Throughout the world, God continues to pour out rivers of refreshing, streams of spiritual renewal and restoration. Church leaders are being awakened to the newness and freshness of living in the power of the Holy Spirit. And as they experience the fullness of Christ’s person, living out His life, they are compelled to seek out others who share that same passion.
God has raised up such an interdenominational fellowship of Christian pastors and ministers. The FOURSQUARE ASSOCIATION exists with the goal of nurturing and discipling Spirit-filled men and women, who will lead healthy congregations and ministries in declaring Jesus Christ as Savior, Healer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and Soon-Coming King. The focus will be the expansion of the Kingdom of God “on earth as it is in heaven,” resulting in a harvest of souls and in the spiritual growth of its leaders.
The Foursquare Association is designed to be a learning community through which training, resources and other discipling tools can be shared. Personal and ministry accountability will be achieved through the continuity of relationships and governance as deeper involvement in the association occurs. Networks will be established to enhance the availability of needed resources.
FOUNDED WITH A PASSION
From its spiritual roots, The Foursquare Church has been “dedicated to the cause of inter-denominational, worldwide evangelism.” Founder Aimee Semple McPherson foresaw the Body of Christ moving intentionally to fulfill Jesus’ prayer in John 17:22: “that they may be one.”
In her book, The Story of My Life, Sister McPherson writes: “A ministerial conference was held for the purpose of banding together the laity and clergy in America who held and practiced the Foursquare Gospel message. The new fellowship, born of a spirit of unity and prayer, was to be known as “The Foursquare Gospel Association.”*
In the eight decades that have followed, The Foursquare Church has remained a major catalyst of interdenominational networking. In every part of the world, its leadership is actively and intimately involved in groups such as the Pentecostal World Fellowship, the various Bible Societies, the National Association of Evangelicals, and others.
In the fall of 2005, Pastor Jack Hayford met with the executive officers of The Foursquare Church and proposed that we consider building a bridge of interdenominational ministry by re-establishing the Foursquare Association. He believed that the Lord’s hand was strongly upon our movement and that He was returning us to recapture some of the DNA of our beginnings, namely a Kingdom mindset that would serve the Body of Christ at large.
Since then, we have met with many groups for counsel. Those include the National Church Council, the International Board, the Executive Council (supervisors and superintendents), the Cabinet, the Bylaw Committee and others. We have sought feedback, cautions, confirmation and wisdom! The result has been solid affirmation of a call upon The Foursquare Church to serve as a bridge, helping accelerate the gospel by connecting and networking like-minded ministers.
We have instituted a number of processes that will help ensure common values, mission and beliefs as we seek to fulfill a prophetic opportunity for our movement. Fall 2007 we will launch the COMMUNITY and CREDENTIAL levels of the Foursquare Association, both of which will require sponsorship from Foursquare district and divisional leadership.
LEVELS OF INVOLVEMENT
LEVEL ONE – COMMUNITY: The Community Level is a fellowship where like-minded ministers may connect with Foursquare in an informal relationship that is primarily based on shared values, doctrine, and mission. It is an opportunity to strategically share resources and network ministries to form stronger alliances to expand God’s kingdom. This level of commitment contributes positively to the spiritual development of ministers.
LEVEL TWO – CREDENTIAL: The Credential Level will provide a formal covering, spiritual oversight and a mentoring-based process for the credentialing of ministers who do not have a present appointment within the Foursquare movement. It allows for support of fruitful and qualified persons, whose life and ministry have been exemplary within the Christian community and who are sponsored by other Foursquare leaders.
GOALS AND SCOPE OF THE FOURSQUARE ASSOCIATION
The Foursquare Association focuses on resourcing ministers presently outside the Foursquare movement by:
- Providing a spiritual covering
- Connecting them with a network of discipleship resources and relational opportunities
- Creating a ministering and nurturing environment where they can flourish, prosper and accelerate their ministry gifts and contributions
- Networking them with other ministers to expand the Kingdom of God
- Offering mentoring events to strengthen their contributions to the Body of Christ
AN INVITATION FOR FELLOWSHIP
We welcome comments, questions, and inquiries about becoming affiliated with the Foursquare Association. Visit www.foursquare.org/association for more information.
* McPherson, Aimee Semple, (1951), The Story of My Life, Echo Park Evangelistic Association, p. 180
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By: Glenn Burris Jr, general supervisor
