Discipleship Movement 
A
term applied to the teachings and persons coming from the Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, Shepherd's Church. Sometimes referred to as the Shepherding Movement, it
represents a specialized group within the charismatic movement that arose in
the early 1960s. It also has older roots in the Pentecostal
movement that began in the United States in 1900. The principal teachers in the
movement have been the leaders of the Fort Lauderdale congregation, including
Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson, Derek Prince, Don Basham, Ern Baxter, and John
Poole. The official name of their organization is Christian Growth Ministries,
and its major publication is New Wine magazine.
The
concept of discipling is related to the goal of encouraging and measuring
growth in Christian discipleship through the behavioral change that would
result from a consistent application of biblical principles to personal and
corporate Christian living. According to Mumford, the shepherd is to nurture
discipleship through a three-part program, including baptism by water,
discipleship by a man "commissioned by God," and acknowledging the
abiding presence of Christ with the shepherd (or disciple marker) and his disciples.
Mumford advocates avoiding spiritual independence that would lead to religious
anarchy in favor of embracing the yoke of Christ as a symbol of discipleship.
In
a typical Discipleship community, household fellowships gather in closed weekly
meetings. Often the leading shepherds in a community have been directly trained
by one of the above-named leaders. The members are often obliged to submit to
covenantal norms, such as tithing, (in others words "Keeping the
law") obedience to the authority of the community (which also may have
authority in the area of male-female relationships), and the requirement of
job-holding for all but married women.
The
leaders of Discipleship Movement have extensively expressed their views on
their roles. They are frequently concerned with the integrity of the shepherds,
especially their motivation to serve God uncompromisingly, and with the need to
develop disciplined Christian leadership for shepherding communities that can
withstand moral oppression and economic havoc from the contemporary society.
Not seeking to found a new denomination, they emphasize the realization of the
kingdom of God that transcends existing ecclesiastical structures. They often
picture their role in military terms, as captains of the Lord's army. They
expect opposition from the contemporary society and often pray for divine
strength to endure in the midst of an alien world.
A
chief biblical text for the movement is the reference to pastor-teachers in
Eph. 4:11, which designates for them a man "called and equipped to give
oversight and care to God's people." Discipling is seen as a comprehensive
word that denotes a God-given authority. Each shepherd understands that he is
to give account of his stewardship to the chief shepherd. Just as Jesus
regarded few of the professional religious leaders of his day as true
shepherds, so the leaders of the Discipleship Movement often find unacceptable
the ministry of those who are exercising ecclesiastical authority over people
in their day. This criticism recalls that of Christian sectarian leaders in
past history, such as Montanus, the Spiritual Franciscans, the Anabaptists, and the pietists.
The
criteria for effective discipling also include the avoidance of selfish
preoccupation with power and personal status, in line with the admonition in I
Pet. 5:1-6. In addition, there is the responsibility for shepherds to equip the
saints for ministry. This involves instructing and admonishing each member in
public and in private.
Discipleship
communities include those designed for celibate persons and for families.
Covenantal norms frequently include poverty, or the renunciation of
self-centered aims and self-provision, and yieldedness, or obedient reliance
upon God through submission to the headship of the community leaders through
whom Christ is to rule. In addition, communal sharing of lives and possessions
is often emphasized, in accordance with Acts 4:32. Such communities view
themselves as living on the frontiers of Christian commitment, although
evangelism may be limited to shepherds, who are regarded as being spiritually
mature. Common activities in discipling communities include corporate worship,
prayer meetings, and the Lord's Supper; administration of these group
activities is under the authority of an apostolate, a term that often refers to
the total group of shepherds in a given community.
In 1975 response to the Discipleship Movement
precipitated a controversy within the charismatic movement as a whole as
several charismatic leaders, including Pat Robertson of the Christian
Broadcasting Network, expressed public disagreement with the Fort Lauderdale
group. In December of that year a representative group of pastors, teachers,
and leaders met in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a theological and pastoral
evaluation of the controversy. This group agreed that much of it had resulted
from poor communication and misunderstanding, and that the real differences
that existed were within the bounds of the variety permitted in the body of
Christ. Subsequent charismatic leaders' conferences have been held, such as the
Oklahoma City meeting in 1976, that have sought to achieve reconciliation among
the parties to the dispute.
Some critics do not believe that the
Discipleship Movement is operating according to biblical principles, pointing
out that Scripture teaches all Christians should submit to one another (Eph.
5:19-21). Some oppose the amount of control exercised by shepherds over such
matters as the choice of a mate and the decision to have children. The movement
is not always regarded by these critics as a cult, since it accepts the
essential beliefs of Christianity, including the Trinity, Christ's incarnation
and resurrection, salvation by grace through faith, and authority of Scripture.
However, it is objected that the hypersensitivity and secrecy often to be found
in the movement, even to the point of disallowing discussion of its doctrines
and practices with others outside the group, tend to raise questions in
people's minds.