Nominate a Legend
Click Here to Nominate your legend!
What is an APOSTOLIC LEGEND?
A pillar, a champion, an achiever, a giant person who is uncharacteristically unique and has made a difference in an Apostolic Pentecostal community, venue, or setting for their teaching, preaching, leading, feeding, counsel, or presence in the lives of those in various needs.
LEGEND & THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
The term “legend” is not exclusive to any one person, group of persons, rank of a person, or achievements of a particular person. What may be a “Legend” to one, may, in fact, be mediocre to another.
There are great orators (preachers) that are given praise, notoriety and are viewed as legendary simply because of their ability to excite a crowd; while others have labored in word and doctrine in the trenches, nursing homes, jails, cross country prayer journeys but have received zero praise, zero attention, zero promotion, and zero (earthly) reward.
There are great and excellent apostolic luminaries whose inner circles wouldn’t hesitate to label them “legends,” but this too is subjective and even arguable, depending on who’s doing the voting.
Who then is a legend, and how does one determine such? A vote between Billy Graham and Malcolm X would be interesting, and yet, depending on who’s doing the voting, the results are sure to be highly subjective. Even as an ordained minister of the Gospel, my vote could just as easily go to Malcolm as it could to Graham. I have my personal reasons for that, which is what makes naming a “legend” difficult.
And how much should a man (or woman) accomplish before they can be called a legend? In the religious world (old school holiness, that is) women perhaps wouldn’t qualify for the rank or status of “legend.” Because of patristic prejudices, our female achievers are resigned to serve as rank and file “helpers.” Women who have founded, prayed and planted great churches have gone unrecognized except when mentioned as bullet points in the histories of so-called great and “legendary” men.
Except for accurate and honorable general libraries such as Bishop Gary Garrett’s Apostolic Archives International, black “legends” are suspiciously missing from white churches. Organizational histories and white “legends” aren’t loudly lauded in predominantly black conventions.
For this cause, the word legend, among the pages of the Apostolic Legends Archives, is used to describe those who have performed acts, preached sermons, established schools, ministered, inspired, pleased God, or achieved humble notoriety in ministry. They have simply inspired me in my nearly 40 years of ministry.
Since I founded the Apostolic Legends Archives (ALA) and the James Johnson Legacy Foundation (JJLF), I feel disposed to develop them with my subjective determination of what a legend looks like. Everyone will certainly not agree, and that’s perhaps a good thing, but we could all agree it would, well, be legendary!
If you know a person that fits at least ten of the criteria below and at least ten people that would heartily agree with you, that person is eligible for legends status. Those who fail to meet the ten quality criteria will almost always qualify as luminaries.
The following is a list of my criteria for the status of a legend:
Apostolic born and bred
Humble
Positively Notorious
Unmatched
The characteristics of a servant
The greatest in their position or role
Raised the bar, sets the standard
Studious
Highly scholarly
Unique achievements
Distinctive skillset
Renowned
Influential
Acclaimed
Brilliant
Relevant
Eminent
Iconic
Unwavering
Wholehearted
Candor
Spirit-filled
Exhibits clear agape
Christian (follower & worshipper)
Unassuming
Inspiring
Anointed
Groundbreaking
Fruit of the Spirit
Respectful
Unpretentious
Touched (yours) or the lives of those who nominated them in an unorthodox, meaningful way
How to nominate a legend:
It’s simple, really!
Think of a person that you consider legendary.
Choose at least 10 of the above character traits that match your nominee’s character.
List the names of ten people who also agree that your nominee is a legend.
Write a statement listing the reason(s) for nominating your candidate.
Click the link below to submit a picture, complete bio, and all of the above concerning your nominee, including the 10 character traits.