12 Characteristics of the New Apostolic Leaders
9. They are comfortable with both secular and sacred vernacular. The new apostolic leader is just as conversant with the lingua franca of the secular world as they are the church world. They not only study the Bible but news sources such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Economist, etc. so they can understand the secular world that most influential people live in. The apostolic leader of the present and future will be just as comfortable speaking with the CEO of a Fortune 500 company as he would be speaking with an ecclesial leader.
10. They are entrepreneurs with a kingdom agenda rather than a consumerist agenda. The new apostolic leader will be creative enough to be financially prosperous but holy enough to steward their resources for the sake of the kingdom. Instead of leveraging their wealth for opulent lifestyles, they live reasonably and responsibly in the fear of the Lord.
11. They have a broader view of cultural engagement than the previous generation. The early 20th century saw the shift from the fundamentalist movement of non-cultural engagement to the evangelical movement of the Christian right with political engagement. The new apostolic leader will have broad interests involving the proper stewardship of creation, human rights, empowering the poor, creating NGOs that serve communities, educational strategies, global initiatives to aid developing nations, micro-financing, sustainable economic policies for nations, and efforts at reconciliation between warring factions. These will not trump, but be in addition to, their engagement regarding religious liberty, marriage and the sanctity of life.
12. They are focused on equipping the next generation. The new apostolic leader will have a multi-generational approach that equips younger leaders to be more effective than the previous generation. This includes intentionally integrating young leaders into their decision-making process, as well as major ministry initiatives. This also involves creating opportunity for them to be creative, to make mistakes, and grow as well as preparing them to lead in the marketplace and/or to develop their own networks or organizations.
Joseph Mattera is overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Christ Covenant Coalition, in Brooklyn, New York.
