The world-renowned theologian and scholar shared powerful lessons with CHC leaders and SOT school students.
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| CN PHOTO: Michael Chan | |
C. Peter Wagner is a worldwide expert in the area of raising up church and marketplace leaders who fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). His appointment as the President of Global Harvest Ministries, which trains Christian leaders in foundational ministries, and the Chancellor of the Wagner Leadership Institute, which equips individuals for leadership positions in churches and ministries, is congruent with his vision to influence and train believers to be effective Christian witnesses outside the church.
Wagner has also been involved with global movements of the Holy Spirit, including his efforts in promoting intercessory ministry, apostleship, spiritual warfare and deliverance.
One of the most important 21st century teachings that Wagner developed was on the topic of “Christians in the Marketplace,” which addresses the importance of Christians penetrating the seven pillars of Culture, Religion, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts and Entertainment and Business, in bringing about societal change and transformation. Also known as the cultural mandate, the Christians in the Marketplace teaching encourages believers to excel in their secular vocations outside the church ministry.
In April, Wagner shared at the School of Theology and the CHC Leader’s Meeting on convergence and intercession. He covered “The Clinton Theory of Convergence” at SOT, drawing from J. Robert Clinton’s book The Making Of A Leader. This theory teaches one to make effective use of personal time, talents and energy to achieve maximum fruitfulness.
Most leaders fail at reaching convergence due to a lack of practical know-how. Wagner shared four helpful ways to move towards it: by discovering and deploying one’s spiritual gifts, tuning into one’s temperament, exercising one’s strengths and choosing battles that one can win. The student body was told to be bold in saying “No” to frivolous time-consuming activities and unnecessary distractions.
Said Edmund Ong, 24, a Computer Science undergraduate at Singapore Institute of Management, “Wagner’s perspective on prioritizing one’s resources truly renewed my notion of effective time management.”
At the leaders’ meeting, Wagner expressed a pressing need for intercessors. Drawing from his book Prayer Shield, Wagner illustrated from the battle between Joshua and the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-13), explaining that many Christian leaders are like Joshua: they hold positions of responsibility, accountability and influence, but they are at the same time subject to temptation and spiritual warfare. Therefore, leaders need quantity and quality intercession from members and close friends in the ministry.
Leaders must choose intercessors wisely. “The moment you accept this responsibility, we give God permission to tell our intercessors everything and anything about us,” said Wagner.
He also encouraged intercession for Christian workplace leaders as they have the potential to bring revival, reformation and revival to the society.
Wagner urged leaders to show love, concern and care toward their intercessors. “I always make the effort to drop a mail to my intercessors to thank them for their prayers and support. This way, they will keep interceding for you.” Cell group leader Lee Chern Yih, 23, said of Wagner’s teaching: “All this while, I thought that emphasis is on leaders to intercede on behalf of their members. Now I know that the converse is equally as important.”
