The priorities of prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4) are foundational to a network of pastors that will host several gatherings in 2012. This new national movement hopes to encourage pastors across denominational lines to “say no to the distractions of lesser demands,” and instead focus on the core priorities of New Testament church leadership.
Daniel Henderson, cofounder and national director of the 6:4 Fellowship for pastors, traces the genesis of the movement back to a conversation in 2007 with Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. As they talked of the need for pastors to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word, “Jim felt it was the single greatest need in our nation,” recounts Henderson. “As pastors go, so goes the Church. And as the Church goes, hopefully so goes the culture.”
Both Henderson and Cymbala believe revival is crucial for the future of our nation. “It’s to be remembered,” says Cymbala, “that all revivals in the history of the Christian Church that have shook towns, cities, and countries, have all begun with people saying, ‘We can’t take what is anymore. We’ve got to ask God for something fresh—let’s pray.’ And God answers!”
Pastors Encouraging Pastors
The 6:4 Fellowship is a pastor-to-pastor community that exists to encourage, equip, and connect pastors in the priorities of prayer and the ministry of the Word. The movement is led by current and former senior pastors—all proven practitioners of Acts 6:4. National directors include Daniel Henderson, Dave Butts, Dennis Fuqua, and Phil Miglioratti. Cymbala serves as a national cochairman.
Members of the 6:4 Fellowship can access a broad array of resources, including interviews, book reviews, timely messages, up-to-date blogs, webinars, and conference calls designed to equip and encourage pastors. In addition, national and regional conferences are scheduled for 2012 as gatherings of “other like-minded leaders who are resolved to settle for nothing less than a major spiritual revival in our land, cultivated through extraordinary prayer in our churches and the uncompromising proclamation of the life-giving truth of God’s Word.”
“We believe,” says Henderson, “that when pastors kick back to the heart of Acts 6:4, that everything changes because we tap in once again to the supernatural source of high-impact leadership. Supernatural things will then occur in our lives and in our churches.” A national conference for pastors will be hosted May 18-19, 2012, in Indianapolis, IN. Regional conference cities include Austin, TX; Tampa, FL; Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN, and Calgary, Canada.
For information on conferences and the 6:4 Fellowship, go to 64fellowship.com.
