Restoring the Church

The so-called 'Charismatic Renewal', which began in the 1960s, transformed many people's experience of God. People from many diverse backgrounds were baptised in the Holy Spirit and found themselves speaking in tongues and prophesying. They longed to express their newfound love for God with fresh enthusiasm and intimacy in worship.

This new wine required a new wineskin. Many existing church structures could not contain this new life and so radical changes were needed, changes that would entail a work of restoration.

Rebuild the Ruins

Restoration is a biblical principle. Throughout scripture we read of God's dealings with His people to restore them to Himself, both individually, and corporately. The book of Nehemiah graphically illustrates this process. Jerusalem, which had been glorious in Solomon's day with its temple filled with God's glory, had fallen into decline. It was time to return to rebuild the ruins of the city and the house of God.

Similarly, in the New Testament, the early church in Jerusalem was flooded with God's presence and the new temple, made up of living stones, was being built together. Tragically, over the centuries the church has suffered decline and confusion. There have been waves of recovery, including such major breakthroughs as the 16th century Reformation, with its recovery of justification by faith. Believer's baptism and the Pentecostal Awakening of the last century have also been restored.

The Body of Christ

God's ultimate purpose is that the church should become a 'mature man' (Eph. 4:13), a body with all it's members functioning. In Ephesians 4 Paul describes how God has purposed for this to be accomplished through the gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers.