Rev. Neil Steven Lawrence, M.Div. 
Revelation 19:10b “…For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
When a believer testifies about Jesus, in whatever capacity: preaching, teaching, evangelizing, witnessing to their neighbor, etc. they are operating in the spirit of prophecy.
The simple fact is, without the ministry of apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, pastor, etc. the Church could not exist. In order for the church to exist these ministries must be in operation. Therefore they have never ceased even if we don’t call people by these titles, they are still operating in order for the Church to even exist!
I have been in ministry since 1988 and an appointed Church of God Missionary since 1991. I have been teaching at a Bible school in Kenya since 1993 (since 1999 at Bachelor level). I have done 184 large-scale Gospel evangelistic meetings with my Gospel Team in Kenya & Uganda, East Africa. Preaching and teaching through out East Africa through a TV program since 2015. I have also preached and ministered in 350 mission services raising our support in the USA.
I don’t call myself an evangelist or an apostle or a prophet. Some people do call me an evangelist and a teacher and sometimes even mistakenly call me pastor. It doesn’t matter to me. But, there’s never been a time when doing ministry where I did not operate in prophecy. Almost every time when I am speaking to people on the street or to my students or Gospel Team members or preaching in a Crusade or praying – a fresh word flows out of my mouth! This causes me to know I am operating in the spirit of prophecy.
The definition of prophecy is two-fold:
1. “Forth–telling“ – speaking forth the things of God.
2. “Fore-telling“ – speaking about the future.
My perspective is that 99% of the time when prophecy is operating in the Church body it is forth–telling. Fore-telling is very rare and more often than not it’s only a confirmation of what a believer has already understood or heard.
To imagine otherwise is to slip into the realm of manipulation, deception, fortune-telling and false prophecy. People who call themselves ‘prophets’ and practice a style of ‘automatic’ fore-telling over another believer are dabbling in dangerous territory. They are usurping ‘strange fire.’ Telling someones future is what shamans and fortune tellers do, not those who operate in the gift of prophecy provided by the Holy Spirit.
Prophecy based on Scriptural standards is definitely in operation daily and throughout history in the Church. By extension the same thing can be said about the other ministries listed. If you see that a church has been planted, know that the ministry of apostle has been in operation. If you see that someone has been won to the Lord, know that the ministry of evangelism has been in operation. Etc. etc..
Sadly, the various branches of ministry are often neglected and deemphasized in the Church. This is proven by the lack of support and funding of church planting and evangelism. People “put their money where their mouth is.” And they speak what’s in their heart. Having a mission service once a year may not be enough to fulfill the Great Commission. Billy Graham said, “The world will never be won to Christ by what we can conveniently spare.” Telling people they should evangelize but then never going outside the four walls to proclaim the Eternal Gospel to the community is “dumbing down” the most powerful message on the planet!
Spending the lion share of church finances on in-reach and neglecting out-reach is proven by where the tithe (or approved salary) is dispersed. Pastoral ministry, by it’s nature is nurturing, comforting, encouraging, protecting, etc. in emphasis. To train up and unleash the army which is the Church we must spread the prophetic, evangelistic, apostolic anointing by supporting it.
I teach Biblical Stewardship seminars all over East Africa and emphasize the tithe. But I have never received a tithe in ministry since we began in 1988. Since my wife and I were married in 1986 we have never missed a month of bringing our Tithe into the store house! I believe the tithe does belong to those who are doing ministry; and this truth can be shown from Scripture. Currently only the pastoral level of ministry is recognized as being worthy of support in relation to the tithe. Perhaps this inward stance is contributing to the “professionalization” of ministry.
Instead of thrusting people out into the world to prophetically proclaim the Word of Truth we are contented to enjoy our ‘love-feasts’ cloistered in the sanctuary. If people think ministries like evangelism and prophecy are always done by “someone else” or just the pastor, perhaps our “structures of comfort” are contributing to this conundrum? Yes, prophecy is alive in the Church, but maybe it’s the “structures of comfort” which are obscuring it from being more widely in operation among the Body, to the point people doubt its operation.
