David Wilkerson sent out a message a while ago before his untimely death about the famine of the Word of God. One can affirm that there is a famine. But it is not a famine of the preaching and teaching of it but the practice of it to the Word’s requirements

I speak about the activation of ministry in the Body. I also speak about the admittance of people into ministry and leadership. 

In my understanding their should be these strata of involvements. 
1. Gifts
2. Ministry
3. Leadership.

This 3 strata criteria should include all in one of them.

We know that this is not the case. The problem is two fold.  We do not hold to a biblical structure of ministry, it’s attestation and it’s fruit in a person. I sometimes get the sensation in many places that ministry is held by the few and most are spectators. So instead of giving room for the Spirit we have a rigid set programme that only fills time not saints.

Even more a mystery is choosing and receiving leaders. What are the criteria? More often than not we have no criteria and our leadership limiting and exclusive. It is shrouded in mystery and wrongly. God sets leaders in the Body not to Lord it over but encourage the saints to maturity; I.e completion and wholeness bringing a wholesome expression of Christ into the Body.

In training leaders we must set out clear communication and clear set objectives. Because we do not set down guidelines we do not motivate others but we also open the door to broken relationships.

I took this issue to the Lord and He gave me 3 specific stages to leadership.
1. Activation: recognising the call and example.  This means we open the door to include the person to hold responsibilities which belong to the leadership sphere. Under supervision and dialogue we open a clearly set project to include that person in greater depths of ministry, responsibility and authority. With accountability.
2. Integration; this involves training to understand the relationship between character and gift. This brings through training a consistency of understanding,  a pursuit for excellence, a need for realism, and a sense of Call.
3. Ordination: once the person has passed processes of activation of gifting and ministry and has exercised character, excellence,  persistence and vision then we must release them into official ministry with public endorsement. 

I see this being clear and being an objective project that leaves no doubt that we understand that we can be engaged and released on many levels.  We take a clear view on gifting and ministry. We pastor; train and release leaders and ministers because our church is no longer a Sunday programme but a living life experience where spiritual realities are manifest in a way where motivations and excellence are worked for and where we are engaged in the Call which God gives every Saint in various levels of spiritual life.

I think if we took this seriously our growth and impact would be phenomenal!!!

Shalom