Description
With this book in your personal library, you’ll have one of the most comprehensive books ever written on the contemporary apostolic movement. More than a power reference tool, this book is a step-by-step guide to restoration.
This work traces its roots from the first Century church and how the protestant reformation eventually catalyzed the modern restoration movement back to the Way of Christ and His apostles.
As a practitioner scholar, Joseph Mattera also presents a blueprint for how to build effective local and national networks. This is a must read for those interested in understanding the New Testament pattern for congregational life, church planting, missional movement building, and for those who desire to understand the fastest growing expression of the global church.
“As one who has studied apostolic ministry for over twenty years, I am delighted to endorse and recommend this book by Joseph Mattera. His insights into the Global Apostolic Movement rightly connects the dots pointing to God’s saving mission through Jesus Christ. He understands that apostolic ministry is not about elevating gifted people or their ministries; rather, apostolic ministry is about pointing to and proclaiming the One who is already elevated on high. Rooted in sound exegesis, a comprehensive understanding of church history, and wise analysis of modern culture, this is an important book that will help keep us focused on the mission and goal of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
-Dr. Doug Beacham, International Pentecostal Holiness Church, General Superintendent and Presiding Bishop.
“In this dissertation-turned-book, Dr. Joseph Mattera has gifted the church with years of dedicated study on the nature and purpose of apostolic ministry. Loaded with good scholarship and research, this book will prove exceedingly helpful for people trying to faithfully recover the role of the apostolic person in the contemporary church. Highly recommended.”
- Alan Hirsch, award winning writer of books on missional spirituality, leadership, and organization including The Permanent Revolution, 5Q, and The Forgotten Ways. Founder of Movement Leaders Collective and Forge Missional Training Network.
“Most studies of the modern church lack understanding of today’s apostolic movements. As a leader in this movement, Joseph Mattera provides his firsthand perspectives. He provides clarity on how many of these apostolic networks function and offers forthright challenges where many can function more biblically, working to bring more mature balance by reconnecting Word and Spirit.”
-Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary.
“Joseph Mattera’s, The Global Apostolic Movement and the Progress of the Gospel, is a helpful addition to the knowledge regarding the Apostolic Network movements. I found great wisdom, insight, and clarification on important issues related to the Apostolic movement. There was lots of gold in the footnotes and in the bibliography. So many questions are addressed in the work and there is a lot of insight and wisdom. One difference I have with the author would be the following two sentences. “One valuable resource that I recommend is a book written by two solid Christian scholars, R. Douglas Geivett and Holly Pivec. The helpful book, A New Apostolic Reformation gives honest and scholarly insights into the high-profile NAR leaders, while examining their teachings.”
“I intend in the future to publish a book that disagrees sharply with the conclusions of Geivett and Pivec. I did not find their book to be helpful, instead found it to be misrepresentative in some aspects and not scholarly insights into some NAR leaders which they named, myself included, who they did not interview to make sure they were reflecting accurately their positions.
“But this endorsement is for Mattera, not Geivett and Pivec so I will return to The Global Apostolic Movement and the Progress of the Gospel, overall, I liked Mattera and have found him in personal conversation to have a lot of wisdom and insight into the apostolic movement. I appreciate his humility and his language addressing the difference between office and function or office and gift. I believe his book will be helpful for those desiring to learn more about the apostolic movement. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it.”
-Randy Clark, leader of the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening, president of the Global Awakening Theological Seminary, author of Intimacy with God and forty-seven other books.
