Watching Out for those 'APOSTLES'

Back in 1982, when I moved from Virginia Beach, VA, to Parkersburg, WV and planted the first church of my ministerial career; things seemed a little easier. Oh, it was definitely a step of faith... Some would even consider it 'daring'. But when the Lord Jesus, the 'Chief Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls' is in charge, it makes for a tremendously exciting, fulfilling, and thrilling ride, to say the least. One thing that was 'easier' was the fact that your potential congregation members listened to your message and observed the fruit thereof, to determine what their support and participation levels would be. They did not have to place any 'blind trust' in a man, but they seemed to have enough basic knowledge of the Word to be able to determine whether they could afford to place true confidence in the Holy Spirit, working through the man.

Though they may have never seen it done exactly this way, they somehow knew this was the way it's supposed to work. And as they learned more of the Scripture, they could see this was the way God had worked since the beginning... He put His Spirit on a man to do a specific work, 'sent' the man to the place and the people where He wanted that work to be done, and 'confirmed' His Word and His calling with 'signs following'. He did it that way with Moses (Exodus 3:10-12)... He did it that way with Jesus (Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38)... He did it that way with the apostles of the early church (Mark 16:15-20, Acts 13:2-5)... And He does it that way today---except where envy and vain religious tradition prevail and hinder His plan.

Today it seems that neither the fruit of a ministry, the message of the minister (and it's source), nor even the supernatural, heaven-sent signs of confirmation are enough to determine that ministry's validity... The question now, is, "Who is your covering?". What famous minister or organization endorses you? Or sometimes---"What NON-famous (but official-sounding) organization or ministry endorses you?... What kind of 'degree' do you have, etc., etc.

This is a major problem and it has robbed the church, not-to-mention the multitude of individual church members, of the manifested presence and power of the true Head of the church and the ONLY Scriptural 'covering' of any man (or ministry)---the Lord Jesus Christ.

A few years ago, I wrote and published a little book entitled, "APOSTOLIC COVERING?", which I believe, thoroughly addresses this problem...


If you would like a copy of the book, drop me an offering in the mail (enough to cover costs and to show me you're interested enough to actually read it) :) and I will send it to you via First Class Mail. My mailing address is:
Eddie Hughes, PO Box 794, Morgantown, WV 26507

Proper training, experience, mentorship, etc., without question, have their place and are essential in the developmental stages of a pastor, evangelist, Bible teacher, and so on. But the idea that a man or woman can never reach the point where he or she can be trusted in ministry without a continuous 'covering'---a mentor, or especially one who calls himself an 'apostle' is preposterous. I am in my fifties, for example, and the mentors God placed in my life have all reached their final reward. Is it reasonable that I should seek out a new 'mentor'? It is not only unreasonable---it is impossible.

The current 'apostolic movement' has all but destroyed the ability of God-called, God-equipped, Holy Spirit led ministries to flourish. What happens all too often is this...

A relatively new, but growing church or ministry is approached by 'apostle' so-and-so and is delivered the sales pitch... "Every pastor needs a pastor... You cannot have any authority unless you are 'under' authority, etc." A scripture verse is taken out of context and thrown in occasionally to support their pitch and then the 'credentials'---the 'signs of their apostleship' are laid on you. These 'signs' usually comprise a list of other small churches over whom this 'apostle' presides and a signature or two of some better known, senior 'apostles' within their particular hierarchical system. And all that is required of you, once you have signed up with this 'apostle' is a certain monthly or quarterly payment of some agreed upon amount (usually a tithe or tenth of the church income), and viola... You have your official 'covering'!

How sad! How ridiculous! Can you imagine the apostle Paul approaching a church in which he had no investment of his time, his labor, his blood, sweat, and tears---selling his name and reputation for a 'covering' to supposedly help that church grow? In the first place, though Paul 'magnified his office' of apostle and gladly served the Lord in that calling; he did not consider himself to be the apostle of any particular church he, himself, did not plant. And in every church he planted, he also served at some point, as pastor, teacher, evangelist---as well as greeter, janitor, 'chief cook & bottle-washer', etc. The 'signs' of his apostleship was not some list of churches who blindly considered him as their 'apostle', nor did they include the purchased endorsement of some nationally known ministry... The 'signs' of his apostleship, at least in part are listed in his first letter to the Corinthian church (which he planted) as the following...

We are 'fools' for Christ; We are 'weak'; While you are honored, we are 'despised'...
We are 'hungry', 'thirsty', 'naked', 'beaten'... We 'have no certain dwelling place'... We 'labor to exhaustion'... 'Men curse us', 'persecute us'... We are made as the 'filth of the world', the 'offscouring of all things' (1 Cor. 4:10-13).

May God Almighty deliver His people (including His pastors) from the extortioners---those who are in this wonderful profession for personal financial gain or reputation---the phonies, the thieves---those who despise the idea of 'suffering with Christ'; who could never experience the joy of displaying the true credentials of Christ's calling---the 'stripes', the 'scars', the 'bruises'; but would instead have you in awe over their jets, their mansions, and their celebrity status.