Mark Driscoll said last year: “It isime for Terry to get a husband for his daughter”, and implied he needs to find a successor, a husband for his daughter.
Terry described it as being a good wake up call: but a successor is not the way we are looking at it.
People now, such as John Kpipi in West Africa is not just “working for Terry Virgo”. He has started a Church and planted Churches in 7 west African countries that Terry has never visited. John is growing in his gift and developing a sphere of relationships, stirring evangelism, building the Church, laying down values, training leaders, explaining the doctrine of grace clearly, breaking down tribal differences, planting new Churches.
That is apostolic work, not rolling out a programme or a system but building the Church.
Edward Buria in Kenya is similar: planting Churches, caring for the poor, teaching grace.
Not like the old guy is getting older and we need Terry mark two. There are now different spheres like this springing up all over the world, (and in a smaller way all over the UK).
We are not one big sphere that is to be passed on, just getting bigger and bigger. That will hold everything back. It is not just “Terry's” sphere any more. It is way more than that. Mark Driscoll was not speaking with that context. Terry is not looking to oversee everything, but wants to release and bless and stand with those building all around the world.
We are coming to the end of the beginning. It was one sphere. Now it is several. There will be more. Those there are will grow. The principle is established.
Jesus did not hand over a successor, Peter was not the pope. When Peter stood and spoke on behalf of the 11 at pentecost Peter was the spokesman, it was Peter’s moment, not Peter’s movement!
At the council of Jerusalem James does the summing up (Acts 15). Did not make James the boss, but it was his moment and they proceeded from there. Paul in Jerusalem (Gal 2:2) went to those of reputation, not the newly named leaders!
It is more like spiritual sons who become fathers who have sons who become fathers.
Paul was not from Jerusalem stable, not trained by Peter
- He preached gospel
- Knew Scripture
- Founded Churches
- Helped Churches
- Saw much fruit
He stayed and challenged Peter: he did not go and do his own thing.
So they were a fellowship of friends, a group of apostles, a band of brothers.
Anyone is free to move on and do their own thing. People are free to seek relationship elsewhere. There is no central “newfrontiers” sphere. The values and friendships hold us together, no law or legal requirement.
We must believe God for the emergence of new apostles. We are not praying for a husband for Terry’s daughter. We are praying for more workers in the harvest field. Apostles are a gift to the Church, they are not an appointment of the Church.
Newfrontiers is the name given to an apostolic sphere under Terry’s leadership. It is more important that new sphere are raised.
Newfrontiers as a name can go.
Terry's desire is that apostles emerge amongst Churches dynamically involved in world mission together. Not just an institution and a badge and a set of rules.
It does not matter what it is called. We want "pumping" local Churches reaching their community, in relationship with others, sharing a calling and a future by pushing forwards into whatever God has for them, accomplishing more together than they can apart.
There are other movements around the world doing, seeing and saying very similar things. We are not the answer in ourselves, we just need to be faithful to God with what we have.
The session finished with a very warm ovation. The humility of the man exudes from everything he said. He does not want anything but faithfulness to God in his own life, and in the life of the Churches he serves, and the movement he has laid the foundation of.
This is the start of the end of the beginning for newfrontiers. There is not a human solution of appointments and organisational charts required but rather a work of God to continue His work amongst us and through us, imparting the gifts of Ephesians 4 to His Church.
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