‘Apostle’ Jan-Aage Torp of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), claims that C. Peter Wagner was the Presiding Apostle of International Coalition of Apostles (now ICAL) from its inception in 1999 until he handed over the broad movement of ‘apostles’ in 2010. Torp claimed he ‘was bypassed by C. Peter Wagner as the leader for ICA Europe in 2002’. ICA Europe was renamed later to European Apostolic Leaders (EAL).
Torp later reported that ‘after 10 years of a seeming apostolic void in Europe, I was given the charge, and Peter is one of my biggest supporters as I do the service for Christ in Europe that I have been called to do’. Read the entire article here.
In the article below, Torp reveals valuable insights as an NAR Apostle. But before we look at the piece, we need to understand that Pentecostalism is not Charismaticism but that Charismaticism is in fact the New Apostolic Reformation.
Jan-Aage Torp teaches us the following:
- C. Peter Wagner was his ‘spiritual father’.
- In 1996 Peter Wagner chose to call the worldwide new reformation, ‘The New Apostolic Reformation’.
- The NAR ‘goes much farther than the classical pentecostal movement’.
(By saying this he has distinguished Pentecostalism from Charismaticism (aka NARismaticism). - The NAR (according to David B. Barrett) ‘will comprise 740 million human beings within the year 2025’.
- The term itself, ‘The New Apostolic Reformation’, is embraced by few apostles, but still we affirm Wagner´s descriptions and values.
- Wagner sees the NAR making changes ‘within denominations themselves, but for the most part they are taking the form of loosely structured apostolic networks’ thus included as ‘new apostolic churches constitute the fastest growing segment’.
So when men like Dr Michael Brown refuse to acknowledge the existence of the NAR and have the audacity to claim it was conjured by nothing more than conspirators, someone needs to point him to articles written by NAR Apostles like the one below.
Jan-Aage Torp writes,
MIGHTY, NEW REFORMATION
A new reformation of the Christian Church is going on in these days around the world, and so far it has barely been noticeable in Europe. But now it is coming full fledge!
My mentor – and spiritual father – Dr. C. Peter Wagner (1930- ) is widely acknowledged as the world´s foremost church growth researcher. Until 1999 he was Professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary in Los Angeles, a school that has even educated many bishops, priests and ministers from Norway, including myself.
In 1996 Peter Wagner chose to call the worldwide new reformation, “The New Apostolic Reformation”. Undoubtedly this reformation is an enforcememt of the pentecostal-charismatic revival, which according to the statistician David B. Barrett will comprise 740 million human beings within the year 2025, making it the world´s second largest Christian movement after the Roman-Catholic Church.
The unique thing about “The New Apostolic Reformation” is that it goes much farther than the classical pentecostal movement and the denominations in the exercise of the Bible message, church structures, and the charismatic dimension.
The term itself, “The New Apostolic Reformation”, is embraced by few apostles, but still we affirm Wagner´s descriptions and values.
Dr. Wagner has formulated the following definition of “The New Apostolic Reformation”:
“The New Apostolic Reformation is an extraordinary work of God that began at the close of the twentieth century, which is, to a significant extent, changing the shape of Protestant Christianity around the world. For almost 500 years Christian churches have largely functioned within traditional denominational structures of one kind or another. Particularly from the 1990s, but with roots going back for almost a century, new forms and operational procedures began to emerge in areas such as local church government, interchurch relationships, financing, evangelism, missions, prayer, leadership selection and training, the role of supernatural power, worship and other important aspects of church life. Some of these changes are being seen within denominations themselves, but for the most part they are taking the form of loosely structured apostolic networks. In virtually every region of the world, these new apostolic churches constitute the fastest growing segment”.
The Lutheran reformation reached Norway in its time. Now we will see a new time of apostolic reformation.
Source: Jan-Aage Torp, MIGHTY, NEW REFORMATION, Europian Apostolic Leaders, http://europeanapostolicleaders.eu/structure/jan-aage-torp-director/director-blog/read3/article/1263831, February 04, 2015. (Accessed Oct 20, 2017.)
Jan-Aage Torp writes,
CHURCHQUAKE!
2017 will show that the New Apostolic Reformation has arrived in Europe
The mighty Apostolic Reformation is an enforcement of the pentecostal-charismatic revival. Dr. C. Peter Wagner has presented why Apostolic Churches are changing the world today! In 2017, it will be 500 years since Luther´s Reformation. That will also show that the New Apostolic Reformation has arrived fullfledge in Europe!
Peter Wagner and Jan-Aage TorpThe statistician David B.Barrett has estimated that pentecostal-charismatics will have reached 740 million human beings by the year 2025. But in the study “World Christian Trends, Ad 30-Ad 2200: Interpreting the Annual Christian Megacensus” (William Carey Library, 2001 – co-author Todd Johnson) Barrett concludes that only 12 percent of this growth takes place in “traditional pentecostalism”, which includes the Pentecostal Movement in Europe. Virtually all dynamic growth happens in congregations and movements that are often called “neo-pentecostal”, “neo-charismatic”, “the third wave”, or as Wagner puts it: “The New Apostolic Reformation”. Even local churches in historical denominations make dramatic changes with the goal of experiencing reformation and growth. It is by no means so that Christianity grows rapidly just because lutherans, catholics and methodists speak a little in tongues, prophesy and pray for the sick. Growth happens with costly consequences of faith!
Professor Peter Wagner wrote 40 years ago the groundbreaking study on the enormous growth of the pentecostal revival in Latin-America: “Look Out! The Pentecostals are Coming!” (Creation House, 1973). Here he introduced the nine characteristics of this growth: 1) Power from on high. 2) The gospel to the people. 3) Church planting. 4) Plant seeds in good soil. 5) Healthy churches. 6) Theological training on the streets. 7) Fun in church! 8) Prayer for the sick. 9) Social involvement.
All of this is still the case in the new apostolic reformation, but it has developed even stronger and more structural, radical characteristics, in many ways different than the seeker-sensitive, low-threshold form of Christianity which many charismatics seem to have chosen.
“ChurchQuake!” by Peter Wagner (Regal Books 1999)1) A new name as an identifying factor that substitutes old labels and denominational terms. Wagner´s suggestion, “New Apostolic Reformation”, seems to be used on most continents, and other names are also used.Peter Wagner published the study “ChurchQuake!” (Regal Books 1999) where he identified nine aspects that characterize this apostolic reformation. It is thrilling to present these aspects that will revolutionize European Christendom when they are received as more than light entertainment in charismatic clothing, but actually will have consequences for our choices.
2) A new authority structure is significant in the worldwide reformation, specifically the great authority that is given by the Holy Spirit to individuals. Even though names such as “apostle”, “prophet”, “pastor” and “evangelist” are boldly used today, the names are not the focus, but the content of the names. We have moved away from beaurocratic authority to personal authority. Locally, the new apostles are often leaders of local churches. New apostolic churches trust their pastors. In traditional structures the trust is placed in committees and boards. Regionally, churches and ministries relate to the leadership of apostles, rather than the bureaucracy and synods of denominations.
3) New leadership training happens through apostolic pastors who want to set the believers free to function in their world. Everyone is equipped to function in their spiritual giftings. New leaders are developed in their church, and lifelong learning is facilitated.
4) New focus on ministry for the present and the future, rather than the present and the past. We are not very preoccupied with our history and past experiences, but we are vision driven.
5) New praise and worship by creating new songs and music, in keeping with contemporary styles. Everyone takes active part in passionate praise, some sit, others stand, and even others move around. We are not performance oriented.
6) New forms of prayer characterize our churches. Ample time is given to unison prayer in our public gatherings. We pray boldly, full of faith, and loudly in our mother tongue and in tongues, and we mix this with our praise and worship. Apart from our public gatherings we have praise marches, prayer walks, and alternating prayer meetings in different venues.
7) New finances that are characterized by the joy of giving – and giving generously. Our giving happens through tithing, holy gifts, and offerings, and taking up the offering is done with joy and excitement. We expect generous giving. Everyone expects to be blessed themselves by giving to God´s work.
8) New evangelization happens with an emphasis on the poor, the needy, and the sick. We evangelize with love and creativity. Church planting is the key to the gospel reaching new categories of people.
9) New power orientation is characteristic of everything we do. We practice healing, casting out demons, prophecy, dreams, visions, acts of faith, prophetic acts, identificational repentance, spiritual warfare, prayer expeditions – and we expect that lives and circumstances are transformed by God´s power!
Undoubtedly the new apostolic reformation represents a worldwide ChurchQUAKE. I see it when I travel to Africa, Asia, Latin-America, and North-America, and the reports from all continents agree.
In 2017, it will be 500 years since Luther´s Reformation. That will alsoshow that the New Apostolic Reformation has arrived fullfledge in Europe!
Source: By Jan-Aage Torp, CHURCHQUAKE!, Europian Apostolic Leaders, http://europeanapostolicleaders.eu/structure/jan-aage-torp-director/director-blog/read3/article/1263811, February 04, 2015. (Accessed Oct 20, 2017.)
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Categories: European Apostolic Leaders (EAL), International Coalition of Apostles (ICAL), New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)