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The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a theological belief and movement that combines elements of Pentecostalism, evangelicalism and the Seven Mountain Mandate to advocate for spiritual warfare to bring about Christian dominion over all aspects of society, and end or weaken the separation of church and state. NAR leaders often call themselves apostles and prophets. Long a fringe movement of the American Christian right, it has been referred to as "one of the most significant and controversial movements in late-twentieth-century evangelicalism." The NAR's prominence and power have increased since the 2016 election of Donald Trump as US president. Theology professor André Gagné, author of a 2024 book on the movement, has characterized it as "inherently political" and said it threatens to "subvert democracy." Many notable American Republican politicians such as Mike Johnson, Doug Mastriano, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert and activists such as Charlie Kirk have aligned with it. History and reach American missiologist, theologian, and "church growth guru" C. Peter Wagner was the founder of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and coiner of the term itself. Some scholars also use the term Independent Network Charismatic (INC) to refer to the NAR. Sociologists Brad Christerson and Richard Flory argue that the NAR is part of the INC, but there is enough difference that not all INC groups would fall under the NAR. Primarily "influenced and driven by North American evangelicals", the NAR is rooted in the Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity movements: namely, the first-wave Pentecostalism of the 1900s, the Latter Rain movement of the 1940s, the second-wave Charismatic Christianity of the 1960s through 1980s, and the Shepherding movement of the 1970s and 1980s. The NAR has been described as taking the restorationism, dominionism, and "end-times revival" focus of the Latter Rain movement – thought to lead to a new Christian influence on the world – and the authoritarian nature of the Shepherding movement, described as "a kind of pyramid of power and accountability whereby authority (usually male) would flow down from a leading national (or global) figure to local pastors, and even through a chain of pastoral command between congregants". Starting in the early 1980s, Wagner was a professor in Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where his influence grew. A "key disciple" of Vineyard Church founder John Wimber, who focused on exercising spiritual gifts such as prophecy and miracles, Wagner initially emphasized spiritual gifts as well, holding "Signs, Wonders and Church Growth" courses at Fuller Seminary along with Wimber. Wagner saw the growth of independent Charismatic churches in the 1980s – including in Latin America and Africa and combining elements of indigenous cosmologies; Wagner termed the new neo-charismatic movement the "Third Wave". As the movement developed and Wagner's views were changed through his connection with Wimber, Wagner's focus would later shift to spiritual warfare. The neo-charismatic movement – as opposed to traditional Pentecostal belief, which focused on individual demonic oppression – developed a theology of regions being controlled by specific demons termed territorial spirits. Wagner helped popularize the concept. Though spiritual warfare had not been of significant importance in evangelical theology, his Spiritual Warfare Network of the 1980s profoundly and quickly impacted broader evangelical belief on the matter. In 1996, Wagner organized a convention with 500 evangelical leaders, the National Symposium on the Postdenominational Church, including the organization of the church and evangelization, at Fuller Seminary. It addressed the changing organizational forms Wagner saw in churches, which he considered a radical paradigm shift. He then coined the term New Apostolic Reformation to refer to the new movement. Over time, the term New Apostolic Reformation gained prominence over the previous Third Wave. As the fastest growing group "within or on the periphery of American Christianity" since the 1980s, the New Apostolic Reformation has rapidly gained religious and political influence in the United States. In 2015, it was estimated that churches openly part of the NAR were attended by 3,000,000 Americans; some estimates as of 2020 claim an "[influence on] approximately thirty-three million adherents in the United States", though this number is disputed. The movement is global, growing in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Beliefs The title New Apostolic Reformation is descriptive of a theological movement and is not an organization and therefore does not have formal membership. Among those in the movement that inspired the title NAR, there is a wide range of variance on specific beliefs. Those within the movement hold to their denominational interpretations of the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit within each believer. Unlike some parts of Protestant Christianity, these include the direct revelation of Christ to each believer, prophecy, and the performance of miracles such as healing. This movement has also been given the descriptive title "Third Wave of the Holy Spirit". Although the movement regards the church as the true body of saved believers, as does most of evangelical Protestantism, it differs from the broader Protestant tradition in its view on the nature of church leadership, specifically the doctrine of "five-fold ministry", which is based upon a non-traditional interpretation of Ephesians 4:11, the so called-"apostles and prophets", evangelists, pastors (also referred to as the shepherds), and teachers. Scholar Matthew Taylor describes the NAR's leadership in contrast with other forms of local church governance, in which churches are run by either an episcopal hierarchy, authoritarian pastor, or democratic system such as a church board. Rather, the movement's shared authority among the apostles and prophets is what he terms a "spiritual oligarchy". This leadership sees itself as having the divine authority and spiritual power – used in spiritual warfare – to "advance God's earthly kingdom so that Christ can return." Made up of networks of apostles and prophets and networks of churches, Wagner saw the movement as the "most radical change in how churches operate since the Protestant Reformation." These "relational networks", as opposed to a church bureaucratic system, were part of the previous Latter Rain movement. Biola University theology professor R. Douglas Geivett and writer Holly Pivec, who have written three books on the movement, described the movement's promises in God's Super-Apostles: Encountering the Worldwide Prophets and Apostles Movement: If you submit to their leadership, then you too will work mighty miracles. You'll become part of a great end-time army that will bring about a world revival and cleanse the earth of evil by calling down hailstones, fire and the other judgme.... Discover the Bill Johnson Lance Wallnau popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Bill Johnson Lance Wallnau books.