George Jeffreys took over the Horbury Chapel building in 1931, renaming it Kensington Temple.

The Elim Evangel wrote about the reopening of the building after renovation in the issue of 21st August 1931.

?The service, which was conducted by Principal George Jeffreys, our beloved leader, was timed to commence at 7.30pm, but hours before that time the crowds began to gather until there as around the building numbering was something like fifteen hundred happy, smiling, and enthusiastic folk waiting to get in for the opening service? Then the congregation moved inside, sitting and standing in the passage of a church which had tip-up seats and emergency exits, and in which the singing was led by a piano, a violin, and a cornet.?

George Jeffreys held meetings at the Royal Albert Hall in the 1920s.

KT returned to the Royal Albert Hall for a Revival Healing Meeting on Easter Monday 1999.

George Jeffreys held baptisms at the Easter Monday Celebrations in the Royal Albert Hall.

Eldoin Corsie leads the congregation back into Kensington Temple in 1965.

Interior of KT in 1965.

The KT congregation returns after the major renovations in 1982 that created the Lower Hall.

Three Senior Ministers – Edlin Corsie, Colin Dye, and Wynne Lewis

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The concept of the five-fold ministry comes from Ephesians 4,11 ‘It was he who gave some to be (1) apostles, some to be (2) prophets, some to be (3) evangelists, and some to be (4) pastors and (5) teachers.

The body of Christ can only grow and be built up as every single part is operating effectively according to its own unique capability. This can only happen when all the ministry gifts of Christ function according to God?s purpose. The fivefold ministry is not ultimately about the ?prominent? ministries: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. It is about releasing ?ordinary? members of the body of Christ into their ministry. The task of the Ephesians 4:11 ministries is to ensure that every member of the church is trained, equipped and released into effective service for Christ.

Five capacities of the ascended Christ

After the crucifixion and the resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven to take his place at the right hand of God. He became the executive Ruler of the universe and the glorious Head of the church. When Jesus took up this position, he released the gift of his perfect ministry, dividing it up into the five great capacities he himself possessed on the earth. When he ascended into heaven, he passed his ministry on to the church, beginning with these five areas of leadership gifting. That is why the fivefold ministry gifts are also called the Ascension Gifts of Christ.

Effective Christian service can only happen through these supernaturally endowed gifts of Christ. The gifts and enablings Christ imparts are not mere natural abilities (though he enhances our natural gifts also). Rather, they are the result of his gracious endowments that come through his death, resurrection and exaltation at the Father?s right hand.

Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave! He has power over all things. Now, his ascension is ?higher than all the heavens?, and his presence fills the whole universe. And it is this same Jesus who has given gifts to the church. These are men and women with a life calling to one or more of the fivefold ministry gifts. They are functions not ?offices?, that is, they are God-given abilities rather than positions. The words ?apostle?, ?prophet?, ?evangelist?, ?pastor? and ?teacher? are descriptions of a person?s ministry gift. They are not titles we place before our name. Having a title does not guarantee that a person has the gifting to match the title. The emphasis in the New Testament ministry is on function and activity. A ministry is recognised by its fruit.

Some argue that these gifts are distributed equally throughout the entire body of Christ so that everybody is gifted as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or a teacher. But, it is clear that these are special ministries given to some and not all in the church. However, we can view these ministries as ?umbrella? ministries under which different members cluster according to the basic nature of their calling. They are, also, ?enabling? ministries that equip and prepare God?s people for the ministry.

This helps us understand the concept of equality in the body of Christ. We are all equal in dignity, worth and value, but we do not all have the same function. There are distinctions of ministry in the body. God has separated some for the specific activities mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. They are leadership functions and are clearly not given to everyone. But, on the other hand, they are given for everyone.

Equipping you for your ministry

There is only one ministry – the ministry of Jesus. It is the work that Jesus Christ performs through his body. The fivefold ministry prepares us for his ministry. So, if we want to see the body of Christ function properly, we must make sure the fivefold ministry of Christ is operating. When these ministries are released the body of Christ is equipped and built up; it becomes strong and mature. It can then fulfil its divine purpose – to bring God glory and be God?s agent in a lost and hurting world.

Jesus exercised all the five ministries while he was on the earth. Now, he continues these ministries through those whom he has chosen and anointed to carry them out. These gifts distributed to his body the church, make up the full complement of the ministry of Christ. The fivefold ministry gifts are a permanent part of the church?s ministry on earth. They are valid and necessary in every generation, and will be in operation,

…until 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. Ephesians 4:13

Certain Bible teachers hold that some of these ministries were only temporarily given. Dispensationalists, for example, teach that once the apostolic age had passed there was no longer any need for apostles in the church. The Cessasionists, who believe that the ?supernatural gifts? have ceased, reject both the apostolic and prophetic ministries today. In some cases, even the ministry of the evangelist is said to belong only to New Testament times.

Stay within your calling

All these gifts are needed until the church, both individually and corporately, grows into the full maturity of Christ. Only then will the church be equipped to be God?s agent in the world and complete the mandate of God.

Often, one ministry is stressed to the detriment of the others. The only ministry recognised in many churches today is that of the pastor. This is perhaps the most abused ministry title in the church. Many Bible colleges graduate their students through a pastor-shaped door, and those who make it through, come out squeezed into a mould that is not necessarily of God?s making.

Think of the consequences of having an evangelist as a pastor. He or she wants the congregation saved every week! The people in the church are never properly cared for pastorally and they never mature through teaching, but they know how to raise their hand during the time of the appeal for salvation!

Imagine what it would be like if a prophet was forced to be a pastor. The prophet is the last one to lead the people like a shepherd to green pastures and beside still waters! The symbol of the prophet is a wooden spoon. The pastor says, ?Keep the lid on the pot, let it simmer.? The prophet says, ?Take the lid off, and give it a stir!? But, the body of Christ needs both – each in its proper time.

A balanced ministry

In order to bring the full complement of Christ?s ministry to the body all the five ministries must operate together. The teacher needs to be inspired by the prophet and the prophet needs to be tempered by the pastor. The evangelist needs the discipline of the teacher and the apostle needs the partnership of all the rest to fulfil the total call of apostleship.

Churches can get over-developed in one area and remain under-developed in another area. The result is lack of balance. One church can be known for its teaching and another for its evangelism, but God?s plan is for us to be strong in every area. Otherwise, the body will not be released to function properly. It will remain weak and ineffective.

What is the point of a church being taught the gospel well if it never goes and evangelises with it? And, what is the point of a church that is enthusiastic in evangelism without ever stopping to learn what the gospel is and how to teach new converts to live? Each ministry has its place and its special purpose so that every aspect of the ministry is covered.

God?s grace gifts

Every ministry gift or ability comes by the grace of God. They result from the work of Christ in us and not from human choice or effort. You have to be called by God to a ministry before you can function in it.

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Corinthians 12:28

You cannot choose your own calling. You must be called by Christ. It is he who gives some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and some to be teachers.

Set apart for special service

In every case in the Bible where God used people to serve him, they were called by God and set apart for that special service to him.

Speaking of the High Priestly ministry of Jesus, the writer to the book of Hebrews says, No one takes this honour upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

?You are my Son; today I have become your Father.? Hebrews 5:4-5

Paul knew God?s clear call to apostleship. His Damascus Road experience and the revelation through Ananias brought him face to face with Christ and the call of God. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man. Galatians 1:15-16

Timothy knew God?s call to service. Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight. 1 Timothy 1:18

Jesus, Paul and Timothy each knew their call and moved in the direction of that call. It was not accomplished overnight. A ministry may take a lifetime for every aspect of it to bloom and flourish. It first must be cultivated and brought to maturity before it can bear fruit. However, the potential is there all along.

You are called to the ministry

God can activate the call through human agents. This was the case with Timothy. It is also a general principle of ministry. In his letter to the Romans, Paul says, ?I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong (Romans 1:11). The word translated ?spiritual gift? here, is pneumatikos, which means ?that which belongs to, or is activated by, the Holy Spirit?. God gave Paul the ability to impart a spiritual gift in order to confirm and establish the believers at Rome.

From this scripture we can discern three dimensions to the activation of ministry in the New Testament. The presbytery – this is the role of the eldership in recognising and confirming a ministry. The prophetic ministry – this is the supernatural identification and release of the gift of ministry. The apostolic ministry – the apostles provided the authority, the structure and the spiritual climate that facilitated this process.

Prepare for your ministry

You must be willing to submit your ministry to others in spiritual authority over you. There must be an external call that matches the internal call of the Spirit. One comes from the Lord working in your heart, and the other involves the body of Christ that recognises the call of God in you.

Alongside these things, there must also be: Responsive obedience – the only way to respond to the call of God is by loving, servant-hearted obedience. God expects you to respond to his call and to fulfil the ministry he has given to you.

Dedication and consecration – the Ephesians 4:11 ministries are life callings. There must be a whole-hearted dedication and total consecration to your calling. Never lose sight of the call of God and his purpose for your life. Discipleship and training – in order to develop your ministry to its fullest potential, you must be willing to learn and to take correction. You must be trained in the ministry. This happens best alongside others who are skilled and experienced in the ministry God has given you. That is why the discipleship principle as expressed in the cell ministry is so helpful to you as you discover your ministry and grow in the gifts God has given you. Discipline involves remaining within your calling. Learn to be who you are in your gifting. Never move outside that anointing, but always work in partnership with the other ministries that complement your call. Remember that you are not a ?one man band?. We all need each other to fully express the ministry of Christ.

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Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men

A disciple is a follower of Jesus. To be a disciple means you are a learner or a little-follower of Jesus or, to use a modern term, an apprentice of Jesus. It means you are following his teaching – that is you are living according to his teaching. But to do this you need to be taught in the ways of Christ. Teaching is not just communication of information, but it also involves demonstration and impartation.

All this implies proximity. You cannot be discipled from a distance – even the distance from the pulpit to the pew is too great! You must be in close contact with those discipling you so that you can see and follow their example. Mere words are not enough. That is what Jesus meant when he called his disciples to follow him. Matthew records one such encounter, Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 Jesus later called his 12, to be his closest disciples, and Mark puts it like this,

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons Mark 3:13-15

To be a disciple of Jesus means that you are following Jesus and growing in your lifestyle to be like him. The goal of discipleship is to be like the Master. And this means you are being trained to do what he did. It means you are being formed in your character and your ministry.

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40

This is an important principle of discipleship because it shows how you can be discipled and learn to how disciple others. Discipleship best takes place in small groups. Jesus had a group of 12 so that he could be with them constantly and show them the life and ministry of the kingdom of God. So we today, can also have groups of 12 so that we, like Jesus, can train and release others in the work of the kingdom of God.

Discipleship training is not passive, theoretical learning but practical, hands on training and releasing. For this to happen, the more mature disciples must become leaders, models, mentors and trainers of the new disciples.

You are called to be a disciple of Jesus, and this involves close contact with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and through leaders and other believers who are serious about walking the path of discipleship together.

Discipleship is not some optional extra in the Christian life. All believers are called to be disciples. But this is not automatic. We must choose to become a disciple and live as Jesus has called us to live.

In the beginning believers were first called ‘disciples’ before the term ‘Christian’ was used. It was discipleship that gave rise to the term ‘Christian’. Probably their pagan counterparts intended this term to be an insult to the believers, but it actually was a great compliment! It showed that the disciples were following their Master and known by his name.

The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch after a year of teaching by Paul and Barnabas. This shows that the real purpose of teaching is to form disciples, people who are like Jesus in their lifestyle, character and ministry.

Acts 11:26

We see from the book of Acts that making disciples was not confined to the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels but that the early disciples obeyed the Great Commission of Jesus and went out to make disciples of others. Making, maturing and mobilising disciples was the main focus and the principal work of the Church in Acts. This was the secret of their growth.

The call to discipleship is the call to be trained, equipped and released into ministry. In Kensington Temple training opportunities abound. We also have the structure for people to put their discipleship ministry training into practice from the very beginning. The cell groups provide the means and the opportunity for every believer to get busy with the work of Christ. This is how we obey Jesus’ call to be his disciples in the 21st Century.

The call is personal

The Greek word for disciple is mathetes, which literally means a ‘learner’. Mathetes comes from manthano – ‘to learn’ – and shows that reflective thought should be followed by an attempt actually to do something. Mathetes reveals that real disciples are not people who obey unthinkingly or legalistically; rather, they listen to a teacher, think about what the teacher has said, and then try to put it into practice.

It should be clear how this concept of discipleship naturally follows on from a biblical understanding of repentance and belief. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus calls us to learn from him personally – this is true discipleship. Just as he does not call us to follow a set of ideas or rules but to follow him, so he does not call us to learn merely from a written code or a book, but rather to learn from him himself.

The call is corporate

Although each of us must respond personally and individually to Jesus’ call to become disciples we must not forget that we are also called to follow Christ together as his people. We are his community of disciples and this corporate dimension is absolutely essential to a true understanding of God’s kingdom. Jesus has established his Church as a fellowship of discipled people with a responsibility to disciple others. The Great Commission of Matthew 28 makes this clear.

Each of us must be discipled within the Church and take up the mandate to disciple others. We cannot ‘go it alone’ as if our personal call were independent of all those who are following Christ. Jesus especially modelled this process of discipleship with his twelve spending most of his quality time with them. He taught them, trained them and finally released them to go out and ‘make disciples of all nations’. Modern day disciples of Jesus are rediscovering this dimension to discipleship through small group ministry, or cells.

The call is urgent

The Gospels record many stories about people who were called to follow Jesus – to become disciples. In every one the call is most urgent. They had to respond when he asked them, even if that involved considerable disruption to them and the people around them. For example:

• Simon, Andrew, James and John – Matthew 4:18-22
• Matthew – Matthew 9:9
• The rich young man – Matthew 19:21
• An unnamed person – Luke 9:59
• Philip – John 1:43.

We can see in these stories that some people immediately began following Jesus, but that others made excuses and did not. The calls of the kingdom may be compelling but they are not compulsory. God always wants us to respond in love. He does not make us if we will not follow him on his terms, at his time.

The call is conclusive Not only was the call urgent, but it was conclusive. They were called permanently to forsake all and follow him.

• Luke 9:62 shows that there was to be no looking back.
• Mark 10:33 states that Jesus must not be disowned before men.
• John 8:31 makes it plain that disciples must hold to Jesus teaching.

Becoming a follower or disciple of Jesus is not merely an emotional response or mental assent to his teaching – it is a permanent decision to follow Jesus, to learn from him, to obey him, to keep close to him.

The call is costly Mark 1:16-20 & Luke 5:1-11 tell the story of the calling to discipleship of the four fishermen, Simon, Andrew, James and John. By following Jesus’ direction, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets were in danger of breaking and their boats of sinking.

Luke 5:11 reports that ‘they forsook all and followed him’. The ‘all’ must have included the miraculous catch which they had just laboured to bring to shore. It must have been one of their most successful fishing trips ever, yet – as part of their response to Jesus – they left the catch on the beach for their friends and family.

Luke 14:25-33 describes how great multitudes went with Jesus. They were curious; they were interested – even fascinated; but they were not committed and they had not counted the cost. In this passage, we can see that the essence of being a disciple was absent – they had not reflected and thought carefully about what was involved in following Jesus. Unless they would forsake everything they could not be Jesus’ disciples.

Matthew 6:33 shows that we must put the kingdom of God first. Before everything else, we must seek God’s rule and his right way of living. The parallel passage, in Luke 12:31-34, shows that this right living is characterised by selfless generosity.

When, in Matthew 16:13-33, the disciples realised who Jesus was, he explained to them that this meant suffering and death. This was anathema to the disciples, so Peter took Jesus aside and remonstrated with him. But Jesus rebuked them, said that their well-meaning protests were evil in origin, and told them that the divine demand for self-sacrifice applied to them as well as to him.

He said, in Matthew 16:24 & Mark 8:34, ‘If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me’. Luke 9:23 adds that this must be done ‘every day’. These words were spoken to those who had already begun to follow Jesus, who had seen God work powerfully through them, who now grasped that Jesus was heading for rejection and sacrifice. Now that they knew the truth, Jesus set them free to choose between self and self-sacrifice.

Death to self is not a calamity, but the fruit of commitment. It is not the end of everything, rather it is the beginning of abundant life with Christ – as we begin to allow his will to control and rule us.

To be a disciple is to say every day ‘death to self’. This is not a set of ascetic exercises, instead it is being unaware of ourselves and aware only of Christ. It is putting Christ’s will in place of ‘self’. It is having our eyes so fixed on the one we are following that we are blind to the path which is too steep for us and deaf to the pain which pleads with us to stop. It means knowing that nothing in this life compares with the glory awaiting us – if we stick close to Jesus’ bent and beaten back.

When we follow Christ, we must show that we mean death to self by taking up our God-offered cross. This is not an ailment or difficulty which is no different from those which are endured by all people. It will be some form of sacrifice, hardship or rejection ‘for the sake of Christ’ which is given to all those who follow him.

Each disciple who wants to follow in Christ’s footsteps has his own personal cross awaiting collection. Crosscarrying Christians are meant to consider themselves to have the same short life-expectancy as the people who live on the different ‘Death Rows’ round the world.

This self-death is not a calamity, but the fruit of commitment. It is not the end of everything, rather it is the beginning of abundant life with Christ as we begin to allow his will to control and rule us. The twelve heard these new requirements of discipleship, and not one of them walked away.

Sword of the Spirit

I have written a complete course in 12 manuals covering key topics: Effective Prayer, Knowing the Spirit, The Rule of God, Living Faith, Glory in the Church, Ministry in the Spirit, Knowing the Father, Reaching the Lost, Listening to God, Knowing the Son, Salvation by Grace and Worship in Spirit and Truth that build into a sound Biblical foundation.

Sword of the Spirit: 12 manuals covering key topics: Effective Prayer, Knowing the Spirit, The Rule of God, Living Faith, Glory in the Church, Ministry in the Spirit, Knowing the Father, Reaching the Lost, Listening to God, Knowing the Son, Salvation by Grace and Worship in Spirit and Truth

The Sword of the Spirit course has 3 study options:

Option 1?Buy the manual with the student workbook and study at your own pace.

Option 2?Register with?www.swordofthespirit.co.uk?for online videos, webtools and quizzes. Study all 12 topics and complete the final exams to receive a Sword of the Spirit certificate. Cost ?25 per topic including manual and workbook (or ?150 if you register for all 12 at one time)

Option 3?Register with?www.swordofthespirit.co.uk?as option 2 but with the added benefit of a personal tutor. Cost ?40 per topic including manual and workbook (or ?270 if you register for all 12 at one time)

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Kensington Temple, Notting Hill Gate, London UK

Don?t miss it

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Easter is just round the corner

Andrew first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.” In every chain of events there are links – the odd remark here, the chance encounter there, the happy coincidence somewhere else.

Behind these happenings is the often unseen hand of God who draws all thing together to complete His Master design for our lives. He uses every event and every spoken word to build His pattern for us.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in our coming to Christ. I can remember many specific situations that were divine links in the chain of events that brought about my conversion. There were the words of Mr Dobson, the secondary school maths teacher who was a believer. And then the words of an unknown preacher who mounted the stage and addressed the thousands of revellers at the Isle of Wight Pop Festival in 1970. In the vast audience was a 16 year-old unbeliever hungry for truth – me!

But the most important influence on me was that of my own brother, Ray who had come to Christ while living in South Africa. I was a student dancer in London and terribly lost in sin. My brother took the time to come to England to tell me about Jesus. In a matter of days I had come to faith in Christ!

All because my brother cared enough to share the gospel.

It reminds me of Jesus’ disciple, Andrew. The first thing he did when he found the Messiah was to go to his brother and tell him about it. He was a divine link. God used him to bring his brother to Christ.

We are told that 90% of those who come to Christ in public meetings do so as a result of the witness of some close friend or relative. Are you available to be a divine link for the Lord? Are you building bridges to those who don’t yet know Jesus with a view to introducing them to Him?

Easter?is just around the corner. Now is the time to keep those divine appointments with the lost. Make sure that when our?Easter Celebrations come along you will be able to bring folk to the meetings to hear the gospel preached . Here is the link with all the details for you.

Don’t miss the opportunity to speak to your friends about Jesus. They’re counting on you!

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"A time like this" is the title of the Kensington Temple vision week

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father…” (John 15:26)

Just as the commission was for all followers of Jesus, so is the promised Helper. We can expect then that when we are obedient to Jesus’ words “Go, therefore and make disciples …” there will be an outpouring of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.
Kensington Temple is a Pentecostal church and, as such, we seek to be on the cutting edge of operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit at every level. Our desire is to see every member of the church released into their supernatural giftings. One of our values ?is “Every one a minister and every one ministered to’. Moving in the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit is not the preserve of the “full-time’ ministers, they are tools for the whole body of Christ to continue His work on earth.
Wherever and whenever the Holy Spirit begins to move we witness mighty manifestations of His power. Luke records some of these phenomena in the book of Acts:

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” (Acts 2:42,43)

And we can be sure that the Holy Spirit has not changed in the past 2, 000 years!
Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, expresses his concern that they should not be ignorant about the Holy Spirit and His gifts (1 Corinthians 1:12). But we do not just want to know about the gifts. We earnestly seek them so that the preaching of the Gospel is accompanied by manifestations of the Spirit’s power: the sick healed, blind eyes opening and the lame walking.
This week during our conference, “A Time Like This” ?I pray that you will receive everything that God has in store for you. We will pray for a powerful impartation into your life so that you can carry out the Great Commission in His power. Join us at Kensington Temple tonight and tomorrow or tune in on the internet to watch the sessions live

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Why cells?

Kensington Temple is a fellowship of believers living for God and meeting in cell groups all over London. It is not just about the seven services that take place every weekend in the main church building. For more than ten years we have proved that cell groups are one of the most effective ways believers can grow themselves and develop their God-ordained ministry to others.

People are being saved weekly in the cells and being brought to maturity as they grow in fellowship and in the grace of God. The cells are the first line of pastoral care and members are learning the joy of reaching others for Christ. This happens where we spend most of our time – outside the regular meeting times in the KT building. Cell ministry is one of the richest expressions of church life and it happens where it really counts – in your daily life.

In this article, I answer some of the frequently asked questions about our vision for cell church.

1.Why did KT adopt the cell vision?

A large church can be very impersonal with members only making brief contact with each other once a week on a Sunday. That is not the community vision of Jesus for his church. We are members one of another and we must build church into our daily lives. For many years we were a church with a small group ministry. With barely 100 people in small groups, it was not effective at all. The cell vision moved us from being a church with cells to become a cell church with thousands of our members active in cells. Every member now has the opportunity to build mini communities of good news right where they are in their daily life. Through the cell ministry they learn to be true disciples of Jesus and to become disciple-makers of others. This, after all, is the purpose of Jesus’ Great Commission – to make, mature and mobilise disciples (Matthew 20:18-20).

2. Why the Model of 12? Why do you think that a cell church model from Latin America can be imposed on other cultures?

For the first five years of our experience with cell church (2000 – 2005), we worked closely with the G12 Model, developed by Cesar Castellanos in Bogota, Colombia. The model is based on the way Jesus ministered. He concentrated much of his time building the team of 12 that he would later release into the world.

For five years we learned the Bogota Model inside and out, and over the next five years we worked at making it our own. We developed ways of applying the Model of 12 to our situation with precision. This is an on-going process. The basic cell principles are biblically sound and we have found that they can be effectively applied in a variety of ways in a wide range of different cultures.

3.You seem critical of traditional church models. Are you not being a bit arrogant when you say that cell church is a superior model?

In my book People with a Passion I do offer a critique of the Traditional Church Model. I don’t think many people would argue that the way we are doing church today is not working. Just look around and see the relative ineffectiveness of the traditional way of doing things. While the Traditional Church structure does have some positive points, it is fundamentally flawed at two levels. First, in the way it relates to the concept of ‘church’ (the Bible word is ‘ekklesia’). Second, in the way it expresses Christian ministry (the Bible word is ‘diakonia’).

A correct understanding of the words ‘church’ and ‘ministry’ in their biblical context is one of the most important needs of the church today. The ‘church’ in the New Testament does not refer to a building or merely to Christian meetings. Church is a relationship – we are permanently gathered to Christ in relationship with one another. This relationship exists seven-days-a-week and not just during the Sunday services. The cells help us express this aspect of church that exists outside the regular hours of ‘Sunday Christianity’.

The ‘ministry’ in the New Testament does not just refer to the official ministers, the Pastors who lead the church. It applies to all believers who, as the body of Christ, do the work of Christ. The official ministers are there to train, develop and release the whole body to do the ministry of Christ. The cell structure is an effective way of helping every believer to fulfil their call to serve Christ.

Any church structure should be assessed by its effectiveness in producing disciples and disciple makers. If we really believe Matthew 28:18-20 is the job description of the whole church, then the whole church should be structured in a way that best facilitates the fulfilment of this mission. Traditional Church tends to encourage passive spectators of the ministry rather than active participators in it. That is why we at KT have abandoned the traditional model.

4.The Bible teaches that leadership is a special gift given only to some. How can you teach that every Christian should be a leader?

I passionately believe that every Christian is called to be a leader. We are all called to lead people to Christ and to lead them deeper into the faith. This does not mean that every believer is called to be a leader as described in Ephesians 4:11. God has clearly given some (not all) to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

However, people with these ministry gifts are called to “equip God’s people for works of service”, as Ephesians 4:12 shows. In my book, The Fivefold Ministry Today, I show how each of the major ministries equip every believer for the work God. The whole church is called to think and act apostolically and prophetically. Every believer is called to reach out to others evangelistically. We are all called to care for one another pastorally. And the job of discipling others (the teaching gift) belongs to every believer.

5. The cell ministry demands too much time from people. Won’t they just get discouraged and burn out?

Discipleship is not time-consuming; it is an all-consuming passion. Our Master tells us that if we want to follow him and desire everything he has for us then we must take up our cross die to self. You cannot follow Christ fully, unless you build the whole of your life around the priorities of his kingdom.

I often say that the cell vision does not demand one second of people’s time! That is because no one is coerced into serving Jesus. What you give to God must be given willingly or not at all. Also, the cell vision is about serving Jesus as a lifestyle. It is not about giving up more and more of your free time to do church work.

When you bring your discipleship into your daily life, you realize that his plan is for you to serve him every moment of every day. Your home, your work, your school, your recreation all become opportunities to glorify Jesus. The cell vision shows you how to bring your discipleship into what you do outside the official church services. It releases you to serve God right where you are. His agenda becomes your agenda. His plan is brought into every part of your daily schedule.

Cell members reach out to the lost in the course of their daily activities. They become witnesses at work. Their social life takes on a new meaning as they build relationships with their friends and show them Christ’s love. The time spent with cell members is a joy as we become renewed through the power of fellowship. As deep relationships grow between cell members they become our closest friends. We must make sure that our busy lives do not crowd out the true purpose of our existence – to know God and introduce him to others.

6. The cells put too much pressure on people to perform.

If they don’t do what is expected of them isn’t there a danger of being treated as inferior Christians?

KT is a grace church. We believe that everything that we are in Christ is the result of God’s unmerited favour. We do not earn our salvation by our works, our good behaviour or by our Christian service. We serve God because we love him, and we love him because he first loved us.

However, a true experience of God’s grace never produces lazy Christians. A knowledge of God’s free grace motivates us to serve God with all the strength he powerfully inspires in us. If people feel uncomfortable with the cell vision it is often because they have yet to discover the riches of God’s grace. In KT, no one is pressurised into doing anything. God is looking for willing obedience not reluctant servants. Our first priority is to inspire love for Christ and to keep that fire alive. Our service for Christ flows from this love.My advice to people is to take everything that KT offers – to make the most of the opportunities we make available to all. Few churches offer the training and the facilities have established in order for people to grow in the grace of God and to develop a life of effective service. It is all about fruitfulness. We do not treat anyone as second-class citizens in the kingdom, but we do ask them if they want to be fruitful for Christ.

7. This is a hierarchical model. Surely it leads to heavy shepherding and authoritarianism.

No one should mistake the cell structure as being hierarchical or authoritarian. The system of leaders developing other leaders who in turn disciple other leaders is based on the New Testament (See 2 Timothy 2:2). Submission is not a matter of blind allegiance or being controlled by your leaders.

We teach mutual submission – submission to one another. Leadership is about enablement and support so that you can grow into all that God wants you to be. We emphasise servant-hearted leadership modelled on Christ, not authoritarian leadership based on worldly models of power and control.We reject both authoritarianism and individualism.

In the body of Christ leadership functions are given to benefit the whole body and every member is present to serve others, not themselves. The cell model cannot function without these basic principles in place. It works against the superstar model of much modern charismatic Christianity. In KT, the heroes are the ordinary members who serve so spectacularly and not the prominent ministers who stand in the limelight.

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