The divine design of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are divine assignments and empowerments in the body of Christ for individuals who accept Jesus Christ as Lord.

“Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that, miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” 1 Corinthians 12:27-30.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit position every believer in Christ Jesus to fulfill a particular purpose on earth within the Body of Christ, also called The Church.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit bring Functional Unity to the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12-21 compares the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ to members, or parts, in the human body.

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-21

Every serious believer belongs to the Spiritual Body of Christ and has received at least one Spiritual Gift from God to contribute to the benefit of the entire body.

How do we define unity between the members of our biological bodies? How can we express unity between the eye and the foot? Both the eye and the foot function for the entire body’s benefit. Their unity is based on their aptitude to function, not for their benefit but for the benefit of the whole body.

Functional Unity is God’s design for how each member of the Body of Christ is supposed to function for the entire body’s benefit. Different Spiritual Gifts from multiple Christians must complement each other, just as body parts are part of our physical bodies. Promoting this divine design will help the Church on Earth transcend denominational divisions and increase unity among believers based on their understanding that their Spiritual Gifts are more effective as they actively team up with believers with different Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ. Believers in Jesus Christ who function according to the “Functional Unity in the Body of Christ” can draw closer to one another and complement each other in serving Christ.

 Promoting this divine design will make the Body of Christ stronger and better prepared to see the manifestation of the unity that our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for in John 17 before returning to The Father.

A practical example of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and Functional Unity is Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke.

Reinhard Bonnke was an Evangelist who led many ministerial crusades through Africa. During his evangelical crusades, he faced the need to organize his ministry throughout numerous African countries. Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke was always ministering within a team that possessed the full range of Spiritual Gifts and unity beyond the differences of their varying Christian denominations that kept them tied together. This example is a case of Functional Unity: Wherever in Africa the Holy Spirit sent him to preach The Gospel of Jesus Christ, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke used his Spiritual Gift and easily connected to other spiritually gifted ministers regardless of their denomination.

Through the evangelistic organization “Christ for All Nations,” which he founded in 1974, Evangelist Bonnke brought millions to Jesus Christ. In every country, he always managed, during his crusades, to connect new believers to pastors of Christian denominations involved in preparing and supporting the campaign. After a crusade, he ensured each new believer found a spiritual home to grow in Christ.

He always presented the crusade as a non-denominational and purely Christian event. During the preparation of each evangelistic crusade, his ministry team involved ministers and teams from the various local churches well in advance. For at least a month, in collaboration with local ministers, he invited most of the church denominations in the country he was visiting to participate. Most churches were involved somehow, and each church willing to participate needed to appoint delegates for the crusade.

He always had a workshop for the pastors of the churches involved in preparing the crusade. Bonnke took this pastors’ workshop very seriously. He is often cited as having emphasized, “Pastors are the key to the future situation.” This activity assured him that those who believed would grow in the knowledge of Christ.

This brief synopsis demonstrates that in the ministry of Evangelist Bonnke, there was a functional connection between the evangelist and the ministers who held ministry gifts from the Holy Spirit (Apostles, pastors, doctors, administrators, and more) for the campaign’s success and lasting legacy well beyond.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Functional Unity: David Christian Network International

David Christian Network International (DCNI) is a Global platform for disciples of Jesus Christ worldwide. DCNI promotes all Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ and Functional Unity in the Church. Unity in the Body of Christ is a reason for our Lord Jesus Christ’s prayer in John 17.

Since 2022, DCNI implemented activities promoting Functional Unity and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Africa (particularly Cameroon) and Pakistan.

In Cameroon, non-denominational activities for evangelism involve ministers with diverse gifts of the Holy Spirit throughout cities and villages. In every town, the concept of Functional Unity is presented before Cross Evangelism programs with believers and denominations that want to participate in this vision of Functional Unity in The Body of Christ. Participating ministers can immerse themselves in all outreach programs within the DCNI Network. Collaboration among Christ’s disciples, church denominations, and ministers based on their gifts of the Holy Spirit and natural talents is improved.

We expect more members of the body of Christ in Cameroon and all African countries and continents to participate.