28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, 1 Corinthians 12:28

Paul included these eight gifts that were slightly different than the previous lists. Most denominations do not have apostles in their leadership hierarchy. Some may have bishop which is often the same thing. An apostle or bishop is a teacher of teachers. He is the person blazing the trail for others to follow. He is a visionary but often not big on details.

Every generation has had apostles in one form or another. They are important because they set the tone for what follows in an area or a ministry. Look at the Apostles in Acts for example. Paul would have been very different to work under than Peter or John Mark.

Apostles blaze trails because they’re big picture people. But they’re often hard to work with because they like doing things they’re own way and don’t like to be told what to do. They are seriously Type A leaders. They also need our prayers because they are under attacks from those who don’t understand their vision and motivations. I’ve worked with a few in my missionary work. They hard to work for but they get jobs done.