostles realizing their need for one another.

"Essentially, the body of Christ is a network of networks. We really aren't talking about anything new here," he explains. "It's clans and tribes and families coming together as one nation. It's very common to bump into these apostolic networks which have been developing over the last ten years, many of which are older than that. When people come together, the spirit of selfishness and pride is broken and a brand new dimension of anointing can be released. However, we can't build the body of Christ, Jesus is doing that. All we can do is recognize each other, meet each other, and love each other as long lost relatives who are already family. We must be careful not to organize the life right out of everything, which is a typical thing for us to do. I'm all for formal networks of networks, but there is a tremendous humility that we need to practice in this regard. We must recognize that there will be many such networks and no single one has been appointed to unite the entire church in North America or wherever."

When it comes to apostolic ministry and its operation within a city, Cannistraci believes that God will raise up multiple clusters of pastors who love one another. Then, from these groups, a body of representatives will pull everything together for the city. However, he doesn't see that starting with a central decision to get all pastors into one fellowship.

"I think it starts organically with pastors connecting with other pastors in small groups," says Cannistraci. "I believe it is a Kingdom pattern for taking cities. The new wine is found in the clusters. When you have the clusters coming together, you have this enormous force in the city built on love rather than a political or ecumenical agenda. I have great affection for all city-reaching efforts, but for me, the key is when pastors actually like each other and will fight for one another. Once this happens, the devil will never be able to hold a city shut."

The bottom line is that the paradigm of family is foundational to Cannistraci when it comes to things apostolic. He feels that, especially in the West, we are prone to reducing everything to a series of steps that we try to activate without relationship-but God has always been about establishing families.

"In all of this talk about the apostolic ministry which is wonderful, my concern is that we can't forget the heart of this thing," Cannistraci concludes. "It is really for the glory of Jesus, through the power of the Spirit, in the love of God, within the context of family."

The Kingdom of God and Leadership

Jennifer LeClaire interviews Dr. Myles Munroe.

Dr. Myles Munroe’s book, “Rediscovering the Kingdom” has helped open the eyes of countless Christians to the Kingdom message. Because of his writings the Kingdom of God is again in the minds and hearts of believers world wide.

Dr. Munroe is founder, president and senior pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries International, an all-encompassing network of ministries headquartered in Nassau, Bahamas. He is recognized as a leader in spiritual government and has been honored by natural governments. The Queen of England and the Governor General of the Bahamas have both recognized his service to the islands.

With a strong commitment to transforming followers into leaders, Dr. Munroe is addressing one of the greatest challenges in the Body of Christ. His latest book release “The Spirit of Leadership” is consistent with his mission to help believers discover their purpose, potential and leadership.

The Voice magazine sat down with Dr. Munroe to talk about the Kingdom of God, how Jesus is raising up leaders in developing nations to spread the Gospel, and strategies for breaking down barriers within the Body of Christ.

THE VOICE: The Spirit of God is speaking to His leaders about the Kingdom in this time and season. What is God saying to you about the restoration of the Kingdom of God?

DR. MUNROE: We’re finally getting to the original message, the original assignment, and the original goal of God. It has always been the restoration of His Kingdom on earth. It is the only message Jesus preached that we can verify. God is restoring the original message of the Bible. This is very significant. It’s important to note that Jesus placed the end of the age on the condition that the message of the Kingdom is preached into all the world.

I went to college and have a degree in theology, but there was not one class on the Kingdom. I read the four Gospels and it was the only thing that Jesus preached. That was a very strange contradiction to me. The Spirit of God has been speaking about the Kingdom for years, but we are finally listening and that’s exciting to me. We will see the true impact of the Kingdom if we keep preaching it.

THE VOICE: Many believe the Church is going to enter into a time of greater manifestations of the power of God in the years to come. What will it take to see the return of greater miracles, signs and wonders at the hands of the believers?

DR. MUNROE: Kingdom teaching. What we call signs and wonders and miracles are simply the evidence of the presence of another government – the Kingdom. A kingdom is not a religion. It’s the influence of a government over a domain or a territory. It’s the impact of a king over a territory. That’s why it’s called a “king-dom” – a king’s domain.

So miracles, signs and wonders are not for entertainment. Miracles are not supposed to be used as a point of attracting believers to big meetings. Miracles, signs and wonders are supposed to show that another government, another authority, another power, another Kingdom is present. The more we preach the Kingdom, I guarantee you the more we will see miracles taking place; I mean on a daily basis. Just like any government impacts the land over which it rules, so will the Kingdom of God impact the world when we begin to appropriate its authority and power. That’s what Jesus did.

THE VOICE: Is there a need for more spiritual fathers in the local church; are there enough?

DR. MUNROE: I believe there’s a great need for spiritual fathers. That’s one of the greatest lacks we have in the Body of Christ.

That is why there is so much immorality, unethical behavior and corruption. Families are disintegrating, divorce is skyrocketing, rebellion is in the Church, and congregations are splitting. I am certain this is the result of a lack of fathering. We have many great preachers, fantastic singers, awesome teachers but very few fathers. Fathers are difficult to find because fathering has more to do with care than with charisma. It has more to do with responsibility than with performance. It has more to do with leadership, accountability and love than with fame, exposure and glory. Fathering requires a commitment to nurturing and developing others rather than using and benefiting from others.

In the Body of Christ lately there seems to be a tremendous pursuit of titles. It’s amazing that everyone wants a title but no one wants the title of father. They are pursuing the titles of bishops and apostles and prophets and evangelists, but how come no one desires to be a father? We are in dire need of spiritual fathers. We have very few people who are willing to lay their lives down for the sake of the development of other people.

THE VOICE: What’s it going to take for the eyes of those who should be spiritual fathers to open and step into that role? Where’s the disconnect?

DR. MUNROE: Many leaders today have not been properly fathered. My hope is that there will be fathers who will be strong enough in character to rebuke and correct and to restore some sanity to the people who are in leadership positions who have not been fathered.

THE VOICE: You prefer to teach rather than preach and this approach to ministry has obviously been well received by the masses. Why do you think this method is so effective?

DR. MUNROE: Because that’s what Jesus did. In my humble view, the difference between preaching and teaching is very important. To preach means to declare, to pronounce or to announce. To teach means to train and instruct for change. Preaching doesn’t change people. Preaching may attract, give information, alert people, even convict people, but teaching brings understanding and you cannot change until you understand. You cannot grow until you have information. That’s why Jesus taught. Jesus never preached to the disciples. He preached to the multitudes, but He taught His disciples. He announced the Kingdom to the multitudes but He taught the Kingdom to His disciples.

THE VOICE: As the founder of the International Third World Leaders Association, you have a unique perspective on the issues in these countries. What are the biggest challenges to spreading the Gospel in developing nations?


Dr. Myles Munroe preaching...
DR. MUNROE: The only ones that can reach these people are the people themselves. I believe that the greatest way to win the third world is to win the third world people first and let them go back into their own culture and into their own environment and share the Gospel. One of the greatest obstacles is the misconception of who Jesus is. Many third world people I work with have a concept of Christ that comes from what religion calls Christianity. In many ways Christianity has misrepresented Christ in a very terrible way. I’m talking about hundreds of years of history that has really damaged the image of Jesus. Many of these people don’t want to hear about Christianity.

Secondly, in many of these countries there are very strong cultic religions, and those religions have also twisted the concept that people have of Christ. We need to correct that. Thirdly, in many of those countries there is a misconception of God and the reason why Christ came to earth. We have misrepresented and almost made Jesus Christ synonymous with democracy. That’s dangerous because Christ is a King, not a president.

Finally, poverty and corruption are major issues in many of these countries because of poor leadership that was a product of oppression. People have been dispossessed. They have been raped of their dignity, their self-concept, self-worth and self-respect. Christianity is not enough as a religion. These people need restoration of self-concept and in many cases the religion of Christianity does not provide these answers. Many times it can provide the religion but it doesn’t provide restoration of the quality of life that people need to have to believe in themselves. So these are some of the issues that we need to look at in the 21st century and I hope the Church will take another look at what makes effective missions.

THE VOICE: How do you see the role of third world countries in spreading the Gospel around the world?

DR. MUNROE: I am convinced that the last world on earth is the third world; that God has now turned His face toward them. I am convinced that the greatest spiritual movement on earth is about to emerge and it will not emerge from the first world or the second world. It will emerge from the third world. It has already begun. I am a part of it. I represent them. The largest churches that exist today and the massive growing emerging ministries are in developing countries.

I believe that God is going to transfer the responsibilities for winning the world in this century to the third world people. Also keep in mind that the largest segment of the world’s population is in third world countries. So it is very natural for the Lord by His wisdom to move among those people to win their own people. If the second and first worlds are wise, they will begin to learn from the third world and find out what’s going on and not to try to impose their brand of Christianity on the third world because it will not and cannot work.

God is raising up people without anyone’s permission. He is calling them. He is anointing them without anyone’s sanction and the greatest leaders in the world to come will be third world leaders used of God. They are going to be products of their culture and God is going to use them to impact the world. And my prayer is that the second, first and third world believers will cooperate and not compete with each other and see the world won for Jesus.

THE VOICE: What have been the benefits of networking with other ministries?

DR. MUNROE: No one man can win the whole world but all men together under Christ can win the world. God will never place His program in the hands of any one person or one ministry. He’s too smart for that. But He will make it necessary for all of us to have a piece of everything and that’s why we need one another. One of the weaknesses of the Church in history is the spirit of exclusivity and isolation. That’s why denominations were developed. One move of God thought that it was the move of God and so they began to believe that previous or future moves could not be moves of God. This is very sad. The world seems to be wiser than us because it realizes it has strength and it has weakness and that’s why you have what they call merging companies. Some of the most successful companies in history are those that merged with other strong companies. The Church needs to learn that lesson and begin to network.

Networking is first understanding your strengths and weaknesses, appreciating the strengths of another and then joining your weakness to that person’s strength so that you can be stronger. We will not make it in this 21st century without networking. Networking requires, first of all maturity, secondly, the ability to submit to another man’s strength. Without those two added elements we remain prideful and weak.

THE VOICE: How can we break down the barriers between races and cultures in the Body of Christ?

DR. MUNROE: We have to reduce ourselves from every race to one race – and that is the human race. As long as we consider race beyond human race there will be racism. We need to get a revelation of what it means to be human. Racism and bigotry is not only related to pigmentation of skin. It can also be related to differences of opinions or differences of methods. We can be a racist between denominations and belief systems.

The source of racism is low self-esteem, low self-worth and a poor self-concept. Once you realize how valuable you are as a human and recognize that everybody else is also made in the same image as you are, then equality is an automatic result. The greatest command in the law is the secret to destroying racism and that is to love God with all your heart, your soul, and your strength. Then love yourself and love your neighbor to the same degree that you love yourself. Until you love yourself, racism will always be present.

Racism is a sign of self-hatred. I don’t care if you speak in tongues. I don’t care how many miracles you work. If you have problems with people who are different from you, then you are still suffering from self-hatred. If you discover and really understand God and love what God is and who God is, then you’ll naturally love yourself because you are made in His image. It’s impossible for you to love God and hate your brother.

THE VOICE: One of your key messages is “everyone is born for a God-given purpose and potential to fill that purpose.” How do you see the apostolic and prophetic ascension gifts helping believers recognize and walk out their purpose?


Dr. Myles Munroe alter call prayer...
DR. MUNROE: The Apostle Paul said Christ gave to the Church some gifts, some functions. They are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to train the saints for the work of their ministry. That word “ministry” means to exercise their gifts. So the goal of all leadership is to help people under their care to first discover their purpose (the word “purpose” means original intent) and then help them develop the character and skill to execute that assignment. Then the Body will never suffer weakness because each one will bring to the table their gift, their strength. Purpose is the discovery of your reason for existing. Without purpose life is an experiment.

THE VOICE: Many believe there is a restoration of arts coming to the Church. You are a talented concert pianist, master of the guitar and worship leader. What do you perceive God is doing in the realm of arts and music in this hour?

DR. MUNROE: I think God is reclaiming everything, and rightfully so. He paid for it. Everything belongs to God. Sometimes we believe there is devil music or devil dance. There’s no such thing in Scripture. What we have is a thief who stole it and corrupted it. We need to repossess it and then convert it back to its original use: to show forth the nature and glory of God. THE VOICE: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the Body of Christ today and what must we do to address these issues?

DR. MUNROE: The Church is becoming impressed with itself. We seem to be preoccupied with promoting ourselves to ourselves. There seems to be such a clutch for self-promotion, self-labeling, self-advertisement, and self-possession. That is very dangerous because the commission God gave the Church is not to promote itself but to reach the world. Also, the world is being given a very distorted picture of the true message of the Kingdom.

Right now religion is the number one problem in the world and we know that all the terrorism that we are experiencing and the fear is mostly motivated by religion. Jesus Christ did not bring a religion into the world. He bought a Kingdom. The world doesn’t need another religion. It doesn’t need traditions and rituals. The world needs a practical application of principles and precepts that will impact their daily lives. Jesus said blessed are those who are poor spiritually for to them belong, not a religion, but the Kingdom of heaven. Only the Kingdom satisfies spiritual hunger – not religion.

Six Women Leaders to Avoid

J. Lee Grady

A popular female evangelist arrived at an airport and was escorted to the baggage claim area. After she retrieved her luggage she was taken to the passenger pickup lounge where she met her hosts from a local church, who planned to take her in a comfortable van to a nearby hotel so she could rest before speaking at an evening service.
The members of the welcoming team were not prepared for this woman's icy response to their greeting. When they opened the door to the van, she told them bluntly: "I will not ride in that." Then she stormed back into the airport with her entourage. After making inquiries, one of the church staff was informed by the woman's assistant that Her Highness must be transported in a certain type of vehicle.
The stated choices were a Bentley, a Mercedes-Benz or a Lincoln Town Car! Nevermind that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This regal woman of God insisted on arriving in luxury.
When I heard this story I didn't know whether to start a petition drive or just vomit on the spot. I was outraged, bewildered and nauseated.
For the last seven years I have given my life to help empower and release women leaders in the church. I have dedicated my life to ending gender discrimination-especially when it limits women's spiritual gifts and callings.
Yet when I hear of poor examples of women pastors and preachers, I must confess I fight discouragement. Yes, we need many more trained women church leaders-but we don't need any more bad examples!
In my travels I have observed all kinds of women leaders, some who are stellar role models and others who would do us all a favor if they pursued different careers. If you have aspirations to pursue leadership in ministry at any level, I pray you will avoid becoming like the ones I am about to describe.
1. THE DIVA To this woman, ministry is all about her. She is the star. Surely she started out with genuine passion for God, but today her message is not defined by her unseen prayer life but by what people see on stage. Greed and pride have deceptively lured her into compromise.
She knows how to move a crowd. There is obviously a strong anointing on her life, but it has been subtly fused with a carnal agenda. She can inspire people to success and wow them with her own accomplishments, but there is nothing in her sermon that brings true repentance or brokenness. Her message may be loud, and it can elicit shouts at the altar. But the people don't realize they've been drugged with a spiritual form of cocaine that triggers a religious high but can't bring them closer to Jesus.
The diva is known for her demands. Someone must carry her Bible, her water bottle, her purse and her cell phone. Those who ask her to preach in their church soon learn that she is "high maintenance." She will require the priciest hotel rooms and the biggest offerings-which she will collect with plenty of manipulative arm-twisting.
Her Christian values were once admirable. But the holy fire that burned in her heart a few years ago has been quenched by greed and an addiction to the crowd's approval. She stopped studying the Bible and now focuses more on what she plans to wear at her conferences. She stopped spending time in God's presence and began craving the glow of television lights.
The diva loves grand entrances. She comes into the meeting late and is whisked off the stage as soon as she has delivered her sermon. She doesn't associate with common folks or spend too much time praying for them. A strange atmosphere surrounds her: A mixture of the Holy Spirit's irrevocable gifting and a disturbing aura of self-importance. Only those who are discerning can recognize the difference.
2. THE CONTROL FREAK If you saw the movie The Devil Wears Prada you know the type of leader I am talking about. Unfortunately the main character of that film, the fearsome fashion publisher Miranda Priestly, has a few counterparts in the religious world.
Beware of this woman if she is in any church leadership position. She rules with an iron fist and leaves a trail of wounded bodies behind her. Somehow she missed the elementary Leadership 101 class, which teaches that every Christian leader must learn to serve. To her, authority is about dominating people.
This woman does not know how to delegate. She is not a team player. The control freak believes she knows all the answers, and therefore she must sign off on all decisions, no matter how petty. People line up outside her door night and day to get her approval, and anyone who needs an appointment is first advised to obtain a "weather report" on her shifting moods.
Somehow this woman never took care of her anger issues when she was a young Christian. Now that she has a position of power, no one is brave enough to challenge her ungodly behavior. She surrounds herself with yes-men and yes-women who dislike her authoritarianism but are too intimidated to admit that her ruthless temper is a sin.
The control freak has no peers and doesn't have a relational style. She may claim to have an older mentor (who usually lives in a distant city) but she doesn't open up her life to those who work with her. They are her subjects, and she demands obedience and long hours of work to prove loyalty. Her employees usually resign on a regular basis because of her harsh criticism and abusive words.
3. THE FLIRT I recently took a pastor friend of mine to a conference to hear a visiting woman preacher from another state. Imagine my horror when this lady walked to the podium wearing a dress that looked like it had been sprayed on.
Every curve and crevice on this woman's body was visible to the ogling eyes in the audience. Some of the guys, to their credit, began looking at the floor toward the end of her sermon so they would not commit adultery in their thoughts. I wanted to run to the podium, grab one of those "modesty cloths" they use during prayer times and wrap it around Sister Shapely before anyone else stumbled.
This woman obviously missed the memo about adopting a "professional and sensible dress code" for ministry. Or perhaps she simply ignored the memo because of her own unresolved sexual issues. Somebody should have yanked her off the platform and sent her back to the new believer's class, where godly women teach other women why it's wrong to use their femininity as a sexual weapon.
The flirt disregards sexual boundaries. She hangs around with men alone in the church office, and might even counsel men alone. She may even use sexually charged language or veiled vulgarity in her sermons. (Note: Just because male leaders engage in this behavior does not make it acceptable.)
Women in ministry do not have to wear their hair in a bun or don ankle-length flannel dresses in order to be modest. There's nothing wrong with looking your best. My favorite women leaders usually wear smart pantsuits, tasteful jewelry and comfortable shoes when they preach. They dress like respectable businesswomen-and they command respect from their churches because of it.
4. THE FLAKE God knows we need leaders today who understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But whenever there are revivals of Pentecostal power, the devil always lures some people to unbalanced and unhealthy extremes. In the modern charismatic movement, leaders who misuse the gifts of prophecy or other supernatural phenomena have deceived or irreparably wounded many people.

The flake may have had a legitimate experience with God, but because of pride she begins to believe that her gift is unique. She may even claim special access to God and have frequent visions or dreams that bolster her claims. These experiences might be from God. But if she does not stay grounded in biblical truth and seek accountability in healthy ministry relationships, she may elevate herself to a point where no one can challenge her revelations.
No one who steps out in the supernatural is going to get it right 100 percent of the time. We prophesy in part, and those who use the gift of prophecy are likely to "miss it" from time to time. But the flake will rarely admit to missing it. She will stubbornly contend that she heard from God, even if all the evidence proves otherwise.
It's bad enough when flakes are in the pews because they can cause divisive splits in congregations. But when a flake is elevated to a leadership position, an even bigger disaster looms. That person may veer into extrabiblical methods or outright heresy because she cannot receive correction.
The flake usually has serious unresolved emotional issues. She may be prone to depression, and she might seek unusual spiritual experiences to soothe her damaged emotions. She is always in superspiritual mode and rarely enjoys the normal routines of life. My advice to the flake: Come down to earth!
5. THE FEMINIST I don't believe all forms of feminism are wrong. In the early years of the 20th century, many brave Christian men and women worked tirelessly to win women the right to vote. Gender equality is a human right, and it is something that God set down in the first chapters of Genesis. Because both male and female are created in His image, we should work to correct the injustices of gender inequality and abuse.
But there is another more sinister form of feminism that has no support in Scripture. It is a bitter, vengeful attitude that places women against men, and often elevates women to a superior position. Sadly, this worldly spirit has invaded the church.
The feminist church leader has a man-hating spirit. She may be a gifted communicator, but if you listen closely you will hear the sound of a grinding axe when she speaks. She has not forgiven the men who hurt her in the past, and she intends to punish those men who get in her way today. Her unresolved issues are transferred to her audience. Her poison is injected into everyone who hears her.
She may claim that she believes in gender equality, but she will often surround herself only with women and refuses to put men in certain positions. Oftentimes the feminist has experienced at least one failed marriage and does not have any healthy relationships with men. Because she is unhealed, she cannot be an effective healer.
6. THE VICTIM This is the most pitiful of all the bad examples I've listed. She is guaranteed to make you feel sorry for her. And she might use a full box of Kleenex to help you understand her pain.
What the victim lacks in leadership skills she will make up for in sob stories.
Everyone is against her. She is suspicious of her own congregation. Other churches, she says, are maligning her. The devil, she insists, has targeted her ministry for destruction. Every trial that comes her way confirms that she is the focus of a demonic conspiracy.
Chaos surrounds this woman. Her ministry is always in turmoil. The victim moves from crisis to crisis, always anticipating another tragedy around the next corner. True joy has been replaced by a constant religious anxiety that repels people-thus making sure that her ministry will always be composed of a small "remnant" of people who have similar emotional baggage.
Of course if you suggest that this woman's misfortune might be the result of her negative outlook on life, she won't listen. That's because the victim has found a bizarre form of pleasure in her dysfunction. She's become quite comfortable at the center of her painful universe.
DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS
All these bad examples are in the church today-and each has her male counterpart. But I am not giving up in my resolve to see an army of gifted, trained women who will serve as pastors, missionaries, evangelists, CEOs, government leaders and social reformers. This is the hour for women to arise.
Instead of divas, we need humble women who are willing to serve even if they receive no public recognition. Instead of control freaks, we need leaders who wash the feet of their disciples and push them to greatness while modeling sacrifice. Instead of flirts, we need mature, dignified mothers of faith who have crucified their adolescent fantasies.
Rather than flakes who are tossed around by spiritual fads, we need discerning women who love biblical truth more than charismatic goose bumps. Rather than feminists, we need women who have resolved their issues with men and are willing to partner with them on equal footing. Rather than victims, we need women in ministry who are emotionally healthy.
Don't be discouraged if you see yourself in any of these negative examples. There is probably a little bit of diva in all of us! And all of us have resisted the urge to become control freaks.
If you are called to leadership, God will guide the preparation process-and He will bring mentors and positive role models in your life to challenge and encourage you. If you allow the Holy Spirit to shape your character, you may end up being the good example the church is waiting for.

Don't Get Stuck in Your Transition

By J. Lee Grady

When moving from point A to point B, we sometimes feel trapped in between. Trust God to guide you to your destination.
A few months ago I passed through the tiny community of Between, Ga. With a population of only 148, the place is not much to write home about. (And besides, it doesn't even have its own zip code). The town got its name because it's halfway between Atlanta and Athens, Ga. But as I passed the local convenience store I couldn't help but imagine the strange reactions I'd get if I lived there.

"Where are you from?"

"I live in Between."

"In between what?"

"In Between, Georgia."

"In between Georgia and what?"

"Oh never mind."

I doubt I'll ever move to that town, but the truth is that many of us are living "in between"—because we are in the midst of a major transition. Some of us know where we're going but we feel we're stuck halfway. Or we may sense God is moving us into a new spiritual assignment, yet the process of getting there is inching forward about as fast as a Siberian glacier.

I'm in the midst of my own big changes in career and ministry, and I've been struggling with all the emotions that accompany a major transition. I've battled doubts ("Did God really promise this?"), fears ("What if He doesn't provide?"), confusion ("Last week I was sure; this week I'm not so sure") and impatience ("OK, Lord, I need some answers NOW!").

"God gives us prophetic promises to literally pull us into our future. Declare them over your life, even when the darkness of discouragement is smothering you."

But as I navigate this journey, I'm discovering there are some things we can do to make the transition smoother.

1. Make sure you let go of the past. Sometimes we get stuck in spiritual limbo because we're holding on to memories, relationships or what is secure and comfortable. The unbelieving children of Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai for 40 years—and never completed their transition—because they were so homesick for Egypt. When Naomi felt called to return to Bethlehem, her daughter-in-law Orpah refused to go. She preferred what was culturally familiar. Leave nostalgia behind and embrace the new season.

2. Renounce your doubts. If we're not careful we can fall into the trap of double-mindedness. We say we want to go to our promised land, but we hesitate—and all such foot—dragging is doubt. We say we want to go forward, but we are like a moving car that has its parking brake engaged. Faith requires you to release the brake.

James warns the double-minded person: "For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:7, NASB). Doubt will stop you from shifting forward.

3. Welcome those God sends to help you. We're not supposed to make transitions on our own. God uses people to push us to the next level. The body of Christ has many members, and those who are gifted as prophets, intercessors, wise counselors and encouragers will always show up when you are in strategic moments of transition.

When Moses was weary of the battle and could barely find the strength to pray, God sent Aaron and Hur to lift up his arms (see Ex. 17:12). When Hezekiah was overwhelmed by the threat of Sennacherib's armies, Isaiah brought a word from the Lord that ignited faith for a miraculous victory (see 2 Kings 19). When Mary was perplexed by the daunting task of carrying the Messiah in her womb, Elizabeth released a prophetic blessing over her (see Luke 1:41-45).

Intercessors who are empowered by the Holy Spirit are like spiritual midwives who help us birth God's promise when we don't have the strength to deliver. Spiritual transition is a painful process, but certain people have an unusual grace from God to travail with us. Allow them to pray for you and speak into your situation.

4. Contend for your promise. Transition is a vulnerable time—and it requires spiritual warfare. The enemy is a thief and he wants to rob us of our inheritance. He does not want us to move forward in God, take new territory, assume new authority or advance into our spiritual callings. Satan is also an abortionist—he wants to devour your promise before it is born.

This is why we must wield God's promise as a weapon against our enemy. Paul wrote: "This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight" (1 Tim. 1:18). God gives us prophetic promises to literally pull us into our future. Declare them over your life, even when the darkness of discouragement is smothering you. God's Word will break satanic resistance.

5. Stay close to the Shepherd. Over the past month four people have given me the same promise from Psalm 32:8: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." It's comforting to know that the good Shepherd takes such special, up-close-and—personal care of us—especially during vulnerable times of transition when we don't know which way to turn.

Be assured that He knows your destination-and He is committed to guiding you, even if you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to get there. He will not leave you in the land of Between. With His rod and staff He will usher you into your promised territory.