LEADERSHIP

In This Section:

• THE SET MAN AND ELDERS
• THE FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY
• THE MINISTRY OF THE DIAKONATE

The leadership of The Father’s House International follows the Biblical model that is structured in the Old Testament and expressed in the New Testament church. God Himself chooses, calls, and commissions a man to bring forth and/or lead a ministry in the earth. This man becomes responsible for the ministry and its people, as an under-bishop and under-shepherd for God. He actually is to become an earthly representative father for God the Father. In the Old Testament, Moses was the archetypical human example; in the New Testament, the Apostles walked in this role (chiefly the Apostle Paul). This man is known as the “Set Man” of a ministry (a phrase coined by Dr. Mark Hanby, based on the Scriptures below):

“And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying, LET THE LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, SET A MAN OVER THE CONGREGATION, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.” Numbers 27:15-17

The Set Man at The Father’s House International is our spiritual/ministry father Dr. H.B. Seymour, a doma Apostle (for more information, see our History), who is the Founding and Presiding Elder. He has also founded several other ministries over the years.

Then there are true ministry sons who become qualified elders who serve alongside Dr. Seymour, and together they function as the governing body of this ministry. (Dr. Seymour's biological son serves as the first of these elders in this house.) These other elders are also to become ministry fathers in the house who help the Set Man bring God’s Fatherhood to the people. (The Biblical terms of “bishop” and “overseer” also would apply to a true elder.) This is in accordance with both Old and New Testament patterns. Following are just a few references:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them…and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them: and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.” Numbers 11:16, 17

“And when they had ordained them elders in every church…” Acts 14:23

“And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church… Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers…” Acts 20:17, 28

“For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:” Titus 1:5

“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” Timothy 5:17

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder… Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof…” I Peter 5:1-2

In reality, a true elder comes from the five-fold ministry (see below). Ministry Government is found in the elders, and not in the other components of the Body. The Set Man and the elders bring God’s immediate spiritual direction and guidance to the ministry. They teach and preach the highest level of the Word of God among the Body of Christ. They handle the oversight and the spiritual matters of the ministry. So for one to truly be an elder in a house, one must be both a member of the five-fold ministry and a true spiritual son to that Set Man. He will be prone towards ministerial government, and of course must fulfill the Biblical criteria for an elder laid out by the apostles (1 Tim. 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4).

The doma giftings (Greek, “a gift”) are the five-fold ministry. These are apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, and evangelists. These are the men of God with a specific dimension or work of Jesus inside them, who bring that particular work to pass for God the Father. For descriptions of the functions of each of the five-fold ministry, refer to our founder's recent book, A Brief Introduction To The Becoming Father.

A doma apostle brings forth the apostolic dimension of Jesus, which in its fruition sets the people of God into God’s Fatherhood. Each doma gift man of God carries and brings forth one of these dimensions of Jesus’ ministry. (In full apostolic ministry, all areas of the five-fold ministry of Jesus are in operation at any time they are needed.) Each doma gifting is bestowed among the church to perform their respective work and dimension of Jesus – all for the purpose of leading us closer and closer to God the Father.

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts (doma) unto men… “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:” Ephesians 4:6-8, 11-13

The Apostle Paul lists the order of how the five-fold giftings should be set in a ministry:

“And God hath set some in the church, FIRST apostles, SECONDARILY prophets, THIRDLY teachers, AFTER THAT…THEN…” 1 Corinthians 12:28

God started His New Testament church out with apostles; after that, the other five-fold ministry giftings were added. This was God’s “top-down” design for the leadership of His Church. When the apostles are set in place first, as God meant for them to be, every other area of ministry flows down in correct order (1 Corinthians 12:28). Without the foundation of the apostles and prophets firmly established, the sum of the parts of the Church does not add up to the full equation God intended it to be! This is the situation in which the Church in America largely finds itself today. Much of the impotence of the Church is due to the lack of true apostolic ministry being first set in the Church. It has been absent as a result of our having to “come up the backside of God” ever since the Middle Ages (click here for more information).Thankfully, at The Father’s House International, there is true, full, unadulterated apostolic ministry in place and functioning in great Divine and spiritual order!

In addition to the Set Man and the elders, there are several men and women who serve as the Diakonate – the roles of deacons and deaconesses. These are a few different facets among the diakonate:

• Deacons/Deaconesses who contribute on the spiritual side of the ministry – those who teach, preach, and do some pastoral care work, even though they are not doma pastors.
• Deacons/Deaconesses who adminstrate different areas of the ministry – help to carry out and bring to pass that which God ordains and specifies for the ministry of the house through the Set Man and the Elders;
• Deacons/Deaconesses who serve in functional/practical/pragmatics of the ministry – they are given to bringing about the practical and functional areas of the ministry;

(A common mistake prevalent in Christianity at large today is that some who are deacons are thought to be five-fold ministry. Among the first deacons (Acts 6) were Stephen and Philip. We know from the Bible that both of these two men were full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom (Acts 6:3), preached powerfully and persuasively, taught the Word of God clearly and capably, and performed great signs and wonders among the people. Stephen ultimately became the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:57-60); Philip brought revival to Samaria (Acts 8:5-13), explained the Scriptures to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39), and preached throughout many cities (Acts 8:39). These men of notable spirituality were deacons! They were not men of ministerial government such as the elders. Remember, elders are five-fold ministry through whom come immediate spiritual direction, guidance, and the overseeing of the house of God. RULE IS NOT FOUND IN DEACONS; RULE IS FOUND IN ELDERS. The various types of deacons bring to pass, each in their own way and colored by their own charisma giftings, that which God the Father decrees for the ministry and house through the Set Man and the elders.)

America today faces an overwhelming lack of the true, fully functioning apostolic church – a church complete with full-fledged apostolic authority, spiritual guidance through the Set Man and the other elders, and the other members of the body operating in their God-ordained positions. This is a major reason why there is so much misunderstanding concerning roles and functions! ONLY WHEN THE CHURCH RECEIVES TRUE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY can the God-given structure of the church be clearly defined, will people be set in their roles with understanding, and can the ministry function the way God designed it to!

We are grateful that the true apostolic ministry of God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is in operation here at The Father’s House International…flowing from God…through our Set Man…through the elders…through the Deacons…unto each and every member of this spiritual/ministry family!!!