Q: “In your last newsletter you spoke of not putting asunder what God has put together. I was wondering if that applied to ministry teams as well?”

A: The answer is yes. Jesus put His disciples in teams together before sending them out. After all, we are told in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” We see where Peter and John served as a team, as well as Paul and Barnabas were commissioned as a team to go to the Gentiles. (Mark 6:7; Acts 3:1-10; 13:2-4). Each member’s callings will vary to ensure there is no jealousy or competition among them. They will complement each other as each member recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of the other and many times the strengths of one team member will cover the weakness of the other one and vice versa.

Occasionally, teams will come to a crossroad where there is a separation, but that is based on calling. For example, Barnabas’ ministry was that of discipleship and Paul’s was being an apostle to the Gentiles, and they found their callings colliding in Acts 15:33-40. Barnabas felt they needed to take John Mark with them as a means of training him, but Paul who had already been disappointed by him, had no patience or burden to do so. This difference caused them to go their separate ways. Barnabas took John Mark and Paul chose Silas as his team member. Paul, through his ministry, took other believers alongside of him to either minister with him or train them or both. This includes such people as Luke and Timothy, who he considered a spiritual son, as well as women and married couples such as Priscilla and Aquila which you can read about in Romans 16. I must note that John Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark, was someone who later became a benefit to Paul, and it was because of Barnabas’s faithfulness to carry out his calling of discipling him (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 4:11).

My own experience in ministry verifies this. God put Jeannette and I together 35 years ago. We had the same calling, vision, and heart towards God. He has brought other people alongside of us, many for just a season. We started training Carrie Seaney over 20 years ago and she officially became part of the ministry in 2012. When you consider the three of us with our different backgrounds and giftings, you know it was God who brought us together and has, and continues, to forge us as a team that walks in in agreement. Some might wonder if it has been easy. The answer is, “No,” but each of us will tell you that whatever God ordains, He does all things well.