"Five" History Lesson
Often I have heard the quote, “If you don’t know history, it is bound to repeat itself.” We think we should learn “about” history in school, not learn “from” history. Case in point: If you are heading a small group or mentoring an individual, what should your relationship be?
In my Christian walk, I have always sought the cutting edge of revival in the Church, experiencing the Jesus Movement, the charismatic movement, and helping start an inner-city church in the ‘70’s, participating in denominational revival movements and helping a church plant in the ‘80’s, being in the midst of the Word movement, the Prophetic movement, and the Apostolic movement of the ‘90’s, and now in this century immersing myself in the five fold.
Bill Hammon of Christian International in his book Prophets and the Prophetic Movement: God’s Prophetic Move Today (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1990, page 24) meticulously outlined the progression in history of the releasing of each of the five fold gifts:
Decade Five Fold Ministry Movement/Revival
1950’s Evangelist Deliverance Evangelism
1960’s Pastor Charismatic Renewal
1970’s Teacher Faith Teaching Movement
1980’s Prophet Prophetic Movement
1990’s Apostle Apostolic Movement
I verify the truth of this time table, for the thrust of deliverance/healing evangelism with Oral Roberts came in the ‘50’s, shepherding in the charismatic movement and pasturing in the denominational movements in the 60’s, having boxes full of “teaching tapes” and listening to multitudes of Full Gospel speakers in the ‘70’s, my wife going to the “School of the Prophet” and Bill Hammons influence prophetically in the ‘80’s, and the world wide vision laid by the apostolic in the ‘90’s. In this century, now, I have found myself focusing on how to bring the five together, in unity, fulfilling Ephesians 4.
I also believe we are on the verge of another historic movement for the Church, one of unification, the bringing together of the body so they can mature the saints into the fullness of Christ, and prepare a Bride for its Bridegroom, but we need to learn from the past in order to move forward. We need to examine the history of the pastor/shepherd and where it is heading today