Essentials in Missions: Commissioning Church Leaders

[Adapted from a paper I wrote]
 In Acts 13-14, we see Antioch in Syria as a Church that has leaders with identified spiritual gifts. We also see Paul and Barnabus commit the Churches they have planted to local leadership. Therefore, an established Church looks to equips and identify saints to be either local Church leaders or missionaries.

This does not remove the roles of seminaries or missions agencies. Rather, it puts the primary responsibility for raising up the next generation of leaders in the hands of the local Church.

Two important questions to consider:

1. Does your Church actively identify and commission local leaders?

2. Does your Church actively identify and set apart missionaries/Church planters?