Open AccessArticle

The Widening, Deepening, and Lengthening of the Seven Mountains Mandate (7MM) Network: The Role of Network Apostolic Leadership

Fernando Mora-Ciangherotti

Biengineering and Applied Biophysics Group, Sartenejas Campus, Caracas 1086, Venezuela

Religions 2024, 15(11), 1363; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111363

Submission received: 10 October 2024 / Revised: 5 November 2024 / Accepted: 6 November 2024 / Published: 10 November 2024

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Christian Leadership: Exploring the Theological, Biblical, and Social–Scientific Foundations and Applications)

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Abstract

This article describes the leadership and organizational elements that have made the Seven Mountains Mandate (7MM), one of the main doctrines of the Apostolic Restoration Movement (ARM), a very adaptable, simple to explain, and feasible to implement message and portable practice, which can be started at the local level and expand progressively to acquire regional and national dimensions. A new classification of apostolic networks is proposed in this article and a partial map of some of the networks that participated in the expansion of the 7MM is presented. Additionally, using definitions from network leadership theory, it is shown how different types of leaders, who function as horizontal connectors in apostolic networks, such as conveners, catalysts, mobilizers, facilitators, weavers, provocateurs, illuminators, hosts, and curators, contribute to the diffusion of the 7MM by promoting its global Widening, Deepening, and Lengthening (WDL). The article first describes the evolution of the church from denominations to networks and how the ARM adopted the network organizational structure that serves as a channel for the diffusion of the 7MM. Cases from the USA, Guatemala, Zambia, and Venezuela are used as examples to demonstrate how the 7MM’s expansion, or Widening (W); its contextualization and adaption, or Deepening (D); and its sustainability, reproduction, and evolution, or Lengthening (L), occur globally based on the network nature of the ARM and the network leadership enacted in the process.

Keywords:

apostolic networks; New Apostolic Reformation; religious networks; Seven Mountains Mandate; network leadership

1. The Network as Organizational Structure

Manuel Castells (2011) defines a network as “a set of interconnected nodes”, where each node is a crossing point for the elements that propagate through the network, which varies depending on the network’s reason for existence. Each network has a specific structure that determines the intensities of the links among the different nodes that make it up. In general, networks tend to be open structures capable of expanding without limits with the addition of new nodes, with the potential to modify their configurations (i.e., topologies), replace nodes, cancel the influence of some, and even interconnect with other networks through nodes that function as gates (i.e., interfaces). This kind of structure radically reorganizes power relations compared to classical hierarchical bureaucratic structures (Castells 2011). This is a radical change in mindset that leads to a form of ecosystem thinking in which the strengths of relationships become fundamental and all nodes in the network play a role in the overall organizational structure (Ehrlichman 2021).

The value of any network depends on the number of its connections and its morphology; that is, the more it expands, the more powerful it will be, producing what is called the network effect (Iansiti 2021). Thus, creating networks according to desired goals, projects, and interests; finding appropriate topologies and structures for them; and expanding their numbers of nodes and links are the goals of most networks, which Castells identifies as network-making power (Castells 2011). The creation of a network is a process by which the identity and culture of the network are defined, requiring a particular kind of leadership that can sustain this process by communicating effectively the ideas, visions, goals, and projects that will be exchanged in the network and which will promote relationship building and cooperation. However, such a definition is not enough if the network effect does not come into play, and for this to occur, leadership that works to expand the network, create bridges or links with other networks with similar goals, and establish cooperation with networks that are complementary and provide access to other areas of influence is required.

The interest in networking as a form of organizing has been around for quite some time (Podolny and Page 1998). However, there is scarce literature in the field of religious networks, especially regarding the characteristics of the emerging leadership in this type of organization. In the case of Evangelical and Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches (EPCCs), the most widespread form of organization has been based on the traditional denominational structure. In the last quarter of the 20th century, with the advent of church growth methodologies, more independent churches and megachurches were started by entrepreneurial pastors from all theological and ecclesiological backgrounds, who pioneered the use of new strategies for evangelism and growth adapted to the massive cultural changes that society was experiencing, in what are called new paradigm churches (Ibarra and Gomes 2022). This push for growth has been quite significative in the Global South, particularly in Latin America, a traditionally Catholic continent, where the percentage of evangélicos among the population reaches 30% (Pérez Guadalupe 2017). During the first part of the 21st century, a growing trend toward the adoption of networked structures among independent EPCCs was started. Denominations began to lose importance, apart from the mere legal representation, and networks became the most common channel for inter-leader or inter-church relationships and collaborations. Today, many of the largest megachurches in Latin America are associated with multiple networks (Mora-Ciangherotti 2022).

The recent emergence of the movement called the Seven Mountains Mandate (7MM) has drawn the attention of researchers and journalists, because churches have used the 7MM to establish new missions in the political arena. However, the 7MM has been possible because of the widespread expansion of the Apostolic Restoration Movement (ARM), a term that serves to classify thousands of neoapostolic churches, which claim that governance of the church by apostles and prophets has been restored. For this reason, this article begins by focusing on ARM networks of apostolic leaders and their churches. It attempts to connect ideas based on organizational and sociological understandings of networks and the theory of network leadership to describe the new forms of church leadership that are emerging in the ARM and which need to be theologically and ecclesiologically defined for this new type of religious organization. To grasp how the ARM movement expands, is contextualized, evolves, and is sustained globally, the recent diffusion of the 7MM is used as an illustrative example in the last section.

2. Networks in the New Testament and Beyond

For many Bible scholars and church historians, a reticular type of organization can be found in the genetic code of the early church (Lord 2012). The early church spread in the Roman Empire, with the aim of fulfilling the mission of preaching the gospel to all of the world, through a network structure (Collar 2013), which lead to the Christianization of the Mediterranean lands (Sweetman 2022). A common question is whether this networked structure was a temporary step, some form of “scaffolding” that would be replaced by a more formal and permanent design (Roberts 2020). Xavier Pikaza (2001) studied the transition from networked communities to a hierarchy, with the presiding episcopal figures at the top of the pyramid, which started even in the pastoral letters of the New Testament, where the process of transforming local servants into functionaries of a nascent structure began. This institutionalization process progressively transformed the church into a hierarchical structure, evolving over time into a denominational system that was quite successful for Protestantism during the 19th and 20th centuries.

From the beginning of the 20th century, criticism of denominationalism was severe, since it exacerbated ethnic, racial, regional or national, and social class divisions (Ammerman 2000). Despite this criticism, denominations created very large mechanistic organizational structures well suited for efficiency in predictable and stable environments. This organizational form, which flourished in the USA, was adopted all over the world, leading to over 45000 denominations in 234 countries, many of which started in countries in the Global South such as Brazil or Nigeria. However, the rigidity that formalization through norms and protocols created provided little possibility of adaptability to the rapid changes that came, especially from the 1960s onwards. For this reason, many megachurches, groups of churches, and some denominations started to modify their organizational structures to cope with societal changes (Weaver 2020), shifting to a more adaptative network mindset (Gibbs 2000).

The implementation of diverse forms of networked Christianity was fundamental for the expansion of Pentecostalism during the early 20th century (Robbins 2004). According to Joel Robbins (2009), ritual exchange facilitated the formation of networks and their consequent global expansion. Examples of these “rituals”, “transposable messages”, or “portable practices” (Csordas 2009) abound in the different Pentecostal theologies and practices that have been developed over the last 50 years. As a result, the idea of a type of independent Pentecostal/Charismatic church, that had the freedom to experiment with new theologies and practices, without denominational ties, became prevalent during the later part of the 20th century. For these churches, the creation of networks was a natural development for progressive Pentecostal churches, which “tend to associate with networks of like-minded church leaders… relate to each other on the basis of affinity rather than geography” (Miller and Yamamori 2007, pp. 207–8).

3. The Apostolic Restoration Movement (ARM)

The Apostolic Restoration Movement (ARM) is a networked organizational paradigm that evolved from Pentecostal/Charismatic churches that started to believe that the time for the restoration of the apostolic government of the church had arrived. In other words, ARM churches hold the idea that the restoration of the governance of the church is in the hands of a five-fold ministry made up of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists based on Ephesians 4:11. This kind of ministerial team, with apostles and prophets as the main leaders, was a feature of the Latter Rain Pentecostal movement and the Shepherding Movement in North America in the 1950s and 1960s, but it was not widely implemented by Pentecostal churches. In the meantime, some theologians and writers kept in mind the idea of a five-fold ministry, stating that the prophetic office was going to be restored in the 1980s and the apostolic office in the 1990s (Hamon 2003). But it was C. Peter Wagner who ended up coining the phrase “New Apostolic Reformation” (NAR) to describe the new movement that would flourish during the 21st century (Wagner and Deiros 1998). Although transitioning to an NAR-style apostolic church government became a distinct form of evolution for many independent Neo-Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, today, it is not the only possible ecclesiology for the implementation of the restoration of the apostolic in the church; for this reason, the more general ARM acronym is used in this article to refer to the emergent apostolic church government paradigm.

Networks of ritual exchange in areas such as intercession and spiritual warfare, deliverance, apostolic alignment or spiritual covering, contemporary worship music, expectancy of revival manifestations, cell groups, prosperity theology and wealth transfer beliefs, and ideas of dominion theology1, as well as other novel doctrines and practices, served to consolidate the ARM. Christerson and Flory (2017) preferred to use a broader term to refer to apostolic networks, calling the movement Independent Networked Christianity (INC). INC networks are not formed by churches but by their apostolic leaders, who attain “their legitimacy and influence based on the ability they demonstrate to access supernatural power to produce signs and wonders” (p. 11). The dimensions that these apostolic networks acquire are striking. For example, among those investigated by Christerson and Flory, only the network Harvest International Ministries (HIM) reports on its website that it has some 25,000 associated ministries in 65 countries2, all under the apostolate of Che Ahn, with minimal supervision, because the affiliation is “voluntary and relational” (Christerson and Flory 2017, p. 56).

The origin of the NAR can be traced to the spiritual warfare movement (SWM) in the 1980s, which produced a large network of prayer and intercession groups, as well as a variety of initiatives around the world. Wagner considered that the SWM needed a new ecclesiastical figure, the apostle of the city or of the country, or territorial apostle, a field marshal, seasoned in spiritual battles, and with a unique vision for the territories to be conquered (Wagner 2002). The apostle was seen as a leader chosen by God (Wagner 2006) to equip the saints, cast visions, govern, lead strategic spiritual warfare, plant new churches, become an ambassador of the Kingdom of God to society at large, and to align with other leaders to gain dominion over the spheres of religion, family, education, government, media, arts and entertainment, and business (Resane 2016). Wagner also imagined apostolic networks as a family of local churches that gathered and reported around an apostle but keeping the size of the network to a manageable level (no more than 100 churches) (Wagner 2000). Therefore, there would be many apostolic networks in each city and country, organized and led by apostles, “who would relate to each other as equal leaders in a family of networks” that would expand globally (Wagner 2000, p. 152).

Through the years, the expansion of the ARM has been triggered by spiritual awakenings and revivals, as well as numerous projects of spiritual warfare and the strategic spiritual mapping of cities on the five continents, which generate a multiplicity of points of contact between independent churches, networks of ministries, and congregations of different denominations that are searching for a refreshing of the spiritual life and the Christian mission (McClymond 2016). Such experiences of immersion in new spiritual realities loosen denominational ties and multiply new relationships, expanding the social networks of leaders and generating new alliances and associations. Additionally, the planting of apostolic centers (churches that provide apostolic training and send church planters, see Gagné 2024, pp. 32–35) became an important priority for the ARM (Kay 2006b).

After more than 20 years of the development and sophistication of these apostolic networks, the results, in terms of diversity and complexity, are surprising. Some of the main aspects of the ARM ecclesiology, which define the characteristics of the new networked leadership of 21st century apostolic churches, are summarized as follows:

An apostolic leadership with the power to “make decisions at the highest levels”, leaving aside the idea of an ecclesial democracy and establishing a lifelong, single charismatic authority over the church (Wagner 2000).
This apostolic leadership receives authority directly from God to establish the foundations of an ecclesiastical government based on what “God is saying to the churches” through them, as well as through the prophets, the other restored office.
A chain of command is established with the apostles at the top. Followed by the prophets, who provide new revelations that need to be interpreted and implemented by the apostles. In turn, pastors, evangelists, and teachers submit to apostolic coverage (Resane 2016).
The apostles, although they receive their authority from God, must be publicly recognized as such through the laying on of hands by other apostles and prophets. The public recognition of the apostles ensures their authority within their congregations and apostolic networks.
It is accepted that apostolic authority can be transferred or “imparted” from one generation to the next, even among family dynasties, in the purest manner of reigns or family businesses (Wagner 2000, p. 98).
An apostle is considered a father who “begets” spiritual children (Pfeifer 2014), whose “patriarchy… gives him legitimacy and, incidentally, authority and respect” (Campos 2009, pp. 46–47). Those who align themselves with this type of spiritual heritage enter a “dependence and submission to the command, vision and commission of an apostle” (Campos 2009, pp. 93–94).
Apostolic leadership expands its reach through the formation of networks, chains of churches, voluntary apostolic coalitions, or “networks of networks”, aligning, gathering, and submitting, around the figure of a recognized apostle, who presides over them and provides coverage.

4. Network Apostolic Leadership

Since its beginnings, the Church Growth school held that, for a church to grow, it must have a strong leader, a kind of patriarch, who would exercise spiritual authority without fear of power (Wagner 1981, pp. 61–76). Donald Miller (1997) later observed that “the senior pastor set the vision and defined the spiritual culture of the institution”, usually overriding committees and democratic procedures, or openly participatory processes within their churches. Meanwhile, Thumma (2005) pointed out that growing churches are mostly the product of a skilled spiritual leader, whom he called a “spiritual innovator/entrepreneur”. Hirsch (2017) suggested that apostolic leaders act as pioneers, designers, innovators, entrepreneurs, visionaries, movement-makers, and paradigm shifters. In addition to these views, the ARM radicalizes the idea of the existence of a special anointing of authority of the apostolic figures and the other four supporting offices (prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists), creating an elite of leaders that receives authority directly from God, overruling boards, presbyteries, general assemblies, voting, etc. Something that strongly differentiates this type of church leadership from the classic Presbyterial, Episcopal, or Congregational definitions.

William Kay (2006a, pp. 239–56) identified a pattern of apostolic network formation that emerges from large congregations or megachurches, around which other smaller churches that have been planted or adopted decide to associate under the leadership and covering of the main apostle, who directs the umbrella congregation. In this case, an alignment network with a pyramidal configuration tends to form but without becoming completely a bureaucratized denomination. Kay also recognized the possibility that an itinerant apostle could link several small churches under their umbrella until the network gains some notoriety or even interconnects with other networks based on central congregations or megachurches. The main type of apostle that Kay identified was, as called by C. Peter Wagner (2006), the vertical apostle, because they provide coverage to churches, ministries, and individuals that join their network. They operate with authority within their own network or megachurch but can also be an apostle that exercises their apostolic office in a specialized area of ministry such as, for example, strategic spiritual warfare, women ministry, or as a leader in the marketplace.

A second pattern of apostolic network formation is the open expansive connection network, which offers a relational type of interaction. In this case, a second type of apostle who assumes governance of apostolic networks are, as called by C. Peter Wagner, the horizontal apostle. This role requires individuals who excel in the relational leadership qualities necessary for healthy network governance and expansion, but who, at the same time, have the same anointing of authority as vertical apostles. In these emerging global apostolic networks, C. Peter Wagner (2006, pp. 85–101) envisioned the establishment of a Spirit-led network leadership structure that could allow “divergent groups to coexist and cooperate without an obligation to model themselves on one another” (Bialecki 2016). The idea of the existence of a class of apostolic leaders that function at a horizontal level is a way to acknowledge that networks require a special type of leadership that can coordinate and provide direction to different nodes and hubs in the network. A network is not a leaderless organization, instead, it requires a special kind of polycentric, shared leadership. For this reason, in networked organizations what is sought, in theory, is the collective and concerted action of the network, without the existence of people or organizations that establish themselves as owners or dominant, while participation and adherence to network rules occur in a purely voluntary fashion (Antivachis and Angelis 2015).

In a connection network structure, an array of new apostolic leaders that do not have direct parallels with New Testament apostolic archetypes is included, creating a new nomenclature for these emerging ecclesial leaders. The new taxonomy of networked apostolic leaders include (P. Marzilli 2019) the following: convening apostles, who coordinate conclaves among peers and establish relational links between different apostles and ministry leaders; ambassadorial or itinerant apostles, who are in charge of sowing and catalyzing apostolic movements in different regions of the world; mobilizing apostles, whose role is to recruit and mobilize large groups of Christians for specific causes and projects; territorial apostles, who are called to lead and cover specific geographic regions, whether countries, states, or cities, where other networks are formed according to the mission defined for that region; and sectoral apostles, who provide leadership and coverage to Christians who are spread throughout different areas of society, such as government, politics, health, universities, industry, commerce, the financial sector, or the media, where new networks are also formed and adapted to the sphere of influence in which they will function (Budiselic 2008).

Two other types of apostolic networks, which are very important because they provide connections and possibilities for the crosspollination of ideas, allowing the worldwide spread of the ARM, can be identified as follows:

Mobilization networks, which are usually organized around very specific ministry goals, requiring the participation of multiple actors. A mobilization network can be a step toward the creation of many apostolic networks due to the connections that are created around a specific goal. This is why, according to Weaver (2020), the NAR “is largely the product of the AD2000 & Beyond movement”, a mobilization network started in 1989 to develop the early concepts of the spiritual mapping and warfare movement (F. Mora Ciangherotti 2022), as well as the evangelization of the 10/40 Window3, from Northern Africa through the Middle East to Asia. To achieve such an impressive goal, AD2000 implemented a decentralized and networked structure to organize massive campaigns and events, which mobilized millions of intercessors (Holvast 2009), creating the breeding ground for the apostolic networks that would follow over the next decade.
Specialization networks, which are formed to share or distribute a ministry’s methodology that has been systematized in such a way that it can be transferred and applied in different contexts. Examples abound, such as networks that exchange evangelization methods, discipleship programs, healing and deliverance ministries, or worship music production styles, usually applying a franchise methodology with strict agreements or covenants to use and distribute the methods and products. Usually, the method is presented as a revelation given to an apostolic figure who becomes an expert on the subject. As the method is shared and distributed, a religious brand develops. These networks provide an entry point to other larger connection, alignment, or mobilization networks and, therefore, contribute to the growth of apostolic networks.

Table 1 contains an overview of the four types of apostolic networks with several characteristics, such as the type of apostolic leadership, definition, desired network effect, role of apostolic leadership, benefits of belonging or the goals of participation in the network, type of accountability, and names of some apostolic networks in each category. Table 2 expands on the descriptions of the four networks that exemplify each type of network defined.

Figure 1 presents a map of the intricate links between the multiple connection, alignment, mobilization, and specialization networks around the world that are mentioned in this article. The map was built taking as the epicenter the following nine apostolic leaders that belong to the mobilization network Empowered 21 global council: César Castellanos (G-12 Network), Heidi Baker (Iris Network and Revival Alliance), Omar Cabrera Jr. (AOXV and Iglesia Visión de Futuro), Teo Hayashi (Dunamis Movement/The Send Brazil), Bill Johnson (Bethel Church Network), Cash Luna (La Casa de Dios and Guatemala Apostolic Council), Andy Byrd (The Send/Youth with a Mission), Cindy Jacobs (Generals International), and Che Ahn (Harvest International Ministries). The map only shows the links based on reported events, conferences, projects, activities, and declared alignments, anointings, or ordinations. Several references were used to build the map such as the works of Christerson and Flory (2017); Geivett and Pivec (2014); Aquino Becerra (2021), who compiled the biographies of an extensive list of Brazilian apostles, as well as more than 600 in the rest of the world; Wilkinson (2016); P. R. Marzilli (2018); Campos (2014); Alves (2011); Kay (2016); Klaver (2019); Gagné (2024); (Holvast 2009); Clarkson and Gagné (2022); Chetty (2013); Naidoo (2016), as well as information taken from the web pages of the different networks mapped.

Unfortunately, it is just a partial and incomplete view, since the fabric of apostolic networks at this moment in history is quite dense, complex, and globalized. It is practically impossible to map all existing connections and discover the main nodes and connectors of this immense network of leaders. The linear and pyramidal idea of denominations, with their doctrinal and theological silos, belongs to history. Denominational churches, little by little, only retain the label but derive their practices and align seeking coverage from one or several of the thousands of existing networks. Even entire denominations have become apostolic networks and interact with other similar networks around the globe (Clifton 2006). Let us turn our attention to the characteristics of the network apostolic leadership found in ARM churches that allows for such expansion to keep evolving and expanding.

5. Apostolic Networks and Network Leadership Theory: An Approximation

This new network ecclesiology, based on horizontal apostles, requires the development of the characteristics of what has been called in the literature network leadership (NL). Strasser et al. (2022, p. 2) define network leadership as “a distributed practice performed by a range of individuals and organizations who support and enable transformative capacity development in networks”. This definition assumes the emergence of a form of plural, shared, or collective leadership within the context of a non-bureaucratic social system that is based on relational ties that connect actors who are bound by a common purpose. Moreover, this view challenges the “individuality of leadership” (Endres and Weibler 2017), focusing more on the complex and dynamic patterns in leadership relations, interactions, interdependencies, and influences among a variety of connected leaders, which go beyond positional or formal leadership definitions and which trespasses the classical leader-follower differentiation (Carter and Dechurch 2012). However, despite the widespread growth and importance of networks as a contemporary organizational structure, for the most part, the research about leadership processes and expressions in networks remains at its infancy (Endres and Weibler 2020). As a result, little is known about the different leadership types that coexist simultaneously in a network, how leadership is enacted by multiple connected actors, and what are the leadership patterns, behaviors and practices that can be recognized at the network level (Endres and Weibler 2020).

Apostolic leadership in networks is a new type of ecclesiastic leadership that has no parallels with the classical presbyterial, episcopal, and congregational leadership types that were characteristic of Protestant churches until recently (Adams and Harold 2023). In this regard, it would be very valuable to determine what aspects condition the development of apostolic leadership in networks. Based on the work developed by Whitehead and Peckham (2022), the following four dimensions for the development of leadership in networks can be identified: understanding networks, convening power, leading beyond authority, and restless persuasion. Let us apply these dimensions to the case of apostolic networks to try to understand how leadership is enacted in these novel ecclesiological structures. First, based on the lack of efficiency of denominations to fulfill the mission of the church in contemporary times, the ARM understood early on the need for apostolic leaders to join in networks to do together that which individually was impossible. Thus, an understanding of the networked nature of Christianity became an important dimension of horizontal apostolic leadership, which progressively became a factor deeply involved in the creation, nurturing, caring, and preservation of apostolic networks. This has led to an adaptable global structure that reconfigures itself dynamically, is always open to new connections and to crossing borders, and in which all actors retain their autonomy and goals but are willing to pursue the missional objectives of the network. In this case, apostolic network leadership must emerge collectively from the network, often changing its characteristics and roles over time. Secondly, the convening power of network apostolic leadership refers to the capability of the ARM to mobilize existing denominations, churches, and movements based on a vision or a belief that guides the network. This convening power is developed by horizontal apostles through finding, facilitating, or building spaces of interaction, by creating powerful narratives that connect people around them, and, through the deepening of interactions beyond mere information gathering, to reaching the point of engaging at a level that allows for working together. This convening power is not leader-centric but, on the contrary, seeks the participation of multiple horizontal apostles that influence other apostolic leaders to participate in the network. Within the ARM, the development of the convening power of network apostolic leadership represents a paradox in dealing with the duality of the heroic leader-centric view of vertical apostles, in contrast with the collectivistic nature of the network leadership traits required by horizontal apostles. Typically, apostles come from organizations or churches that they have started from scratch and where they possess the authority to command people to act according to their vision and mission. However, when it comes to apostolic networks, they need to lead in a collaborative, plural, and decentralized way. Thus, the third dimension, leading beyond their positional authority, requires the development of a form of relational leadership that allows apostles to transform the narrative and connections at the center of their network into concrete practices, actions, and results that influence other apostolic leaders, promote connections, and facilitate further expansion. Finally, implementation of the three previous dimensions is quite difficult in the face of challenges, misunderstandings, and opposition, requiring time to mature. For this reason, Whitehead and Peckham (2022, p. 215) suggest a fourth dimension, restless persuasion, which “denotes a disposition towards feeling comfortable in chaos, a capacity to revel amid crises and the baffing complexity of wicked problems”. Embracing uncertainty and instability becomes a fundamental discipline to be developed by network apostolic leaders, especially because expansive apostolic networks are dynamic and unpredictable, sometimes entering unknown religious, social, or political contexts, something which requires constant learning and humility.

From the above, it can be stated that the enactment of network leadership is a complex dynamic process in which a web of different types of leaders ‘‘interact through a variety of formal and informal structures… taking on a variety of leadership roles, both formally and informally over time” (Yammarino et al. 2012). In NL theory, there have been some approximations about the kinds of leadership roles that can be identified in this web of leaders within networks (Strasser et al. 2022), some of which have parallels with the horizontal apostolic leadership proposed by Wagner and described before. This leadership web interacts creating a pattern of influence that connects different kinds of leaders, which can be recognized in every network, such as:

Convening leaders (Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner 2021) or Convenors (Clary 2022) are those with convening power and connections to start (gather) and sustain a network (hold) (Neal et al. 2011). This leadership role corresponds with the horizontal convening apostles we saw in the previous section, but at the same time with territorial and sectoral apostles that can play convenor roles in an apostolic network.

Provocateurs or Illuminators are those whose function is to act as stimulators of critical thinking and to ask difficult questions, with the intention of challenging the network to innovate and find creative solutions (Maxime and Johnstone 2023). In C. P. Wagner’s classification of horizontal apostles, convening apostles will usually play the role of provocateurs.

Hosts provide the physical or digital space for network connections, and they also work in resource allocation and fundraising. In many cases, a vertical apostle with enough resources opens the space and provides the coverage for others to act or interact. Many megachurch leaders become hosts of apostolic networks convened and facilitated by other horizontal apostles.

Mobilizers are those with ideas to move the network from a vision toward action, coordinating effective collaboration and expansion. In this case, ambassadorial or itinerant apostles, as well as mobilizing apostles, play an important role in identifying leaders from other networks that can participate in motivating or catalyzing the creation of new networks, especially in underrepresented groups or regions. The intricate web of apostolic networks, as presented in Figure 1, is the fruit of the intentional labor of thousands of weavers (Ogden 2018) who are natural connectors that are aware of the different networks and work toward linking them.

Facilitators are those who promote building trust and collaboration among networks, through alliances and agreements that facilitate conversations that lead to a long-term action plan (Ogden 2016). By paying attention to details, facilitators map the road for the collaborative endeavor of the network, taking it from the conference or prayer room to actual projects with deeper implications.

Curators are those who take care of the communication infrastructure and flow of information, encouraging and monitoring digital interactions. Curators are important in “soliciting, aggregating, distilling, highlighting and organizing an abundance of information to keep the network humming” (Ogden 2016). They also collect and distribute the theological and practical knowledge produced in the network in the form of practical guidelines, courses, videos, reports, social media, and articles. There does not exist an explicit designation of a curating apostle leadership role in the ARM literature, but the role became quite important during the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic periods with the inception of digital churches.

In other words, it is a plural collectivistic leadership structure, whose “ties lead” the network to progressively fulfill its vision and mission. This web of leadership roles interacts, influencing and motivating each other to work synergistically to produce the expansion, consolidation, and sustainability of the networks. However, some roles will be more important for certain networks than others. For example, a church planting network will have a different enactment of this plural leadership arrangement than an intercessory network. In any case, the development of this network leadership is a long-term, dynamic process, which has not been properly researched yet.

One initial step would be to identify how these different leadership roles and practices contribute to the growth and sustainability of networks. Strasser et al. (2020) proposed a qualitative three-dimensional framework and conceptual language to consider how the propagation of any innovation introduced through a social transformation network occurs. Capacity building of a network is the direct result of network leadership, and it can be analyzed by considering the three dimensions of network widening (W), referring to expansion and border crossing; deepening (D), concerning the appropriation of the values and practices of the network; and lengthening (L), which describes the temporal aspect in terms of the evolutionary nature of networks. Applying the WDL framework to the case of apostolic networks, it might be possible to evaluate how the web of horizontal apostles presented above enables the capacity building of apostolic networks through the following: (a) widening (W), that is, the “diffusion” of theological ideas and practices, through different types of actors that allow them to travel globally; (b) deepening (D), representing the localization of these theological ideas and practices according to different social and cultural contexts and idiosyncrasies where they are applied; and (c) lengthening (L), which implies understanding how these theologies and practices evolve, are sustained, and are reproduced over time.

To illustrate how to apply this conceptual framework, the spread of a novel approach to mission work by apostolic networks, called the Seven Mountains Mandate (7MM), is considered. The 7MM has become one of the main features that characterizes the ARM and, currently, is followed by thousands of apostolic networks around the world. Usually, the literature on the 7MM focuses on the unprecedent political involvement of Pentecostal/Charismatic churches on every continent but pays little attention to the practices of network leadership in the widening, deepening, and lengthening of the 7MM. In the next section, the weaving of diverse apostolic networks that has expanded, contextualized, and sustained the 7MM in the global ARM is analyzed using the WDL conceptual approach (see Figure 2), using examples of networks in the USA, Latin America, Africa, and Europe, based on published reports, news, scientific articles, web pages, social media posts, available internal publications, traditional media coverage, and other information available on the Internet, all of which were gathered for this investigation.

6. The WDL Framework Applied to the Expansion of 7MM Networks

The foundational concepts of the 7MM predate the development of the ARM, and they have been correlated to a 1975 revelation given separately to three of the most well-known leaders of Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism in the 20th century, as follows: Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ; Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth with a Mission; and philosopher and writer, Francis Schaeffer, who was at the forefront of the Religious Right movement that supported the election of Ronald Reagan as President of the USA (Hillman 2019). The revelation, shared simultaneously by the three men, consisted of a list of seven areas of society, or spheres of influence, that Christians should penetrate and influence, as follows: family, education, government, economy and business, arts and entertainment, religion, and media8. From the start, these three influential leaders decided that the revelation needed to be shared with the body of Christ at large. However, entering the 21st century, it was the combined efforts of Johnny Enlow (Enlow 2008) and Lance Wallnau (Wallnau and Johnson 2013), a prominent member of ICAL, which translated the original seven spheres language to the ARM’s social transformation nomenclature based on the “seven mountains” metaphor. The mission of ARM churches, rather than the traditional Evangelical focus on the conversion of individual souls, changed drastically to be stated as a cultural conversion (Tanksley and Schaich 2018), where it is important that a few of “those who are converted operate at the tops of the cultural mountains from a biblical worldview” (Hillman 2013).

Wallnau received apostolic recognition from C. Peter Wagner, who considered him a “catalyst for a new philosophy of mission” (Gagné 2024, pp. 23–24). In terms of network leadership theory, he became a provocateur and illuminator, as well as a sectoral or marketplace apostle in the business world, who brought his workplace experience to influence the ARM. As can be seen in Figure 1, Wallnau is a central connector or hub that has access to many ARM networks around the world. In this catalyst role, Wallnau has been “instrumental in forming new networks bringing people together for the first time… getting the effort off the ground” (Ehrlichman 2021, p. 66), creating new initiatives and finding new opportunities for the expansion of the 7MM networks. As a result, over time, the 7MM has been gaining widespread adoption among ARM churches, as well as in traditional denominations. At this point, it would be quite difficult to disentangle the web that was created for the diffusion of the 7MM. Obviously, the networked nature of the ARM has facilitated it, and thanks to its large base of convening, mobilizing, and weaving apostolic leaders, the 7MM has been globalized.

As an illustrative example, let us consider the connection network, European Apostolic Leaders (EAL), led by Norwegian apostle Jan-Aage Torp. Torp joined the International Coalition of Apostles (ICAL) in January 2000, becoming a network weaver when he was appointed as Ambassador Apostle of ICAL, connecting leaders and networks from the Nordic and Baltic nations, as well as from other countries (such as Thailand and Rwanda). As a leader, Torp received a prophecy directly from Wallnau in 2010, which he posted on EAL’s website, declaring that he was going to become a “rebuilder”, receiving also an “entrepreneurial favor” (EAL 2024b). In 2015, Torp became Apostle Convener of the European Apostolic Leaders (EAL) network, when the network officially separated from ICAL. Today, EAL promotes the 7MM on its web page as a “mighty transformational strategy” to mobilize Christians and denominations (EAL 2024a). Torp was so committed to becomming a player in climbing the mountain of government in Norway that he was the first candidate of the conservative and fundamentalist Christian party, Kristent Samlingsparti (KSP, Christian Unity Party), running for Parliament in 2009.

The weaving of more and more networks around the 7MM has progressively continued over time. In recent years, the political situation in North America has fostered further widening of the 7MM network, in what has been called “the battle for the mountain of government” in the USA (Clarkson 2024). In Clarkson’s report, it is possible to observe how several ARM networks of different kinds interacted at just one political meeting in Arizona, led by apostle Mario Brannick, a Messianic Jew and president of the Latino Coalition for Israel; Herman Martir, president of the Asian Action Network; Lou Engle, a former close associate of Ché Ahn in the creation of the HIM network, who has convened networking initiatives such as The Call and The Send9; and Benjamín Díaz, pastor of Vida Church at Mesa (Arizona) and a member of Bethel Church apostolic network, who acted as host for this meeting. Figure 1 shows how these connections have many other ramifications, extending the reach of the 7MM network not only in the USA but to other nations on all continents.

Prior to the pandemic, Lou Engle was very active convening The Send Brazil, The Send Argentina, and The Send Norway, and weaving local apostolic networks and denominations with well-known apostolic and prophetic figures from the USA. At the Brazilian event, in February 2020, organized in cooperation with the Dunamis Movement, led by Teo Hayashi (Sousa de Abreu and Campos 2023), well over 140,000 people attended (Parke 2020), including President Jair Bolsonaro, who led the crowd with the declaration that, under his government, “Brazil has changed, words that were once forbidden: God, family, country, have become commonplace” (Sousa de Abreu and Campos 2023), a powerful statement for the followers of the 7MM in Brazil, giving the impression that the mountain of government had already been taken in that nation. Later, in 2023, apostles Mario Brannick, Lance Wallnau, and Ché Ahn, as well as apostle/prophet Cindy Jacobs, went to Guatemala to promote the 7MM, a country that has a long relationship with the strategic spiritual warfare movement and the ARM. Cindy Jacobs convenes and facilitates the Generals of Intercession network, where she has been an early mobilizer promoting intercession around the 7MM globally10. She is also a global council member of Empowered 21, connecting with other apostolic network leaders, as can be seen in Figure 1. This shows how entangled these networks are and how an effort such as E21 serves as an ideal hosting space for the formation of new networks and the sharing of ideas and innovations such as the 7MM. Jacobs was recently a speaker at the 2022 EAL Oslo (Norway) Transforming Nations Conference11, where strategic meetings on post-pandemic topics, such as family, life, justice, faith and freedom, were conducted with apostolic leaders, diplomats, and politicians from all over Europe, all of which contribute to the widening of the 7MM network.

The visit of this group to Guatemala was quite significative not only because the Consejo Apostólico de Guatemala (CAG) is well connected (see Figure 1) but the country is also often seen as a textbook model of the 7MM’s results. First, because of the taking of the religious mountain of influence through an iconic landmark, the highly publicized Almolonga socioeconomic transformation “miracle”, a town that attributes its agricultural prosperity to the defeat of a Mayan deity that opposed Christianity (Garrard 2020). Secondly, Guatemala was the first Latin American country to experience the taking of the mountain of government by having several born-again Christians as presidents, despite their successes and failures, and it is a country where apostle Harold Caballeros, a prestigious member of ICAL12, was twice a presidential candidate, serving as Foreign Affairs Minister from 2011 to 2013. Caballeros has been a fierce advocate of transforming Guatemala into a Christian nation, and this means, in 7MM-like language, discipling the country both spiritually and politically (O’Neill 2010). This quest for a Christian dominion over Guatemala reached a high point in 2022, when the CAG, several independent megachurches, and other Evangelical denominations, achieved another landmark victory. At that moment, former President Alejandro Giammattei signed a Public Policy Law for the Protection of Life and the Institutionality of the Family, declaring Guatemala the “pro-life capital of Ibero-America”, and a country “without the right to abortion” (Mora-Ciangherotti 2022), something that led Wallnau to call Guatemala a “model for America” (Abbot 2024).

Through a complex network of horizontal apostolic leaders (see Figure 1), the strategy of conquest and dominion of the seven mountains of society is promoted, adapting the language and methods to the context in which these networks operate. A 2023 survey of 1500 USA Christians showed that around 30% of them already believed in the 7MM (Djupe 2023). The same researcher later found that there was an 11% increase in commitment to the 7MM during the period 2023–2024, demonstrating the widening influence of this doctrine in the USA (Djupe 2024). Moreover, the widening of 7MM networks is extended through technologically enhanced social networking innovations created and designed by curators and entrepreneurs (Monacelli 2024), such that leaders connect in a safe environment with those that are working from their same mountain or sphere of social influence, providing peer–peer interaction; sharing of articles, books, podcasts, and videos; promoting meetups; and providing rapid mobilization for events (Covucci 2024).

The political and legal successes in the taking of the seven mountains of influence in Guatemala demonstrate the deepening of the 7MM’s networking through the localization and contextualization of theological ideas and practices. The appropriation of the theological language by provocateurs, hosts, and curators in the networks can be appreciated by looking at a 7MM prayer guide from the 19-location, multisite Guatemalan Vida Real megachurch13, where believers are directed to pray for more governmental actions against abortion and gender diversity; for actions that favor the Christian church; the relationships with Israel; and that strengthen family integration14. It is interesting to note that the pastor of the Vida Real church also convened a controversial network of apostles and pastors that were close allies of former president Giammattei and who were fundamental in getting the pro-life law approved in 2022 but who also lobbied in favor of obtaining benefits and tax exemptions for Evangelical churches in the country (Rodriguez 2023). Basically, the 7MM’s language has been absorbed by Guatemalan Protestant churches, and the belief that the country must continue to be a deeply conservative Christian country, rooted in the Bible, dominates the narrative of apostles and believers alike.

Despite the commonalities in the formulation of the 7MM’s narrative in each country, they are expressed uniquely and are representative of each context considered. The role of provocateurs and illuminators in the networks is to take advantage of the elasticity of the 7MM, or its “unfixed nature” (Bialecki 2017), to create a narrative that will communicate the dominionistic idea behind this doctrine and lead to the deepening of 7MM networks. Guatemalan apostles have created a narrative that speaks of a Christian citizenship (O’Neill 2010), and 7MM networks seek to increase the adoption of this duty among believers, providing the means to act accordingly, either through strategic spiritual warfare or by directly becoming involved in political activism.

The proliferation of huge megachurches in Africa has created fertile soil for the expansion of apostolic networks of various kinds, including the widening of 7MM networks. Andreas Heuser (Heuser 2020) studied some of them from the point of view of the dissemination of dominion theology on the African continent and beyond15. These African networks serve as entry points for teachings that originated elsewhere, producing adaptations of the 7MM message “to reflect local perspectives and concerns” (N. Haynes 2021, p. 229). In Zambia, for example, in 1996, the country was constitutionally declared a Christian nation (N. Haynes 2015), facilitating church planting and growth, thus displacing the influence of other religions and spiritualities. The general conviction was that the mountain of government was taken when the declaration was introduced in the constitution; thus, the role of believers became protectors through prayer of that which had been gained, procuring the blessings that were promised for being a faithful nation before God. As Naomi Haynes explains, “declaring Zambia a Christian nation must eventually cause it to be transformed not only into a country marked by religious devotion, but also by material prosperity” (N. Haynes 2015, p. 12). She has also described the deepening of the 7MM by analyzing a multi-author book produced by the Africa Arise network, entitled Embracing our Destiny: Redeeming Zambia in Righteousness—Africa’s Tithe (N. Haynes 2021). In this book, all seven spheres of society are described according to the Zambian context, but she points out that “the mountain that the writers regard as the most crucial to conquer is neither the government nor religion, but rather business and the economy” (p. 230). This focus on the mountain of the economy by local 7MM provocateurs, illuminators, and convenors is regarded as the key due to the influence of prosperity theology in the 1996 constitutional declaration, as follows: “Zambia’s spiritual development is inextricably linked to the country’s economic progress” (p. 230).

What we see in the Zambian, as well as the Guatemalan, case is the adaptability of the 7MM to different contexts and to quite different forms of development of the ARM, as well as of other indigenous Evangelical and Pentecostal denominations. This form of the deepening of the 7MM is also a feature of the network approach, because apostolic leaders are not obliged to abide by rules and interpretations from central hubs in the First World, but they can reconfigure the teachings to what they see as important in their own nations. Many of the Global South nations were never considered as Bible-centric, Christian-dominated nations; thus, the language of reclaiming that the 7MM has used in the USA is not directly applicable and needs to be reframed to reflect the new ground that the churches are breaking, that is, a grandiose project of discipling these nations until the Kingdom of God dominates.

In the USA, apostles see the 7MM from a different point of view. Bialecki (2017) has considered ressentiment as the driving force of nationalist expressions such as the 7MM in the USA. It is a ressentiment that is felt in conservative circles by the loss of the foundational Christian values of the nation, which can be observed by the spread of the LGBTQ+ movement, the loss of religious freedom, the progressive reduction in the importance of religion in civil society, etc. Thus, provocateurs and convenors are turning the 7MM into an electoral mobilization strategy by creating a narrative that calls American churches and megachurches to transform the cities and counties where they are located into an ideal situation in which laws and institutions are governed by Biblical principles and territorial and sectoral apostles play important roles in guiding society (Dickinson 2022). According to political tradition in the USA, this transformation can be achieved especially through electoral activism (Pidcock 2024), such that Christian activists are elected to office (Gagné 2024)16 and churches “regain” control of the mountain of government, expanding their access to the other six mountains. In some documented cases, the 7MM’s narrative has been reformulated by extremist apostles calling for more violent ways of obtaining power or to prepare for civil war (Taylor 2024a). The deepening of 7MM networks can be seen at play in the USA’s 2024 presidential election. Through specially designed 7MM events, some resembling old-fashioned crusades, apostolic leaders are mobilizing their networks to target swing counties in seven states where the margin to win can be as close as 2% (Clarkson 2024). Local apostles serve as hosts and facilitators, and attendance is promoted by mobilizers through apostolic networks already in place. Many of these events are funded through other 7MM networks, such as Ziklag, a mobilization network of a few hundred wealthy Christian donors, which seeks “to ‘align’ the culture with Biblical values and the American constitution, and that they will serve the common good” (Kroll and Surgey 2024).

Finally, after looking at the widening and deepening aspects of the 7MM, we need to consider the lengthening of the 7MM. Over time, the 7MM has become a pragmatic approach for the diffusion of abstract theological ideas, such as reconstructionism and dominionism, which are difficult to grasp by believers. It also provides concrete and achievable goals at the grassroots level that can be escalated progressively. The effect of this approach is the continuous engagement of individuals and new networks in the different projects that emerge, increasing the widening and deepening of the 7MM over time. Another aspect is the self-reproductive, self-sustaining, and self-governing natures of nascent 7MM networks, to the point that there is no control over the birth and sustainability of new networks. Wherever the ARM has started to weave apostolic leaders and their churches, new conveners, catalysts, mobilizers, facilitators, and weavers are constantly released from existing networks, and this network leadership adapts the 7MM’s doctrine to diverse contexts and situations, developing innovative approaches and engaging new actors.

To illustrate the lengthening of the 7MM, let us consider briefly the Venezuelan apostolic network MOVIUC (Movimiento de Unidad Cristiana bajo la Unción del Cuerpo)17. MOVIUC’s principal convening and provocateur apostolic leader is the apostle Ignacio Yllaramendy (@ap_yllaramendy)18, from Caracas, but the network has a web of leaders composed of mobilizers, facilitators, weavers, and hosts in all regions of the country, as well as a communications department with curators who keep track of all events and initiatives. This has allowed for the possibility of engaging a variety of leaders with different perspectives and the weaving of cross-network collaboration. MOVIUC developed an itinerant conference, called the Seven Mountains Summit (SMS), held around the country since 2021, which includes talks, workshops, prayer vigils, fasts, and roundtables based on the seven areas of influence in society. There is also a digitally enabled Red Nacional de Intercesores en Unidad (National Intercessory Network in Unity) that brings together thousands of intercessors on a 24/7 basis. The SMS has visited many different cities and regions in the country, and videos of all of these events are available to stream on the 7MM MOVIUC web page (MOVIUC 2022)19. A major prayer event was held in September 2023, at Caracas University Stadium, with an attendance of 25,000 prayer warriors (MOVIUC 2023). Prior to the highly controversial and potentially risky 2024 Venezuelan presidential elections (28 July), they also promoted a national prayer vigil held with every congregation connected to the network20, which brought together online around 3000 churches and 27,000 prayer warriors for several hours of spiritual warfare21. The experience has extended to other countries, including a 7MM movement called Chile Vuelve a Arder, which calls for a “new” revival in that country. Additionally, curators and hosts of the network offer a training curriculum, including production, digital marketing, graphic design, photography, video, and sound, so that every network created d the SMS in each city can continue spreading the 7MM22.

MOVIUC convenes the SMS in every city by petition of local networks, the apostolic city councils, or territorial apostles, proposing local aims to be achieved over the following years, according to plans outlined in local SMS roundtables. Most of the material available for the members of MOVIUC are the original videos from the numerous sessions in different parts of the country recorded during the SMSs, from which they build their theological understanding of the 7MM. The talks lean more toward the conservative side, supporting prolife initiatives in the National Assembly, like a petition to forbid the depenalization of abortion in the country or participating in the March for Jesus which has been emblematic in expressing Evangelical opposition to gender “ideology”, as well as a strong stance against LGBTQ+ rights. MOVIUC’s apostolic leadership has had repeated contact with the socialist regime that governs Venezuela through explicit invitations to governors, city officials, representatives, and governmental envoys, some of which are members of Pentecostal or ARM churches. Also, former members of Hugo Chávez’s government who belong to apostolic churches, some of which still have contacts in the current regime23, have been invited to speak concerning specific mountains (mainly economy, media, and government) at SMSs.

What is interesting about the MOVIUC network from the standpoint of the lengthening of the 7MM is that by looking at the social media of this network, as well as that of some of the apostles connected to it, you do not find a dependency on USA-based 7MM networks. Apostle Yllaramendy is loosely aligned with the Christian International Apostolic Network (CIAN)24, led by well-known apostle and author Bill Hamon, and CIAN is also connected to many other apostles such as Cindy Jacobs, who, as we have seen, has been quite active in the dissemination of 7MM teachings. But these influences are not easily noted in the narrative and style of MOVIUC. Some of the horizontal apostles who participate as speakers at Seven Mountains Summits were involved in the strategic spiritual warfare movement of the 1990s and early 2000s; others have been convening and weaving Venezuelan and Latin American apostolic networks; nevertheless, they seem to have absorbed the 7MM’s doctrine as their own, not just as a foreign teaching from distant realities, adapting it to the current dramatic circumstances of the country and using local examples and situations in their conferences and training bootcamps.

7. Discussion and Conclusions

In this article, it has been shown how the existence of a highly complex global apostolic network has fostered the widening (W), deepening (D), and lengthening (L) of a relatively new doctrine, the Seven Mountains Mandate (7MM), which has been used by apostolic leaders in different parts of the world to encourage political participation by Christians. The use of the WDL framework has served to identify the roles of different types of network apostolic leaders, which have no parallel with traditional religious leadership, not even New Testament apostolic archetypes, which are often cited by the Apostolic Restoration Movement (ARM) to justify their quest for the restoration of these ministries in 21st-century neoapostolic churches.

Since the 7MM is a theological argument, or doctrine, created by apostles belonging to the ARM, this paper began by defining network concepts and how this organizational paradigm has been progressively adopted by contemporary apostolic churches and denominations. Starting with a general view of networked Christianity, it is possible to see how churches, ministries, and denominations have progressively been shifting their ecclesiologies to a network organizational paradigm. It is also shown how the inherent networked nature of Pentecostalism allowed for the development of the ARM, which is currently sustained by a new church governance through a five-fold group of leaders, led by apostles and prophets, and is organized by interconnecting leaders and churches through the expansion of apostolic networks. The emergence and development of this ecclesiology is described in some detail and mapping of some apostolic networks was attempted so that the complexity of this global phenomenon can be grasped by the readers.

Because of the increasing political participation of apostolic leaders and churches in different countries, the 7MM has been considered mainly from its conceptual framework as a strategy to mobilize Evangelical and Pentecostal believers and to establish plans and actions for civil activism. In the USA and Brazil, after the governments of Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, it has been considered as a tool for the dissemination of Christian nationalism, while in other parts of Latin America and Africa it is used to guide the dominionist agenda that was started decades before. However, this article delved into the leadership and organizational elements that have made the 7MM, using Csordas (2009) nomenclature, a very adaptable, transposable message and a simple to explain and feasible to implement portable practice, which can be started at the local level from which it can escalate progressively to attain regional and national dimensions. In this regard, by using definitions from network leadership theory, it has been shown how different types of leaders that function as horizontal connectors, such as conveners, catalysts, mobilizers, facilitators, weavers, provocateurs, illuminators, hosts, coordinators, and curators, contribute to the diffusion of the 7MM by the widening, deepening, and lengthening of its global network. These network leadership descriptions are complemented by the apostolic taxonomy proposed by C. Peter Wagner in several of his writings, becoming the de facto descriptors for the ARM’s ecclesial leadership and notably differ from the presbyterial, episcopal, and congregational types that were characteristic of Protestant churches until recently.

With the intention of exemplifying the role of network leadership and the diffusion of the 7MM, several cases are described showing how the WDL framework can be applied. Beginning with the weaving of apostolic networks via projects, conferences, and visits, it is possible to appreciate how the interconnection of social networking occurs, allowing for the widening of the 7MM network through apostolic conveners, catalyst, mobilizers, weavers, and others in places as diverse as the USA, Brazil, Guatemala, and Venezuela. The deepening of the 7MM network is considered by describing how the doctrine is absorbed and adapted in places like Zambia, where economic progress is seen as a priority; Guatemala, where there is a preoccupation with gender and prolife issues; and in the USA, where it was used to gain traction in the 2024 election. Finally, the lengthening of the 7MM is described using the case of the MOVIUC network in Venezuela, which has taken the theology and message of the 7MM as their own, without outside funding or much influence, to mobilize a significant number of churches and believers for prayer, reflection, planning, and political activism in the taking of the seven areas of societal influence.

There is a growing awareness and concern about the implications of the 7MM for the future of democracy in the USA (Taylor 2024b), Latin America (Garrard 2023), and Africa (J. Haynes 2023). Also, theologians are still debating from different angles about the advances of the ARM and its implications for the future of the church (Moore 2023) (Mattera 2023). This article is just a small contribution to understanding how diffusion of the 7MM’s message occurs, opening new avenues of research on apostolic networks and the globalization of the ARM. Using social network analysis tools, the global interconnections that occur in these networks can be studied and the web of the network’s leadership refined. From the point of view of leadership theory, future research could help to better understand the different roles of network apostolic leaders and their characteristics, as well as to describe how this web of horizontal apostles works synergistically to produce the widening, deepening, and lengthening of many other apostolic networks.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Data sharing is not applicable to this article.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Notes

1	Dominion theology departs with an interpretation of Christ’s death and resurrection as a way of recovering what was given to Satan by Adam. In other words, regaining the right to rule and dominate the earth and institutions. Thus, Christians have the mission of re-establishing the dominion of God over entire nations and every aspect of society and human expression by establishing the Kingdom until the Second Coming of Christ.
2	https://www.harvestim.org/, accessed on 5 November 2024.
3	A name derived from a military description of a rectangular area that stretches from North Africa through the Middle East to Asia, between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator.
4	https://congresswbn.org/about accessed on 5 November 2024.
5	https://empowered21.com/about/global-leaders/ accessed on 5 November 2024.
6	https://empowered21.com/about/regional-cabinets/ accessed on 5 November 2024.
7	It has been suggested by Garrard that this is because the G-12 model is the product of “South-South religious transnationalism” (Garrard 2021, p. 206).
8	The 7MM in the family is represented by a return to traditional values and the rejection of liberal ideas that promote gender equality, abortion, and the LGBTQ+ agenda; in education, by the reintroduction of Christian values in school and university systems; in government, by the election of officials that support biblically inspired regulations and norms; in economy and business, by the fostering of a free market and entrepreneurship and limiting any socialist agenda that affects business development and prosperity; in the arts and entertainment, by the use of creativity and talent to produce works that promote Christian values; in religion, by the fulfillment of Mathew 28’s mandate to make Christian all nations of the world; and in media, by the control of all channels of information such that they act honestly and are based on the Christian truth.
9	The Send is a spinoff of The Call, which Engle started with Ché Ahn and Jim Goll, in 2000, with the rally of 400,000 persons in Washington. It ended in 2016 with the event Azusa Now in Los Angeles. In the meantime, Engle has convened several other events with the 7MM in mind, such as Potus Shield to pray for Donald Trump and Esther Fast a women’s prayer movement against the Women’s March during Trump’s inauguration in 2017.
10	https://www.generals.org/the-seven-mountains accessed on 5 November 2024.
11	https://e-a-l.eu/events/oslo-2022/read1/oslo-2022 accessed on 5 November 2024.
12	In 1999, Caballeros was one of the 25 members of the New Apostolic Roundtable convened by C. Peter Wagner, which is considered to have launched the NAR.
13	https://www.vidareal.tv/ accessed on 5 November 2024.
14	https://sesabio.vidareal.tv/modulos/7-montes accessed on 5 November 2024. They also offer free 7MM online courses on the following topics: the seven cultural areas; the pretensions of gender ideology; what drives gender ideology; and on how to counteract against gender ideology.
15	Heuser provides the example of the Africa Business and Kingdom Leadership Summit “a transnational network of African and African American Pentecostal megastars” (p. 251). One of its members is archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, director of the Action Chapel International (Accra, Ghana) and referred to as the apostle of “strategic prayer”. Known in the USA for being a spiritual guide to Paula White-Cain, an associate of Lance Wallnau, and who has been very close to former President Donald Trump, helping with the support of Pentecostal/charismatic network leaders during his presidency, Duncan-Williams gave the prayer during Trump’s private inauguration ceremony on 20 January 2017.
16	During the 2016 election, the idea that Donald Trump was a new Cyrus that was going to help Christians regain control of society was popularized among Christians.
17	https://www.moviuc.com/ accessed on 5 November 2024.
18	A biography from 2019 can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbdBqJ4VC04 accessed 5 November 2024.
19	https://www.moviuc.com/estrategia/cumbre-7-montes/ accessed on 5 November 2024.
20	Some of the prayer points included the following: for greater influence in all seven spheres of Venezuelan society; that the electoral results are in accordance with the will of God; for a stronger movement of salvation across the country; for the unity of the church, rebuking every spirit of division, murmuring, and dishonor; for families; for recovery of the economy; spiritual liberation of the nation; and the breaking of all covenants and curses.
21	https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1815878015603023/ accessed on 5 November 2024.
22	https://www.moviuc.com/2021/11/04/el-moviuc-realiza-talleres-especializados-en-barlovento/ accessed on 5 November 2024.
23	Prior to the 2024 elections, left-wing president Nicolás Maduro Moros openly courted churches by attending events, giving money for church buildings and construction materials to over 2500 churches, and providing small monthly allowances and social protection to around 15,000 pastors and church leaders, even hosting a neopentecostal deliverance service and reading a public repentance declaration in the Miraflores palace, site of the presidential offices, led by some well-known Venezuelan ARM apostles. Mr. Maduro also approved government support for the crusade, by the renowned ARM apostle and Trump supporter Guillermo Maldonado, to be held in Caracas, as well as the 2024 March for Jesus in 220 cities around the country.
24	See here the benefits of belonging to CIAN: https://christianinternational.com/join-ci/apostolic-network/apostolic-network-benefits/ accessed on 5 November 2024.

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Figure 1. Mapping of the apostolic networks mentioned in this article, showing some of their interconnections. The interactive version of this map can be accessed with the following link: https://embed.kumu.io/fd1c36c99077991deae1e60048d58782, accessed on 5 November 2024.

Figure 2. Qualitative three-dimensional framework and conceptual language to consider in how theological ideas and doctrines propagate through apostolic networks. Network leadership contributes to the widening (W), deepening (D), and lengthening (L) of different networks in the ARM.

Table 1. Classification of apostolic networks.

Network Characteristics	Connection Network	Alignment Network	Mobilization Network	Specialization Network
Definition	Connects apostolic leaders to allow for dissemination of ideas, theological innovations, and practices. Non-hierarchical and open to new connections.	Aligns apostolic leaders to develop and spread an ecclesiological identity and shared beliefs and practices. Structured as a hierarchy of clusters of nodes (subdivided into smaller networks).	Fosters joint action for specific ministry goals by aligned apostolic leaders. Non-hierarchical network-, team-, or task-force-oriented.	Sharing of a practice or ministry methodology that was revealed to the apostolic leader and which has become a recognized global religious brand.
Desired network effects	Continuous expansion through weak ties, rapid diffusion of theological innovations, strong relational connections among hubs, short pathways between nodes, and flexibility to reorganize.	Strong relational connections, short pathways between nodes, progressive numerical growth of nodes, and rapid diffusion of theological ideas and ministry practices.	Rapid growth and diffusion, short pathways between nodes, adaptive capacity building according to ministry goals, collective intelligence, and rapid reorganization of nodes according to strategy.	Capacity building according to the ministry’s value proposition or methodology offered; rapid growth and diffusion; and short pathways between nodes.
Type of apostolic leadership	Horizontal Apostles	Vertical Apostles	Apostolic Board/Team/Council	Expertise Apostles
Key task of apostolic network leadership	Convening/weaving—help apostolic leaders meet each other, increase their communication, and facilitate the search and sharing of theological knowledge.	Shepherding/facilitating—helping people to explore shared identity and build trust among members of the network.	Convening/mobilizing—helping apostolic leaders plan and implement collaborative actions and projects. Other tasks include coordination and follow-up of ministry plans.	Equipping/coaching—helping apostolic leaders to receive training and put into practice a specific ministry methodology; to accompany the process of implementation.
Types of spiritual/pastoral benefits and/or ministry goals	Relational leadership, bridge building, companionship, sharing of knowledge and wisdom, partnerships, and ordination.	Spiritual coverage, fathering, nurturing, teaching, and ordination.	Evangelism, strategic spiritual warfare, social transformation, church planting, political activism, and missions.	Healing, deliverance, inner healing, worship music, cell groups, schools of prophets, church growth, and leadership.
Accountability	Based on mutual trust and friendly recognition.	Based on submission to the apostolic figure.	Based on mutual trust and fulfilment of assigned roles.	Based on acceptance of the franchise network covenant.
Examples	Revival Alliance, IMPACT, Aglow, International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders (ICAL), and European Apostolic Leaders (EAL).	Harvest International Ministries, Congress World Breakthrough Network (C-WBN), and New Frontiers International.	AD2000, Empowered 21, Argentina Oramos por Vos (AOXV), Movimiento de Unidad Cristiana bajo la Unción del Cuerpo (MOVIUC), and The Send.	G-12, Hillsong, Bethel Sozo, Apostolic Network of Global Awakening, MarketPlace Leaders, and Bethel School of Supernatural Ministries (BSSM).

Table 2. Examples of Networks.

	Network Example
Connection Network	International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders (ICAL): Started in 1999, by C. Peter Wagner, ICAL’s vision is known as Vision 4R (Kocman 2014), as follows: Restore, Reconcile, Revive, and Reform society through the discipleship of nations. ICAL encourages apostolic leaders to think about the reform of nations, training people to occupy places in all spheres of society to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, and to seek not only individual conversions but guiding nations to adopt “God’s moral and civic laws” to produce institutional conversions as well. ICAL has close to 2000 members in 87 nations (Gagné 2024, p. 38).
Alignment Network	Kingdom Community Network (KCN): formerly known as Congress World Breakthrough Network (C-WBN)4, whose main apostle is Dr. Noel Woodroffe from Trinidad and Tobago. This network began in T&T in 1993 and was reformulated in 2004 to focus on eight sectors with global strategic initiatives that involve networks of professionals, educational institutions, companies, churches, national leaders, university students, and technological initiatives, in more than 120 nations on all continents. KCN influenced the formation of networks and the consolidation of the apostolic movement in Africa (Naidoo 2016). Many South African pastors accepted Woodroffe’s ideas, aligning with KCN. Over time, the African apostles have decided to find ways to create new expansive networks (Chetty 2013).
Mobilization Network	Empowered 21 (E21), although it cannot be classified strictly as an apostolic network, is a huge mobilizing network that serves as a melting pot or hub for the expansion of the ARM. E21 was created with the mission that by the year 2033 every person on earth has had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. E21 has a global council of 82 members5, which coordinates 14 regional cabinets, including Brazil, Latin America, the Caribbean, United States, and United States—Hispanic, as well as others in the rest of the world6. Among the goals of E21, what stands out is the aim of fostering a global network of future leaders in various areas of society, such as government, business, education, arts, sports, media, and church, which goes hand in hand with the ideals of the Apostolic Restoration Movement and the Seven Mountains Mandate, as we discuss in the following sections.
Specialization Network	G-12 Network, is a huge specialization network that includes some of the largest megachurches in Latin America that belong to the ARM (F. A. Mora Ciangherotti 2022). Started by César and Claudia Castellanos at the Misión Carismática Internacional in Bogotá (MCI-Colombia) in the 1980s. Several aspects of this MCI church model are franchised, including training and supporting organizational details on starting a G-12 small group ministry, along with schools of ministry, retreats, books and manuals, and activities that allow for the implementation of the brand’s philosophy of prosperity, called the “ladder of success”. Despite its worldwide reach, the G-12 network is rarely mentioned in the literature about church networks7.

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Mora-Ciangherotti, F. The Widening, Deepening, and Lengthening of the Seven Mountains Mandate (7MM) Network: The Role of Network Apostolic Leadership. Religions 2024, 15, 1363. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111363

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Mora-Ciangherotti F. The Widening, Deepening, and Lengthening of the Seven Mountains Mandate (7MM) Network: The Role of Network Apostolic Leadership. Religions. 2024; 15(11):1363. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111363

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Mora-Ciangherotti, Fernando. 2024. "The Widening, Deepening, and Lengthening of the Seven Mountains Mandate (7MM) Network: The Role of Network Apostolic Leadership" Religions 15, no. 11: 1363. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111363

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