history
Masterbuilders had its origins in 1996, when Pete Beck, Jr. and Neil Silverberg had a vision of a group of leaders with clear five-fold callings (Ephesians 4:11) working together based on committed relationships which were authentic and Christ-centered. Over the last two decades, this initial vision has not only been realized between the original team members, but has expanded to include many more leaders and churches.
Two biblical realities continue to guide Masterbuilders to this day:
Kingdom work requires kingdom relationships to sustain it.
It takes the entire five-fold ministry to equip churches and advance God’s kingdom in the earth.
We have sought and continue to remain true to that original biblical conviction, seeking to provide the practical means to both recognize and equip those with five-fold callings wherever we are allowed to labor.
our mission
Masterbuilders is a team of five-fold ministers. We exist to serve Christ and his church by helping her to attain spiritual maturity, according to Ephesians 4:11-13, by multiplying five-fold teams throughout the earth.
Read more about what five-fold ministry is here.
what we do
We send five-fold teams to churches around the world to strengthen and equip God’s people and to work with local leaders. We do this by:
Teaching, equipping, and encouraging local leaders to allow the Holy Spirit to raise up local and regional five-fold ministers and teams.
Identifying, discipling, and publicly recognizing emerging five-fold ministers. This will involve inviting them to participate with existing five-fold teams.
Providing five-fold ministry schools and training in regions.
partnering with us
The Masterbuilders team consists of those who through long-standing relationships and proven ministry have been recognized as possessing a five-fold gift and have been asked to serve on the team. All Masterbuilders team members are based in local churches, many serving as leaders of those churches. They are periodically released and supported to minister in churches throughout the world. Some have been fully released from a local leadership role to give all their time to trans-local ministry, with their local church as their base.
Church leaders and churches can voluntarily affiliate or partner with Masterbuilders. There are no documents to sign, no official headquarters, and nothing that makes partnerships formal and legally binding. With no headquarters or common constitution, which all relating individuals or churches must sign, and no membership committee or system of imposed authority, Masterbuilders thrives based on kingdom relationships developed by the Holy Spirit.
We believe the Scriptures teach that the highest authority in the local church, under Christ, is the local eldership (pastoral team). Masterbuilders therefore has no inherent authority in any local church. However, local elderships may choose to give oversight authority to various Masterbuilders five-fold team members with whom they have a relationship. Ministry in local churches by Masterbuilders team members and other gifted leaders takes place by invitation only. Those who choose to relate to Masterbuilders do so freely.
The churches that relate to Masterbuilders are different, yet share a common set of values. (See our seven core values.) These churches relate to members of the Masterbuilders Team based on the shared biblical conviction that it takes the entire five-fold ministry to equip the church. Some churches are new to that relationship; while, others have related to Masterbuilders for a long time. All share an understanding of what the church is and what it is called to do.
Although we are not a network of churches, we encourage local churches to support Masterbuilders’ work prayerfully and financially.
Affiliation. Affiliate churches believe in the mission and values of Masterbuilders. They choose to relate to MB and receive ministry from its team. They may also wish to identify in some way with MB as an affiliate church.
Partnership. Partner churches choose to financially support the ministry of Masterbuilders, either through giving to the Masterbuilders general fund or to individual team members, or both. Partnering churches are encouraged to identify themselves as Masterbuilders Partners.
How we operate financially
Masterbuilders encourages its supporters to give to its general fund and to individual ministers as they see fit. The funds which are given to MB are used to cover miscellaneous administration costs and to underwrite the expense of going into areas that cannot adequately reimburse travel expenses. Some team members are supported by voluntary gifts and ministry funds set up by local churches and individuals with which they have a relationship.