Model #3: G-12

  César Castellanos, pastor of the International Charismatic Mission (Bogata, Columbia) has established the “Government of Twelve” Discipleship Model whereby over half a million in his church are actively discipled, not to mention thousands more worldwide.  Because the breath of its influence and decentralized leadership, it is difficult to discern the precise methodology of G-12.  Nonetheless, here is my attempt…

The aim of G-12 is that each person would have one discipler and twelve disciples.  As someone disciples you, it is your responsibility in tern to evangelize, convert, disciple, and send out twelve of your own, who will disciple twelve of their own, who will disciple twelve of their own, and so on and so forth. 

G-12 discipleship usually happens in group settings no less than weekly. Since you are scheduling life-long meetings with the one that discipled you however, one-on-one meetings are almost inevitable in the end.  A three month intensive training and two spiritual retreats are instituted before you are officially “ready” to seek out twelve disciples of you own.  Same sex discipleship does not appear to be a requirement, however it seems that things have gone in that direction for G-12. 

Praises:  G-12 created a movement more than a model, and therefore accomplished exponentially more for the Kingdom of Jesus.  Investing absolute responsibility in each lay leader accomplishes more than any clergy dependent models. 

Critique: I am not sure G-12 will work in the Western context because our transient nature and shallow sense of loyalty makes life-long ties very unlikely.