Embracing the 5-Fold
I recently read a great book on discipleship titled Hero Maker. It’s by a pastor named Dave Ferguson. The book's premise is that the pastor's role is not to be the “hero” in his church – it’s to be a “hero maker.”
That is to say, his job is not to simply do the ministry, but to equip and release others for ministry. Whether you are a pastor or simply want to be an influencer, I highly recommend the book.
I’d like to suggest to you that no less a leader than the Apostle Paul would endorse Ferguson’s book. He recognized that all members of the Body of Christ (not just pastors) need to understand that they have a role to play in the Kingdom.
I think that can be supported by what he wrote in his letter to the church at Ephesus. Take a look:
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift… And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:7, 11-13 (NASB)
The APEST
There are five roles noted in Eph. 4: apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd (or pastor), and teacher. They are known as the 5-fold or the acronym APEST. And, according to Paul, each of us (not just pastors) has been empowered and equipped by the Lord to serve primarily in one of these roles.
Moreover, Paul makes it clear that when these roles are carried out, the church can truly reach its redemptive potential as each member takes his/her place in the ministry.
Here’s a brief explanation of each role.
APOSTLE: visionary, pioneering, always dreaming of new ways to take ground for the Kingdom
PROPHET: understands the times, sees beyond what most people can see, often committed to prayer, and calls people to action
EVANGELIST: loves spending time with lost people and reminding other believers that lost people are out there to be reached
SHEPHERD (PASTOR): possesses a deep love for the Body, sees needs, provides comfort, gives encouragement
TEACHER: enjoys studying the Bible and has the ability to help others to understand it and apply it
Once again, there’s nothing in the text that says this is only for pastors or leaders. Even though “pastor” is mentioned, it does not refer to the office as much as a mindset – which is why it can be translated as “shepherd.”
Each one of us has been empowered and equipped by the Lord to serve primarily in one of these roles. Call this your “base” role. Typically, there’s a secondary role given as well. However, this “base” role is the one you’ll need to especially understand and grow in.
The fact that you’ll find your effectiveness in primarily one or two of these areas carries a key implication. You will be dependent upon others who have apportionment in other areas to bring what they have to the Body.
By way of example, I am a “base” teacher with apostle as my secondary gift. Those gifts served me well as I led Fellowship over the years.
I was able to leverage my teaching role through weekly sermons as well as leading Bible studies. And I was also able to leverage my apostle role by coming up with new ideas and casting vision toward expanding the Kingdom.
However, I am weaker in the areas of shepherd, prophet, and evangelist. I needed to rely on others and release them to bring that to the body. And I wasn’t afraid to allow that to happen.
Because of that, the church thrived. Not because I was the hero and did all of the ministry, but because I became a “hero maker” and allowed others to share in the ministry.
I’ll speak further on this topic in my next post. But for now, why don’t you take this online survey to see where you test out on the 5-fold.
Then consider where you might begin to develop your “gift” and ultimately apply it. The Kingdom will benefit from this in powerful ways. Moreover, you will know the satisfaction of being on the playing field and not merely in the grandstand.
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