The early church was built on the foundation of apostolic ministry—a model where leaders were not confined to one place but traveled, planted churches, raised leaders, and spread the Gospel across nations. This dynamic, fast-growing movement transformed the world, leading to the rapid expansion of Christianity. However, in modern times, many churches have become static, local-focused, and centered around individual pastors, losing the global vision that characterized the early apostles.
Dag Heward-Mills has restored the apostolic model of ministry, demonstrating that Christianity thrives when leaders embrace evangelism, church planting, missions, and raising leaders for expansion. Through his ministry, he has revived the idea that church leaders should not only pastor local congregations but should actively work to expand the Gospel into new territories. His work has led to the establishment of thousands of churches, the training of countless leaders, and the spread of Christianity across multiple continents.
Taking the Gospel Beyond Local Boundaries
Many pastors today build large congregations but remain in one location, focusing only on growing their home church. While this approach can lead to strong local ministries, it often limits the spread of the Gospel. Dag Heward-Mills teaches that pastors must think beyond their local city, nation, or continent and take on the apostolic responsibility of expanding Christianity worldwide.
His church movement, the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches (UD-OLGC), is a practical demonstration of this apostolic vision. Instead of building one megachurch in a single location, he has trained leaders and sent them out to plant churches globally, ensuring that the Gospel reaches new communities, nations, and cultures. This model closely follows the New Testament approach, where apostles traveled, preached, and established churches in different cities, creating a network of believers across various regions.
Training and Sending Leaders for Apostolic Work
The strength of an apostolic ministry lies in its ability to train and send out new leaders. One of the main reasons many churches do not expand is that they do not prepare leaders for missions and church planting. Dag Heward-Mills has solved this problem by creating a structured leadership training system, equipping men and women to serve as pastors, evangelists, and missionaries.
Through his Anagkazo Bible and Ministry Training Center, he has developed a consistent flow of trained leaders who are ready to take the Gospel beyond their home churches. These leaders are taught how to evangelize, establish churches, disciple new believers, and manage ministry work effectively. Because of this continuous training and deployment, his movement does not suffer from leadership shortages or slow growth. Instead, it keeps expanding as more leaders are trained and sent into new territories.
Restoring the Apostolic Emphasis on Missions
Apostolic ministry is closely linked to missions and evangelism. The early apostles were passionate about spreading the Gospel to nations that had never heard it before. Dag Heward-Mills has revived this passion, ensuring that his ministry is not just about maintaining existing churches but about constantly expanding into unreached areas.
His Healing Jesus Campaigns are a perfect example of this apostolic spirit. These massive evangelistic crusades take the Gospel to cities, towns, and villages, ensuring that thousands of new souls hear about Jesus for the first time. After each crusade, new churches are planted, and pastors are assigned to disciple the converts, ensuring that the work of ministry continues long after the event is over. This approach guarantees sustained church growth and the long-term impact of evangelistic efforts.
Conclusion
Dag Heward-Mills has restored the apostolic model of ministry, proving that churches must go beyond local growth and embrace global expansion. Through his focus on church planting, leadership training, and large-scale evangelism, he has ensured that the Gospel reaches new nations, new cultures, and new generations.
His work challenges pastors and church leaders to think beyond their current location and embrace the responsibility of multiplying churches and training leaders for international missions. Christianity thrives when it follows the apostolic model of continuous expansion, and his ministry is a clear demonstration of how the modern church can return to its biblical roots.