THE VOICE interviews Prophet Marc May

God has been raising up apostles for the past decade. Still, much of the Body of Christ does not have a clear picture of what the apostolic reformation is all about, how it differs from past moves, and what role believers play. The truth is that Jesus gave the Church some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11). The restoration of apostles is more than just a move. Apostles carry a grace that the Body needs to build a glorious church without spot or wrinkle; a grace to prepare the Bride that Jesus longs for.

THE VOICE caught up with Apostle Marc May, founder of Violent Faith Ministries in Durham, N.C. to discuss what opportunities and challenges believers are facing in this transitional time in the Body of Christ.

THE VOICE: What distinguishes apostolic and prophetic believers from other Christians?

APOSTLE MAY: Apostolic and prophetic believers are participators and not spectators. By embracing the apostolic, believers begin to manifest the apostolic dimension in Mark 16:17: “These signs shall follow them that believe.” We believe that in the name of Jesus we can cast out devils; speak with new tongues; and lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

THE VOICE: What is the biggest hindrance to apostolic and prophetic believers?

APOSTLE MAY: Tradition and religion. Mark 7:13 says, “The word of God is made to none effect because of your tradition.” Holding on to tradition through religion is the biggest hindrance. Then there’s the old order. God is raising up Davids, but the old order – that Saul spirit – wants to kill the Davids.

THE VOICE: How should apostolic and prophetic believers respond to these challenges?

APOSTLE MAY: Be confident and know that this apostolic and prophetic reformation is not a fad. It’s here to stay. Once you know that this is what the Lord is speaking to you then you must begin to sell out to it and do all you can to bring reformation into the local church. You need to pursue that. There is a transforming process that we have to go through as leaders in order to bring the believers with us.

THE VOICE: Why is the restoration of apostles and prophets so important to the Body of Christ? What do these two gifts add to the church?

APOSTLE MAY: It’s about the grace on the lives of apostles and prophets. Ephesians 2:20 says the church is built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets. There is governing authority that rests with the functions of apostles and prophets that is not upon evangelists, pastors and teachers. This governing authority has the ability to counteract the spiritual governments in the kingdom of darkness.

THE VOICE: How can believers benefit from the grace of the apostle?

APOSTLE MAY: In the early ‘90s when we began to recognize that apostles were being restored, many leaders thought apostles were only to act as a covering for other ministries or churches. But the dimension of the apostle is much greater than a covering aspect. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 3, apostles are wise masterbuilders. But they not only help establish churches they also help establish believers in their destinies. Apostles bring identity to believers and bring clarity to their role as believers. Apostles let believers know that they are not just pew warmers, but they can actually do the work of the ministry. And apostles build platforms for believers to do the work of the ministry.

THE VOICE: How can believers benefit from the grace of the prophet?

APOSTLE MAY: One of the graces on the prophet’s life is his ability to see into the future. People know that prophets carry the word of the Lord. The prophet releases the word of the Lord – the heart, the will, and the mind of God – for that believer for that moment, for that hour, or for the future. The prophet brings direction. But that’s just one aspect. The prophet also helps to bring identity. Prophets may reveal to you by the Spirit of God who you are and what your purpose and function is. Prophets also interpret the oracles of God. The prophet has the ability to bring out the mysteries that are in the Word of God. Ephesians 3:5 says that there are mysteries that have been hidden in other ages but are now revealed through His holy apostles and prophets. So the two graces bring revelation to Scripture that we did not previously have.

THE VOICE: Why should prophets submit to apostolic oversight?

APOSTLE MAY: Prophets have a tendency to be so free flowing and so prophetic that sometimes they lack structure and boundaries. Apostles bring balance and stability into a prophet’s life and ministry.

THE VOICE: How does this apostolic reformation differ from past movements?

APOSTLE MAY: Historically, every move of God has always believed that it was the group that would usher in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers in every movement prior to this always believed they were getting ready to leave. In the apostolic and the prophetic, it’s not about getting out of here. It’s about occupying. It’s about taking over. It’s about having dominion and authority. It’s about equipping the believers to do the work of the ministry. It’s about going into all the world to preach the Gospel. After we have taken the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth then we can make ready a Church that is without spot, wrinkle, blemish or any such thing, one that will be ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We understand that every prior move was a steppingstone to get us where we are now. What we learned from the healing evangelists, what we learned from the Latter Rain Movement, what we learned from the Word of Faith Movement, what we learned from the Charismatic Movement, what we learned from the Prophetic Movement. These were all steppingstones to bring us to this point. The Apostolic Movement is restoring the Church to its former state and even building upon that because the Word of God tells us that the glory of the latter house will be greater than the glory of the former house.

THE VOICE: Not everyone is a five-fold ministry gift. What role do believers who are not apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers play in the apostolic reformation?

APOSTLE MAY: The awesome thing is that there is a role for every believer in this apostolic move. This is not a one-man show. It’s not about any particular organization or denomination. It’s not about any particular network. But it is about relationship. There is a place in this work for every believer.

THE VOICE: How do apostolic churches impact their territories?

Most apostolic churches that I know of are not very large, but they are very effective. An apostolic church, which is a governing church in whatever region it is established, is doing more than warring and praying and preaching messages to its congregation. What is released affects the whole region. The affects are made known in the spirit whether or not it is recognized by other assemblies in the community or in the region.

THE VOICE: How is the apostolic changing you, your ministry, and your perspectives?

APOSTLE MAY: Like every leader that is embracing the apostolic, it must first change you. Our minds must be transformed. What we thought we knew we have to admit that we don’t know. The things that worked for us before, we have to admit that they are not going to work any longer. You have to be open to new things. You have to recognize that what is happening is not going to be centered on you or your church. You have to look at the big picture, at the Body of Christ as a whole. Embracing the apostolic has increased the anointing in my personal ministry. We are seeing more signs and wonders. We are seeing more miracles. We are raising up prophetic teams and evangelistic teams, and we are doing more than I could do alone. There is an excitement amongst the people.

THE VOICE: What do you believe lies ahead concerning the apostolic reformation?

APOSTLE MAY: I believe we are going to see established leaders begin to embrace this Apostolic Movement. In the ‘90s we saw an influx of bishops. Many leaders are doing the work of apostles, but would rather have that user-friendly title “bishop” because it is more acceptable, but I really believe that God is urging many of them to embrace the apostolic ministry.

I believe we will begin to see an increase of the signs and wonders and miracles that come with the apostolic church, which we read about in the Book of Acts. We will begin to see visible manifestations of miracles. Like the Davids I alluded to earlier, we will begin to see leaders that no one has known emerge from the background and into the forefront. They will begin to be recognized as spearhead leaders of this time. I believe we will see men and women raised up that have integrity and will not bring a reproach to what God is trying to establish through apostolic ministry. I also believe that we will begin to see more apostle-and-prophet teams rise up.

On the other hand, you will find those who are going to jump on this apostolic bandwagon and proclaim themselves to be apostles. Revelation 2:2 warns of false apostles. There are many that will claim to be apostles but we are going to find out that the fruit is not wrought in their lives or ministries. We need to watch for the emergence of these pseudo-apostles who could damage the credibility of this apostolic reformation.

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