The Administration of Leadership.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
What is the purpose of the five administrations of leadership Jesus established in the church? What has been diluted to mere titles is literally a gift to the Body of Christ. Every expression of leadership enables individuals to mature, preparing them for the glory we will experience here on earth and in heaven. These offices are structured to introduce persons to the reality of the kingdom of God. Each office takes the individual from infancy as a believer to maturity as a full-grown kingdom citizen. To neglect one of these gifts is to leave an incomplete image of God.
Paul explained that every office contributes to the development of the Body of Christ until we are united in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. Paul continued to say that it is the perfection of each individual to live up to the standard of the fullness of Christ. This tells me that one administration is incapable of bringing wholeness to an individual. We must be exposed to all five expressions of the five offices to be mature in our faith.
Think of it this way. One parent is incapable of raising a child. Both parents have unique roles and responsibilities to impart to the child. When one parent is not an active participant in the child's training, the enemy uses these gaps to attack the child’s identity. By the end of this teaching, I want you to have a clear understanding of what each of the fivefold offices plays in your life. By now, you should have been exposed to two or more of these offices, but today, you will see precisely why many believers are stagnant in their faith.
1 Corinthians 12:15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
There were seasons in my life when I was attacked by the very people who once supported and received from my ministry. Was this because I suddenly fell into deception? Or was it because the Holy Spirit was taking me to a higher dimension? When the Holy Spirit moves in a direction religion disapproves of, the Pharisee spirit shows its head. The Spirit continues to give revelation that was not taught in Bible studies, philosophy courses, or ministry training school programs. Matthew 23: Prideful arrogance screams, "I know all there is to know; you can’t teach me anything.
It takes courage to stand alone. Walking by faith is a continual peace. Worry invites discouragement and theft. Peace, welcome Angelic assistance and productivity. The major problem I see amongst leaders is their quick dismissal of progressive teachings. Many have plateaued and no longer learn from the eternal dimension of God. There is so much more that we have yet to understand or discover in God. For this reason, He divided the gifts and placed desires within each person for a continual flow of glory.
Stagnancy is the death of vision. 1 Corinthians 12:15 instructs us to be careful not to reject the spirit of God through others in the Body of Christ. I am not talking about leaders who are clearly in deception and teach doctrines of demons. We all have a spiritual responsibility to test every spirit and to discern what is of God and what is not. It is by the spirit of God that we have been given assignments curated to work together to bring the church to maturity. God's order works.
Fivefold leadership for today.
The Apostle represents God the Father. He is not only an overseer of churches but also ensures that the foundation and the building are aligned with heaven’s blueprint of the kingdom of God on the earth. The Apostle exposes demonic teachings, religious strongholds, and constructs in the church. The Apostle brings order and correction that enable the other fivefold leaders to maintain community and God's standard within the church. The Apostle is not enslaved to tradition. He is led by the move of God. He is just, merciful, faithful to this call, and leads with love. Think of Moses and how he led the children out of bondage in Egypt. The Apostle has a responsibility to retrain members in the culture of God. He works closely with the prophet to nurture members to think, speak, eat, and be led by the Spirit of God.
It is a false doctrine to think that any of the offices have been done away with. There is no indication in the scriptures to solidify this theology. In fact, Ephesians 4 tells us that until unity is established and Jesus returns, the administrations will not be done away with. We are far from unity in the church in 2026. The signs of the Apostolic administration are not based on charisma but fruit. Miracles, signs, and wonders follow those who are sent by God. The integrity of his leadership stems from his loyalty to family and leadership at home. His ministry is an extension of the leadership he demonstrates in the church and in business.
The Apostle is a just ruler. He is trustworthy and not dominating. He is not arrogant and does not demand to be served. He understands that the office of the Apostle is the highest office of servanthood. The apostle serves others and leads with humility, compassion, and care for God’s people. Apostles are not pitiful. They are also prone to correction, which is one of the biggest signs that the heart of an Apostle of God. They are not a praise-seeker. Their primary call is one of complete submission to God. His life is proof of his devotion to God. His prayer life and how he treats his family at home are integral. The Apostle embodies the character of God.
The administration of the Prophet.
Prophets are known for being the mouthpiece of God. Though that may be true, in essence, everyone who is born of the spirit of God should be his mouthpiece. So, if that is not what qualifies one to be a prophet, what does? Prophets are imitators of Jesus Christ. Prophets have a heart for people. They work closely with Apostles to build and dismantle falsehood in the church. They have eyes to see the dysfunction and the boldness to confront it. Much like the Apostle, prophets are a valuable asset in the church.
Prophets walk by the spirit and are widely rejected for that reason. They not only understand the administration of Jesus and His kingdom, but also how the spiritual realm impacts the earth realm. They bring that awareness into every conversation. Prophets identify the root of the broken covenant with God. They have a unique ability to see demonic access and patterns holding God’s people hostage. They facilitate people in uprooting, tearing down, planting, and rebuilding their lives in righteousness. Prophets bring solutions to generational harassment and inner healing to unveil the heart of the Lord to His people.
Prophets are usually misunderstood. Prophets see the spiritual implications before natural outcomes. This is why they are moved by compassion as Jesus did. That is because they understand that everything is spiritual before it is seen in the natural. Prophets deal with the spirit of the man and point person in the direction of either the teacher or pastor to further construct their lives on the word of knowledge and spiritual wisdom. They work with the Apostles to create, if none exists, a space for individuals to be fed and to grow in strength and understand their authority.
The office of a pastor, teacher, and evangelist.
The offices of the pastor, teacher, and evangelist are not the least of the fivefold. I dare say these administrations are the most important and the very first encounters of one's spiritual walk. There has been a scarcity of evangelists for many years. They have been the least recognized and talked about. Jesus made a profound statement concerning John the Baptist. His ministry was two-fold. John the Baptist is the epitome of what evangelism looks like. John’s lifestyle and ministry prepared the way for the king. Romans 10:15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Evangelism is a commission to every member of the Body of Christ. However, an evangelist is trained in obscurity and sent by God to places the other fivefold are not graced to go. The evangelists are trained the longest and are often looked down on because their training is wild, stemming from their radical transformation into office. I have heard the most heartbreaking stories from people called to the office of evangelism. Many of them were madmen, demon-possessed, and schizophrenics. They are forged by the fire of God. Evangelists have had the most supernatural experiences, enabling them to access the realm of the spirit and engage the spirit of God in ways a pastor may not.
That does not diminish the office of the pastor. I know of pastors who have such amazing spiritual experiences. However, the office of the Pastor is that of a shepherd. Pastors are typically the second pillar we must sit under as students of the word. They have a special grace to tend to the stubborn sheep that the Apostles and prophets are not so gentle with. Pastors guide us through scripture as we renew our minds to a kingdom mindset. Pastors are vital in helping persons come from under the spirit of oppression and to adopt the proper conduct of newborns in Christ. The administration of the teacher goes deeper into intimacy with the Holy Spirit. They take us from just knowing the word to living the word. We learn to live in the dimension of truth. Teachers have the ability to unfold the mysteries of heaven and to teach us how to activate the word and spirit.
The reason for the fivefold ministries.
Let me be clear, everyone, even those who are not called to the fivefold offices, have access to the realm of God, providing they have accepted Jesus and the administration of the Spirit of God. It all depends on desire and how comfortable we are with understanding the kingdom of God and walking in agreement with His government. It should be the aim and claim of every child of God to have experiences and revelation with God.
From the beginning, God made a clear distinction between light and darkness. We should not limit our experiences to simply hearing others' testimonies. We should all desire to have such experiences with our Father. God has given us everything we need to access life in Him. The purpose of the fivefold is to guide us to dig deep within to word to uncover the truth and walk in light. The Evangelist introduces us to salvation. Pastors accept us with all our filth and nurse us with spiritual food that is palatable to the reborn in Christ. Teachers reveal deeper truths, meaty things of the kingdom. There are secrets that cannot be found by simply reading the scriptures. Even people who are of the world read the Bible but continue to live in sin.
The Apostles and prophets go further by pointing out hindrances, curses, and covenants that give the enemy license to continue to harass God's people. They help unlock the gems God placed within each person who was covered by guilt, pain, and separation from God. They help individual identify their call and train them for their mandate. Apostles and prophets teach at a higher dimension. 1 Corinthians 4:20 For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. The goal of every administration in the kingdom is to point sons to worship God in spirit and truth and live by the Spirit. Every office has its unique assignment, and everyone will learn who they are and put on their royal spiritual attire.
Closing notes on the purpose of the Apostolic, prophetic, pastoral, teacher, and evangelistic offices.
Jesus is the foundation on which we build. He established the offices for the edifying of the church, and these administrations have not ceased. I trust this blog provides greater clarity on the administration of the five offices and the anointing they carry to bring you into the fullness of your call and into unity in faith.
The church is not a religion. We are a nation under the rulership of Jesus Christ. The church is an extension of God’s kingdom here on earth. Each office expresses the structure of God's kingdom in heaven. Together, all fivefold offices collaborate to bring the church to unity. Where there is strife, there is a lack of understanding and spirit-led teachings.
My desire is that leaders understand that every office is valuable. There is no competition when leaders are trained correctly to stand in the integrity of the government of God on the earth. There is no struggle to prove your office when you have the mindset of Jesus, working together so that we facilitate the work of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 Those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God.
