Five Things We Will Learn
- Why many apostles, prophets, and evangelists have historically been forced into pastoral roles for financial survival.
- How Scripture—especially Hebrews 7—reveals God’s order for spiritual oversight and provision.
- The distinction between local church tithing and apostolic oversight funding.
- Why accountability and spiritual fathering are essential to apostolic finances.
- How restoring biblical support structures can free apostles to plant, care for leaders, and advance the Kingdom.
A Needed Reset in How We Support God’s Servants
In a May 30, 2002 letter, Ken Sumrall, an apostolic father to me in the Lord, addressed a long-standing tension in the modern church: the way apostles, prophets, and evangelists are supported. His concern was not theoretical. It was pastoral, apostolic, and deeply practical.
For generations, many who were clearly gifted beyond the role of local pastor felt compelled to become “senior pastors” simply to survive financially. While some traveled, held meetings, or maintained dual roles, the underlying structure often limited apostolic freedom. Brother Ken believed this was not God’s design—and that the Church needed to rethink its assumptions.
Why the Fivefold Often Gets Stuck
Brother Ken acknowledged that some apostles successfully traveled while serving as senior pastors, and that others managed through offerings and meetings. Yet he asked a piercing question: Can we really believe our present methods of support for the fivefold ministry are God’s way?
His conviction was that apostles are meant to plant, oversee, counsel, and send—functions that require freedom of movement, time, and spiritual availability. When apostles are locked into maintaining institutions for financial reasons, the Church loses something vital.
Tithing, Oversight, and Spiritual Fathers
At the heart of Brother Ken’s letter is a careful distinction. He affirmed that ministers serving under a senior pastor in a local congregation should tithe into that local church. That, he said, is God’s way.
However, he also taught that ministers who serve under apostolic oversight should tithe into an apostolic fund—or ensure that their tithe is designated within a church budget to support the apostolic ministry overseeing them. This was not about control or legalism, but alignment and provision.
Brother Ken emphasized that such funds must be stewarded with accountability. Apostolic fathers, he wrote, should appoint trusted teams to provide wisdom and input regarding how funds are used. Spiritual authority, in his view, always walks hand in hand with transparency.
Hebrews 7 and God’s Pattern of Provision
Brother Ken urged leaders to prayerfully study Hebrews 7, where Scripture presents the tithe flowing to those who exercise spiritual oversight. His challenge was not to enforce a rule, but to rediscover a principle: God provides for those who carry responsibility for others’ spiritual lives, families, and ministries.
In this light, tithing becomes more than a transaction—it becomes participation in God’s order. Provision enables ministry. Support releases movement. Alignment invites blessing.
Freedom Fuels Multiplication
Brother Ken shared personally that tithes and offerings allowed him to travel, to host the Secret Place for ministers needing counsel and rest, and to continue publishing Chit Chat [his newsletter]. Without that support, those apostolic functions would have been severely limited.
Yet even here, his tone remained pastoral rather than prescriptive. He stated plainly that he did not intend to be legalistic. Instead, he expressed confidence that God opens “the windows of heaven” when His people align with His ways—without condemnation, pressure, or manipulation.
A Gentle Call to Rethink Our Structures
This letter was not a demand; it was an invitation. Brother Ken asked for input, dialogue, and prayerful consideration. His desire was to see apostles freed, churches strengthened, and ministers cared for—not burdened.
More than two decades later, his words still speak clearly. If the Church is to see healthy planting, true spiritual fathering, and sustained apostolic ministry, it must be willing to examine not only who we send—but how we support those God has sent.
Endnote
- Ken Sumrall, letter to ministry leaders, Ken Sumrall Ministries, May 30, 2002.