Should Pastors Schedule Other FIVEFOLD MINISTERS at Services?

Pastors of local fellowships should make sure the flock under their care (1 Peter 5:1-4) is regularly exposed to the other fivefold offices, which are detailed in this passage:

11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

Ephesians 4:11-14

The service of the five ministry gifts — apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher — enable believers to be fully equipped for service (ministry) in God’s Kingdom, which includes building them up and helping them mature spiritually. Hence pastors should schedule such ministers from time to time.

I was part of a great fellowship in my area from 1986-1996, Carol too (my wife), and the pastor always made sure to schedule other fivefold ministers to serve the congregation. Doing this makes for balanced believers rather than off-kilter ones. Why is this important? Because believers who are unbalanced and immature can do more harm than good for God’s kingdom.

Unfortunately, some pastors ignore the other offices in the body of Christ for one reason or another (apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers) and so believers in these kinds of assemblies are going to have to venture outside their local assembly to feed from these gifts for their own spiritual welfare.

For instance, when I was attending the aforementioned fellowship in my youth I supplemented my spiritual diet with books and tapes by other fivefold ministers, like Hal Lindsey, who’s a teacher in the body of Christ. (Sure, he’s not right on every jot and tittle, but who is? In his areas of expertise he’s exceptional. As they say, “eat the meat and spit out the bones” à la 1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Sometimes the issue for pastors not enlisting the services of other ministers is lack of funds to pay them for teaching/preaching, but there are usually quality fivefold ministers available who will do the work of the ministry without a price tag, keeping in mind that there is no perfect minister or ministry in this fallen world. Yet this doesn’t mean they aren’t skilled ministers who can bless God’s flock.