Diane Moss would never have called herself apostolic. ”It’s those people,” she’d say. As a highly administrative person, she doesn’t have the typical gift-set usually associated with apostolic people. And yet, Diane is every inch an apostolically called and gifted woman. It’s shown up in the way she approached the corporate world, in her pioneering spirit on the mission field, and in the way she constantly challenges her local American church to be on mission. Even during years of evading Jesus, this apostolic drive and personality was seeping into everything she did.
Diane’s story reveals that not all people with apostolic gifting look alike; there is no cookie cutter description. At the same time, there are very specific signs that set apostolic people apart (read more about that here). Given over to Jesus, these factors add up to powerhouse potential for mission. Because Diane was uniquely created as one of “those people,” she had the personal vision and drive to cross barriers and start ministries that no one else had ever thought of. This is a little of her story; we hope it will shed a new light on your own.
An Apostolic in the Corporate World
As a young adult and all through her twenties, Diane made a place for herself, utilizing strong administrative abilities, in the corporate world. While she stayed with the same company for 18 years, she found herself changing positions every nine months and even made a big move from Georgia to California “just for the adventure, for something “new and different.” As soon as she’d master a new role on the job, she’d be ready for another new challenge, and if a potential position had never been held by a woman before, even better. Diane paved the way for many women to step into roles that had only been filled by men previously. Speaking of that time, she shared, “I enjoy doing the things that other people are afraid to do. I’m not worried about failing, so much as having never tried.”
In the “secular” world, Diane had the drive to overcome obstacles and was drawn to the new or entrepreneurial. She wouldn’t have called it “apostolic,” but there it was. “For years I have said, ‘I don’t hear the word no. I hear, ‘Not this way, not this time, not with us,’ or whatever, but I don’t hear ‘no.’ I don’t hear that it can’t be done. It just can’t be done the way I just said it to you—but it can still be done. That can be crazy-making for some folks around me.”
Diane would soon be drawn in a new direction, following her commitment to Jesus. Her apostolic drive took her places many people would never imagine. But let’s pause for a moment at this point in her story and consider what it might look like to be an apostolic person in a corporate setting.
Visionaries, leaders, CEO’s and entrepreneurs often have strong apostolic traits.
Apostolic leaders have motivation to take risks and try things that others won’t try. They may be able to see possibilities that others don’t see.
Apostolic leaders often propel people to move past the status quo in their spheres, whether that be in business, politics, or social spheres.
What About You?
Does this part of Diane’s story resonate with you in some way? Do you see any of these traits in yourself, or recognize them in others? Where have you seen apostolic gifting make a difference in a business, organization, or social setting?
If you resonate with with the characteristics of an apostolic person, CRM President Sam Metcalf’s book Beyond the Local Church: How Apostolic Movements Can Change the World might give you additional clarity. You can buy it on Amazon.