To help illustrate the tension between Christians and the ministry leaders in our towns today, we will initially categorize them into two basic groups. Just as the human heart pumps blood away from it to the body and back to it, Christian Ministry also flows in two directions. Please allow me the liberty to generalize these groups for our discussion. Those who “Defend the Faith” are primarily Pastoral and Teachers. Those who “Extend the Faith” are primarily Apostolic, Prophetic and Evangelistic. Those who defend the faith are similar to a mother caring for the kids at home. Those who extend the faith are similar to the father taking the kids with him to work. One is wired to be care-takers, while the other is wired to be risk-takers. For more on this see God’s Ministry Assembly Line.

One camp could be characterized as settlers, the other as pioneers. Similar to our early American settlements, one would be concerned with establishing Boonsboro. The others, like Daniel Boone himself, would be looking over the next mountain ridge to scout out new territory for God. Without pioneers, the Church would never take ground; without settlers, the Church would never keep the ground which has been taken.

One group is mostly concerned with “Maintaining the People of God”, while the other group is focused on “Advancing the Purposes of God.” One group desires to establish the people in Biblical Truth while the other motivates the people to exercise Biblical Action.

It is the tension between these two camps that results in much of the disunity among Christian leaders in cities today. These differences are even more prevalent than the doctrinal and cultural differences that divide us! Most of our problems with each other are more psychological than theological. In fact, most of the attacks we suspect are from evil spirits working in other people are actually our misunderstandings of their gifting.

When a person in ministry doesn’t flow the way we are gifted, we can view them as a hindrance to what we believe God has called us to do. Pastors/teachers may see the emotionally charged or “hyper spiritual” services of the prophets/evangelists as a carnal or even demonic attempt to manipulate and coerce the people. Prophets/evangelists sometimes believe the reserved and cerebral emphasis of the pastors/teachers and perceive they are operating in a dead religious or Pharisee spirit. To see this in operation see We Are Jesus Christ Regional Hospital.

This can separate leaders for months and years. Much of what some do in ministry today is often more about slamming the other camp than advancing the kingdom of God. If we remain teachable, the Lord will reveal to us that those other ministers are not from the devil but are the other ministry gifts we are supposed to work alongside of.

The balance we and God’s flock need is not found in our own kind, but in those ministers we often think are working against us or holding us back. It usually takes years and many broken relationships before the typical minister realizes this fact. Unless a minister has attended “Roadkill Seminary” and experienced true brokenness he or she won’t be able to fully incorporate this revelation into their daily lives. The reason is, we are too busy building our kingdoms, our way, to be bothered with material like this, that addresses the believer’s inner life. Be forewarned! God is much more concerned about reaching all of you than He is about you reaching all of the world!

Excerpt from “Working Together for Jesus”

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