Here is a brief outline of what is involved in the setting up of an apostolic structure in the Church:
1. A church need not have been planted by an apostle. It is often started as the result of the evangelistic efforts of believers who have a zeal for the lost. It may also be started by several believers gathering together for fellowship.
2. This is seen as an example in the Acts, where the original church at Antioch was started by believers who scattered due to the persecution and simple spread the Word as they went.
3. In the case of Antioch, the Church at Jerusalem was considered the spiritual headquarters of the Christian Church, and they sent someone to take charge of the work at Antioch. The man that they sent was Barnabas, who had a pastoral ministry, with a prophetic orientation. He was sent by the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem to take a role of overseer at Antioch.
4. Barnabas later took it upon himself to call in help for the work. A teaching ministry was sorely needed, so he went and found Paul, and brought him back to help in the work.
5. After a season the Church at Antioch was well established under the leadership of elders, and some of these elders also had moved into the Fivefold Ministry. All that was lacking was the existence of Apostles.
6. In Acts 13 the Holy Spirit spoke during a time when the members of the fivefold ministry were gathering to wait on the Lord. At that time the only fivefold ministries which were recognized were the Prophet and Teacher. Once Paul and Barnabas had been set apart as Apostles, there were now Apostles, Prophets and Teachers at Antioch.
7. Now Antioch began to stand as a Ministry Center in its own right, just like Jerusalem. And only now could it begin to function in true New Testament pattern. The full apostolic structure was now in place.
8. Now that Antioch was established as a Ministry Center, Paul and Barnabas were free to leave the work under the leadership of elders who could hold the fort, while they traveled out to different places to establish new churches. The actual work of traveling out was not their apostolic function, but allowed them to carry out their apostolic function once each new church was established.
9. In establishing new churches, we see three distinct stages that were carried out as follows:
(1) Where no church existed, the Apostles preached the Gospel and founded new churches. This required an application of the Evangelistic Ministry.
(2) Once churches were formed, the Apostles appointed elders in each church. This opened the way for the Pastoral Ministry.
(3) To churches that showed promise Paul sent representatives to go and spend time at that location, or he went himself for a season to help establish the work. This resulted in several main ministry centers being formed at those locations.
10. Churches existed at two levels. The highest level was the Ministry Center, which was usually located in a major city or region. Then there were the local churches that met in homes spread throughout the community. When Paul wrote to his churches, he wrote to the leaders of the Ministry Center, knowing that his letter would be distributed to every level.
11. For a list of churches that would have been considered Ministry Centers in the early church, you need simply look at the list of churches to which John wrote in the book of revelation. There were many smaller home churches under the authority of those main Ministry Centers.
12. The fivefold ministry always works from and returns to the local ministry center. So Paul and Barnabas as apostles worked from and were sent out from Antioch. However they returned there after completing their travels, since that was their home location. Prophets, Evangelists and Teachers all are sent forth from the Ministry Center and return there eventually.
13. The only ministry that remains 'at home' is the Pastoral Office. The Pastor is an elder over a region and this can occur at various different levels. So there may be a Pastor of a home church, a Pastor of a local suburb, or a Pastor over a ministry center.
14. The church at Jerusalem was under the Apostolic Leadership of Peter and John, but the local Pastor of that Church was James, the brother of Jesus. Thus when Peter and John traveled out, as Paul and Barnabas did, they left the home center under the authority and leadership of James.
15. The Pastoral Office is in effect the position held by one who is the overseer of a Ministry Center. This is a much higher level than Pastoring a local home church or regional church gatherings.