Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission

Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission

by David Devenish

I am delighted that David Devenish’s new book, Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission, will soon be available. In my foreword I said:

David’s excellent book makes a unique contribution to our understanding of the role of the apostle in the New Testament church. Thoroughly Biblical in its approach, it challenges the frequently held view that apostles functioned only in the first century and that their primary task was the writing of the New Testament Scriptures. Of the original Twelve only three made any contribution to the New Testament while Luke, who was never regarded as an apostle, wrote more of the New Testament than any other.

While the stance that apostles were essentially Scripture-writers has been maintained the vital work of an apostle as described in the New Testament has been almost entirely overlooked. Paul writing to the Corinthian church said that as a wise master builder he had laid a foundation in that particular church. As an apostle he had a task which was related to the formation of local churches.

David has not only dug deep into the Scriptures and drawn from other respected scholars, he has supplied colour and authenticity to his volume by using many personal and practical illustrations from his own experience of pioneering church planting work in several nations.

My hope is that David’s book will be widely read and serve to challenge the view that apostles are not relevant to today’s church. The early apostles, commissioned by Jesus to go and make disciples of all the nations, instinctively went and founded churches which became centres for the making of disciples and launch pads for ongoing apostolic work to regions beyond.

Local churches, aware of their apostolic foundation and the fathering role that had been fulfilled among them, gladly continued to express partnership with the ongoing global mission of the apostles who originally founded them.

Clearly the planting of churches was foundational to the task of world mission, and apostles played a very significant part in that process. They presented a clear body of doctrine centred in the coming of Christ, his life, death, resurrection and ascension, and the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which led to the formation of an international people of God.

The apostles also interpreted Old Testament promises and showed their fulfilment to be in this new end time people who were inheriting those promises.

We are, of course, deeply grateful to God for the revelation recorded in the New Testament Scriptures and epistles written by first century apostles. Their revelation holds supreme authority, but the essential work of an apostle in making Jesus known in and through the formation of local churches has never ceased.

The Lord Jesus ascended on high and gave gifts to men. He appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. If the church is to arrive at full maturity, become a functioning body and fulfil its glorious destiny, it must derive the benefit that comes from embracing all of these promised ministries. Without them we inevitably fail to benefit from all that was in God’s heart in making provision of them.

I pray that David’s book will arrest our thought and bring us back to the Scriptures while we continue to call upon God that He, the Lord of the Harvest, will thrust forth labourers into His harvest field which is ripe for harvest. Let us call upon Him for more apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the bringing in of the harvest, for the glory of Jesus.