A Review Of History From Dr. Bill Hamon
As the Church faces a new century and new movements of God, how will it respond? Dr. Bill Hamon claims, “When this occurs [a new movement], some of the pastors and denominational leaders will take a neutral attitude, ‘Hold steady; do nothing; wait and see.’ Others will accept the new truths and ministries and incorporate them into their own teachings, ministry, and ways of worship, but some will reject and condemn the movement.
Those who do not like the movement and want nothing to do with it will find examples of ministers or members who have been confused or hurt by their involvement in the movement to prove that it is not of God. They will also focus on little phrases or particular teachings of the leaders of the movement and make them sound unscriptural, out of order or cultic. Those who oppose and persecute the movement will declare publicly that it is not of God and forbid their members to participate. The leaders of past movements, independent groups, and denominations will finally issue an official document declaring that this movement is not condoned by them and is therefore not of God. Those who were leaders of God’s established order until the new movement came along are the ones who fight what is new the hardest.1”
So why do I, the author of this blog, propose the five fold as the next movement of God. Hamon takes a historical view at this proposal. Hamon has charted the change produced by the Restoration Movement since its inception in the 1500s with the Reformation.1
Year Restoration Movement Major Truth Restored
1500 Protestant Movement Salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8,9)
1600 Puritan Movement Water Baptism, separation of Church and State
1700 Holiness Movement Sanctification, Church set apart from the world
1800 Faith Healing Movement Divine healing for the physical body
1900 Pentecostal Movement Holy Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues
1950 Latter Rain Movement Prophetic presbytery, praise and worship
1960 Charismatic Movement Renewal of all restored truth
1970 Faith Movement Faith confessions, prosperity
1980 Prophetic Movement Prophets and gifts of the Holy Spirit
With this Hamon also teaches that in each of the last five decades of the twentieth century, one of the five fold ministries (Eph. 4:11) has been reemphasized or restored, and certain Biblical truths and ways of worship have been reactivated in the Church by the Holy Spirit.2
Decade Five Fold Ministry Movement/Revival
1950’s Evangelist Deliverance Evangelism
1960’s Pastor Charismatic Renewal
1970’s Teacher Faith Teaching Movement
1980’s Prophet Prophetic Movement
1990’s Apostle Apostolic Movement
I, the author of this blog, have personally experienced the effects of all five of these movements during my life time. Because of the institutional mentality of the church, I have seen the church make “offices” out of the five fold, usually held by positions of leadership, usually the senior pastor, bishop, staff, etc., not the grass roots laity. When there is a movement of God, it affects the grassroots of every believer, the priesthood of believers, not just the institutional hierarchy. This, I believe, is the biggest change to Hamon’s chart. God’s Spirit through this next move of God will continue to be upon all flesh. (Acts 2)
I believe the Holy Spirit is shaking out, developing, teaching the five fold as passions and points of view that, when equipped, developed, and released, can bring maturity in individual believers while bringing unity among the five if they are willing to “lay down their lives for their brethren.” (I John 3:16).
The five fold will bring accountability to the Church unlike it has experienced since the first century because its foundation is on “service”, different passions “serving” each other and receiving the “services” from each other. This accountability is based on “relationship” not on hierarchy of position of power or influence.
I agree with Kent R. Hunter and Dr. Bill Hamon that the wind of change, the wind of the Holy Spirit, is blowing, and we are seeing just the beginnings of the next great move of God upon the 21st Century Church.
1 Dr. Bill Hamon, Prophets and the Prophetic Movement: God’s Prophetic Move Today (Shippensburg, Pa: Destiny Image, 1990), 107.
2 Ibid., 44-45.