The Beliefs of John Robert Stevens

Based heavily on the teachings in the New Testament regarding the Body of Christ, John Stevens defined the term “Body ministry” as the ministering of believers one to another that is both directed by, and exalting of, Jesus Christ. In writing about the vision he had for his churches, John anticipated “A layman’s church where every member has a ministry, a rewarding function in the church, and a rich walk in the Lord.”¹

He described the functioning in the Body of Christ as an interdependent reality, where each person is valued and needed by God, and by each other (I Corinthians 12:14-31). Instead of relying on one leader to minister to every person, the members of the Body of Christ build one another up in love (Ephesians 4:15-16). Stevens wrote about this in “Press on to Know the Lord”:

Slowly the spotlight has moved away from the one-man show, the one-man ministry, and has shifted to Body ministry. The emphasis no longer is on the individual, but on the great, ministering company.²

As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” (II Corinthians 4:7) Because the concept of Body ministry de-emphasizes the role of the leader as the only one God could minister through, Stevens looked at Body ministry as a great glorification of the Lord, moving through human vessels.

The term Body ministry appears 192 times in Stevens’ written materials.