Foursquare pastor finds power in the apostolic messages

So instead of enrolling in Bible school, a young Howse studied political science at the University of California. Of course, God eventually had His way. By the time Howse graduated in 1975, his heart was ready to pursue his destiny. Over the next seven years, he and his wife Karen moved from California to Arizona to Iowa, seeking God, getting equipped and equipping others.

Howse, his wife and their two children finally landed in Chicago in 1982, where he took a position as pastor of the Foursquare Gospel

Church of Chicago Heights, part of the Foursquare Church denomination founded by healing evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson in the 1920s. He has since renamed the church Cornerstone Christian Center to establish a fresh and relevant identity in the community.

“Studying McPherson’s ministry influenced me,” Howse recalls, explaining that McPherson used the term “foursquare” to represent the four-fold ministries of Jesus: Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer and Soon-Coming King. “I also attended Kathryn Kuhlman’s meetings down at the Shrine in Los Angeles as a kid. I still have a desire to see our church press into the supernatural, the miracles, signs and wonders. We need to see more of this.”

Since Howse first became aware of the apostolic reformation in the early 1990s, he has been convinced that this move of God will usher a greater dimension of the supernatural into the church. He devoured apostolic and prophetic resources in those days and soon started to identify with the apostolic calling to build the church. Howse began taking the Gospel to the nations in 1994. That’s when God expanded his view of the ministry of the apostle.

"I was functioning in the role of the apostle before I realized the call. I just didn't have a label for it. Prophetic words that were spoken over me, and relationships with other apostles, gradually made it clear that this is what I am," Howse says. This time he did not resist the calling, but that does not mean that transitioning into the apostolic was automatic, either.

For Howse, crossing over to the apostolic began with a new approach to teaching and preaching. He uses words like "militant," "aggressive," and "intense" to describe the change in his approach to ministry. He recalls a greater passion to reach the Chicago area, other parts of the country, and even other parts of the world. The apostolic grace on Howse's life has taken him - and teams from his local church - to Croatia, South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania.

"The apostolic has caused teamwork to develop in our church. We have raised up teams for deliverance ministry and prophetic ministry, and we have sent those teams to other nations to minister," Howse says. "We believe in releasing people to do what God has called them to do here at home and internationally."

Despite changing the name of the church and transitioning it into an apostolic model, Howse and Cornerstone Christian Center remain part of the Foursquare denomination. Howse admits this has been a challenge because the denomination does not fully embrace modern-day apostles and prophets. While there is not an all-out denial of these gifts in today's Foursquare church, the terminology is not widely used.

"Foursquare is starting to use words like 'apostolic works' or 'apostolic ministry,' but the denomination does not identify leaders as apostles. We are identified as pastors," Howse explains. "I see that changing because, for a Pentecostal denomination, Foursquare is one of the more progressive, advancing movements."

It's not as if the denomination is looking over his shoulder, Howse notes, but he has faced issues of wanting to move ahead in apostolic ministry while also participating in the life of his denominational structure. He calls it "an interesting walk."

It could get more interesting before it is all said and done, as a prophetic messenger has announced that Howse will eventually have to make a decision to either stay with the denomination he was raised in or move on in the apostolic. "I am bracing myself for that day," Howse says. "I have also received prophesies about being one who will build bridges between Full Gospel denominations and the apostolic and prophetic ministry. I expect that to happen."

Howse says his church is fully transitioned into the apostolic, though its older members still call him "Pastor Greg." Newer members have dared to call him "Apostle." During the apostolic transition, he says God diversified the church in terms of ethnicity, race and color. Once a predominantly Caucasian church, Cornerstone is now about 70 percent African-American, 15 percent white, and 15 percent Hispanic.

Cornerstone's transition into the apostolic took about seven years, Howse says, noting that leaders should not get impatient and rush to implement drastic changes too quickly because it tends to cause trouble. "If we would recognize the apostolic call and let God deal with us individually and grow in the grace instead of trying to force it on our congregations, it would be a smoother transition," he argues. "It takes time for people to catch on to something new."

Another potential pitfall is leaning too heavily on apostolic or prophetic teachings during the Sunday morning sermon. Howse says leaders who transition into the apostolic often focus their messages on subjects they are interested in, which are apostolic or prophetic. The danger, he says, is in forgetting that the saints still need a Word from God that will help them deal with the practical challenges in their every day lives.

"Keep teaching on finances. Keep teaching on family. Keep teaching people how to navigate the challenges in their lives," Howse says. "And don't get caught up in the drive for titles and positions. There is a place for titles, but we cannot fall in love with titles and positions and become like the Pharisees."

Hungry for more?
Get The Voice magazine. Click here to subscribe or call 954 456-6032.

Read more articles from our online collections by selecting from the categories in the left column.