Apostolic Practice, by Vinson Synan
By 2004, in his book, Aftershock! How the Second Apostolic Age is Changing the Church, Wagner made grandiose claims about this new movement, claiming that the charismatic movement was “a vision unfulfilled” and that the new “apostolic renewal” movement had taken its place as the wave of the future.
Since almost all of them operate in the gifts of the Spirit, it seems that most of these networks were planted and inspired by the Pentecostal-charismatic movement in the first place. David Barrett previously listed most of them as “denominational Pentecostals” until his New World Christian Encyclopedia(2000) began to designate them as “neo-charismatic.” Rather than being part of a “New Apostolic Reformation,” most of them are actually part of the “Pentecostal/charismatic reformation.” It seems that Wagner has tried to impose a new title for movements that were already dynamic churches originally inspired by the Pentecostals and to create an artificial apostolic structure with himself as “presiding apostle.” Although they claim to be only “apostolic networks,” they are rapidly organizing and developing structures under their claim of apostolic authority. They are in reality new denominations.
Because of my studies of church history, I view this movement with the following reservations:
- It fails to appreciate and recognize the missionary accomplishments of the Pentecostal “denominations” such as the Assemblies of God. It also fails to distinguish between the dynamic and growing Pentecostal denominations and the mainline Protestant denominations, many of which are slowly dwindling away.
- Many of these post-denominational networks are simply incipient denominations themselves.
- Having an unaccountable “apostle” intervening between a church’s constituted authorities and a minister can cause conflicts of authority that could lead to confusion similar to the shepherding-discipleship controversy of the 1980s.
- This could become an elitist movement that places all power in the hands of self-appointed “apostles” at the expense of accountability to the church as a whole.
- The ultimate end could be the removal of all lay influence in the governance of the churches and the end of all democratic or congregational government in favor of a hierarchical system that rules from the top.
- The appointing of “territorial apostles” who are unknown to most of the Christian community in a particular area can be dangerous and divisive.
- In church history, most apostolic movements, such as the Irvingite movement of the 1830s and the various twentieth-century Pentecostal groups that ordained “apostles,” have been notable for their lack of growth and missionary success.
- When individuals have claimed the title of “apostle” or “Elijah” it sometimes has resulted from an exaggerated ego or, in several cases, actual dementia.
- There have been recent reports of American or British apostolic groups offering indigenous third-world Pentecostal and charismatic churches large sums of money to come under their “apostolic covering.”
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