Titles

Dr. Gilbert

Tuesday, September 22

7:00 am

Dr Daniel & Mary Beth Gilbert

`In my last two posts, we looked at how an unbalanced “Culture of Honor” creates a vacuum for deception, and the public responsibility we carry as leaders when we platform someone who goes astray.

Titles don't make leaders — character and accountability do.

Today, I want to address the glorification of titles. 

What about titles? Honoring them is not the problem; Glorifying them is.

It is godly to honor a person’s function. But a culture has emerged where two titles above all others have been elevated to an almost untouchable status: Apostle and Prophet.

I believe in the five-fold ministry. I believe God still raises up apostles and prophets for the building up of the Body. But when a title becomes glorified, it can become a shield for hiding behind.

I’ve seen it too often: a leader stands up and because he carries the title “prophet” there is the expectation that people should follow their leadership based solely on their title.

The Authority of the Local Church

Here is a principle I have taught over and over again, because I have seen it violated in the rural areas and the city churches alike: There is no higher human authority in a local church than the pastor of that church.

I don’t care what title someone carries or how large their platform is. When they walk through the doors of a church, they are under the authority of the shepherd God has placed over that house.

I often use this example: Imagine an apostolic leader who has planted ten churches over a decade. He now functions as an apostle over that entire fellowship. And yet, when he visits one of those local churches, he is not automatically in charge. Unless he is specifically invited to lead or preach, he is under the authority of that local pastor.

I have been in so many meetings where a stranger with a title was allowed to take over and squander precious, holy moments. The pastor said nothing because they were afraid that saying “no” would be seen as “touching the Lord’s anointed.”

But I tell pastors this: If you didn’t invite them, you are under no obligation to accept them. Your first responsibility is to protect your sheep.

The Courage to Say “Stop”

In my own pastoring, I’ve had to have the courage to say “no.” I remember times when someone we didn’t know would stand up to give a “word” or a public tongue. I would look at my leaders, and if I had a “check” in my spirit, usually they did too.

I’ve had to say, “Sir, stop. Stop right now. The leadership and I do not believe this is a word from the Lord.”

When you do that, you aren’t “quenching the Spirit.” You are shepherding. I found that when I explained why we were testing the word, people—even those from non-charismatic backgrounds—felt they could trust us. They felt secure because they knew their pastor was actually watching over their souls.

Self-Appointed and Unaccountable

The danger today is the rise of self-appointed apostles and prophets with no accountability. They have no vetting, no covering, and no local church that actually knows them. They simply declare their title and expect “carte blanche” access to your platform.

True honor goes both ways. If I am invited to your church, I must honor you.

Let us stop “massaging” each other’s titles and start looking for humility and teachability. A title does not make a leader; character and submission to the local body do. Let’s be a people who love the Truth more than we love the “anointed” titles of man.

Selah,

Dr. Daniel & Mary Beth