The entrepreneur = the apostle
The questioner = the prophet
The recruiter = the evangelist
The humanizer = the shepherd/pastor
The systematizer = the teacher
The questioner = the prophet
The recruiter = the evangelist
The humanizer = the shepherd/pastor
The systematizer = the teacher
But, I don't know... Basically the whole thing has me depressed now. I am debating about whether to spend the $10 to take the test, but I've taken so many of those stinkin' tests and being a bit on the manic side I can test out so differently depending on my mood at the time. And I actually think I am more of a prophet-type than anything, which is depressing in and of itself - nobody likes a questioner. Plus, it just seems that sometimes I am a little bit of all of them, and sometimes a little bit of none. I always thought that's what made me the perfect small-church pastor. Sort of a renaissance-type who could do a lot of things a little bit, but didn't do anything real well. But now I'm told there is no place for people like me, and that people like me are the cancer of the church at large. Yeah, that's about right. Of course, the truth is probably that I just don't understand it correctly. Which seems to be more true of more and more things anymore.
ADDED LATER: Yes, this is a whine (if you don't know I'm a whiner then you haven't read here very much). The thing is, I'm not saying the APEST ministry model is a bad idea, or unbiblical. I'm just not sure how it works in church leadership, and that it will work in each and every local church out there. So if you have some light you can shed - shed away.
4 comments:
The Mercy House "structures" itself using this pretty heavily, although they call it the "five-fold ministry." It's not like they hand out positions based on this, but kind of. I think it's the way they think they can best even the playing field because with this each one of the five is just as important and kind of encompasses every aspect of doing ministry in some way or another. However, I don't know if they would call the evangelizer the "recruiter," but probably more the person who helps out in the community or something. Anyway, I kind of like it but I don't think it's really something worth spending money on
Yeah, I think "five-fold" is the same thing. And I think I understand the five-fold "ministry" aspect, I just can't get a handle on how it translates over into leadership. I mean, I think it's great if this works out in a particular church situation. I'm just not sure it fits all situations, or that it's the ONLY way.
So, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but I don't know how it works itself out practically speaking. Like, how do you get from here to there? And is it even possible in my context? Stuff like that.
Thanks for the comment.
So I get how this works in helping all the people in a congregation figure out what to do with themselves in the grand scheme of things, but it seems to me that a pastor that was just one of these would be a pretty flat leader. Maybe if every church had five pastors, each with a particular bent. Seems like the renaissance man (or woman) leader can do a much better job of ministering to all the others. Anway, I think most people inadvertently lie when they take these tests anyway, trying to end up what they think they should end up. A PEST? What kind of a name is that for a test anyway?
Joan,
Yes, I agree. It's not that it's useless... I just don't know how to fit it into our situation. and I don't know that it's supposed to fit. But... I dunno.
Post a Comment