+ Bible-Based Organic Church (Acts Model)
The First Church in the Bible, as modeled in Acts and through Paulโs epistles, was:
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Christ-centered โ Jesus is the Head of the Church, and no human authority should take His place (Ephesians 5:23). The Body of Christ functions with Him at the center, not under a single leader’s command.
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Spirit-led โ Leadership was appointed and guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2). The Church is organically built through gifts of the Spirit, not through a corporate-style structure.
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Community-based โ The Church was a community of believers meeting house to house (Acts 2:46). This contrasts sharply with individual ministries or personal turf. In the early Church, leadership was about serving the people, not controlling them.
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Relational, not hierarchical โ Leaders served from among the people (Ephesians 4:11-13), encouraging mutual submission and building each other up in love.
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Mutual respect and inclusion โ Both men and women participated equally in the ministry of the early Church (Romans 16, Acts 18). This is a community model where gifts are honored, regardless of gender or rank.
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Servant leadership โ As Jesus taught, the greatest leaders are the ones who serve (Mark 10:42-45). The organic Church values servant leadership over top-down control. In this way, leaders reflect Christ, who washed His disciples’ feet.
This is God’s original design: humble, relational, and Spirit-led, focused on building community and bearing fruit
+++ This Apostolicallyย Defines A Top-Down Church (Man-Made Structure)
+ย Top-Down Church Model in big contrast, can look like this:
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Hierarchical control โ Power flows from a top-down structure. Leadership is often self-appointed or imposed through a human system rather than by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:11).
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Fear-based compliance โ Members are expected to submit without question to their leaders. This can lead to spiritual manipulation where the individualโs calling is suppressed in favor of loyalty to a โtop leaderโ or ministry.
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Legalism over liberty โ Rules and regulations replace grace, and human doctrines often replace the leading of the Holy Spirit. Thereโs less room for the freedom to grow, discern, or speak up.
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Position over relationship โ The focus is often on the title rather than the fruit. Leaders are celebrated for their position rather than their Christlike character or service to others.
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Turf guarding โ Ministries are treated like personal kingdoms. Leaders may guard their โturfโ fiercely, requiring total loyalty and submission, sometimes at the expense of the greater community.
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Male-dominated leadership โ Some top-down models enforce a patriarchal structure that can restrict womenโs ministry roles unless they are under the โcoveringโ of male authority. This emphasis can distort the biblical view of mutual submission and equal participation (Ephesians 5:21).
In this model, authority becomes a power structure rather than a means to serve. It results in a lack of true relationship and a fear-driven culture that seeks control, not community.
Main Point: Let’s examine the fruit, not follow the crowd.
Selah.
TD’S Apostolic Non Religious Views
Drop your thoughts, scriptures, or ministry experiences below. Let’s dialogue, not divide.
ย Saints: “Itโs the Fruit, Not the Persons”
We must emphasize: this is not about hating individualsโnot men, not women, not prophets, not pastors.
This is about discerning the spiritual fruit.
โBy their fruits ye shall know them.โ โMatthew 7:20
It is not about style, race, education, denomination, or gender.
It is about whether the fruit is:
Humble or haughty
Edifying or oppressive
Based on Christ or on control
Grounded in real relationship or built on fear, legalism, and turf-guarding
Apostolic and prophetic ministry should produce love, joy, peace, and maturityโnot suspicion, targeting, cultic hierarchy, or psychic-style โdiscernment.โ
We examine the fruitโnever just the personality, position, or pedigree. This is how Jesus taught us to discern true from false.
Any Questions?
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