4 Surprising Truths About the ‘New Apostolic Reformation’ Reshaping Modern Christianity

Major shifts in Christian thought and practice are taking place globally, often under the radar of mainstream awareness. While denominations wrestle with declining numbers in some parts of the world, new forms of Christianity are expanding with explosive force. Among the most powerful and rapidly growing of these is a movement that, despite its immense influence, remains largely unfamiliar to the average person in the pews.

This movement is known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Coined by its leading proponent, C. Peter Wagner, the term describes what he called a “second apostolic age” for the Church. The NAR is not a denomination but a loosely connected global force that is reshaping the leadership, goals, and theology of millions of Christians. This article will distill four of the most impactful and surprising truths about this movement, drawing from a deep analysis of its core tenets.

1. It’s a Massive, Decentralized Movement with a World-Changing Goal

The New Apostolic Reformation is not a formal denomination with a single leader or centralized headquarters. There are no official members or membership rolls. Instead, it operates as a global “network of networks.” Each of these networks is headed by a figure recognized by their followers as a modern-day Apostle, who exercises ultimate spiritual authority over the participating churches and ministries within their sphere.

The sheer scale of the movement’s influence is staggering. When considering independent churches with close affiliations to NAR ideology, the movement can claim “a staggering ‘369 million’ participants” worldwide. To offer a single example, Harvest International Ministry (HIM), an apostolic network led by apostle Ché Ahn, includes over 20,000 churches across more than 50 nations.

What unites this sprawling, decentralized network is a singular, audacious goal: to implement “divine strategies for establishing God’s kingdom on earth.” This is not merely a spiritual goal confined to the church, but a mandate to see the world “Christianised” prior to the return of Christ—a mission they are rapidly expanding worldwide.

2. Their Mission is to Conquer the ‘Seven Mountains’ of Society

A core strategy for extending the NAR’s influence beyond church walls is known as the “Seven Mountain Mandate.” This doctrine teaches that for God’s kingdom to be established on Earth, Christians—led by modern apostles—must take control of the seven most influential spheres of society.

These seven institutions, or “mountains,” that apostles are tasked with “conquering” are: government, media, family, business, education, church, and the arts. This mandate is eschatologically driven, drawing a direct parallel to ancient Israel’s divine mandate to conquer seven nations before it could enter the Promised Land. Driven by an eschatology that mirrors post-millennialism, the ambition is nothing less than the complete “Christianising” of the world’s power structures before Christ’s return.

As NAR prophet Johnny Enlow describes the scope of this goal, the aim is nothing short of total societal transformation:

it is God’s plan to use these apostles to “take every social, economic, and political structure of our nations”.

3. Its Entire Foundation Rests on a Contested Interpretation of a Single Verse

The central justification for the NAR’s belief in modern-day apostles comes from key biblical passages, most notably Ephesians 2:20, which describes the church as being “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” The NAR interprets this to mean that apostles must continue to be part of the church’s governing foundation today. As C. Peter Wagner stated, he believed God “left the nuts and bolts of building the Church to the leadership of apostles and prophets.”

However, this interpretation is heavily contested. A significant critique argues that the apostles and prophets mentioned in Ephesians were a unique, unrepeatable group—namely, the original Twelve apostles and figures like Paul. In this view, they laid the church’s foundation once for all time. This critical view argues for a logo-centric model of apostolicity—meaning the apostles’ authority continues not through a succession of people, but through their foundational teachings preserved in the logos, or the Word of God in Scripture.

This critical perspective holds that the very idea of restoring the apostolic office is a misreading of the New Testament’s intent for church leadership.

Any idea of perpetuating or restoring apostleship as an official office is totally foreign to the New Testament and to Christ’s intention for His church.

4. Its Theology Creates a Clever ‘All or Nothing’ Trap for Believers

One of the movement’s more subtle and strategic claims involves the classification of “apostleship.” The NAR presents it as a spiritual gift (a charisma), placing it in the same category as other gifts like prophecy, teaching, or healing.

The strategic implication of this is profound. For Christians who believe that spiritual gifts continue today (known as “continuationists”), this framing creates an “all or nothing theology.” The choice presented is to either accept the validity of all spiritual gifts, including modern apostleship, or to reject them all. This can place believers in a bind, feeling that to deny modern apostles would be to deny the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit.

The counter-argument is straightforward:

• The New Testament never explicitly calls apostleship a spiritual gift (charisma).
• Apostleship is the only “gift” that required specific, unrepeatable credentials, such as being a direct eyewitness to the risen Christ.
• Therefore, it is entirely consistent to believe in the continuation of charismatic gifts while also believing the unique, foundational office of apostle ceased after the foundational era of the church.

This tactic effectively reframes the debate in a way that pressures believers to accept the NAR’s foundational premise.

by including ‘gift of apostleship’ as a charismatic gift, the NAR is imposing upon continuationists an ‘all or nothing theology’ in relation to the spiritual gifts – either God is giving all the gifts today (including apostleship) or He is not giving any.

Conclusion: A New Paradigm or a Departure?

The New Apostolic Reformation is a vast and highly influential movement driven by a mission to transform global society. Its rapid growth is fueled by a belief in modern-day apostles who govern the church and are called to conquer the key spheres of culture. Yet, this entire structure rests on a contested interpretation of Scripture and employs theological frameworks that critics find problematic.

The rise of the NAR presents a critical challenge to modern Christianity. As movements like it continue to grow in influence and power, the church is faced with a pressing question: How can it distinguish between genuine, pioneering innovation and a rejection of the true apostolicity found not in new offices, but in fidelity to the Scriptures?