I first wrote about impartation in early 2025. At the time, God was teaching me the importance of being planted.
I had spent so much time wondering whether someone else could develop me better, whether another ministry carried something I was missing, or whether I needed to connect with a more prominent leader. It wasn’t that I hated where God had placed me—I simply assumed there had to be something more “out there.”
That was a lesson I genuinely needed.
God had to teach me that spiritual growth is not found by constantly chasing the next preacher, conference, church, or ministry circle. There is value in allowing yourself to be known—not only for your gifting, but also for your weaknesses, blind spots, character, and personal growth.
But since writing that original post, my understanding has matured.
I still believe in impartation. I still believe the enemy fights God-ordained relationships because he understands the power of spiritual transfer. But I no longer believe every question is rebellion, every discomfort is offense, or every concern is the devil trying to pull you away.
Sometimes the enemy plants thoughts like:
“Maybe this leader doesn’t really hear from God.”
“I’m not growing here like I would somewhere else.”
“They’re too strict. Too intense. Too different from me.”
Those thoughts can absolutely come from pride, comparison, offense, or restlessness.
“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
—James 3:16 (KJV)
But sometimes a concern may be legitimate. Sometimes it is not rebellion—it is discernment.
That’s why we must test what we are sensing without becoming suspicious of everyone or blindly loyal to anyone.
Who Are You Becoming?
There was once a minister I strongly considered sitting under. They clearly loved the Lord and walked uprightly. I don’t question that. They were bold, passionate, and anointed—but sometimes the way they spoke lacked gentleness. They would say true things, but not always in love.
Over time, I had to recognize something:
“If I sit under that long enough, I may start becoming that.”
That taught me an important distinction.
Yes, I believe spiritual gifts and graces can be imparted through the laying on of hands.
“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.”
—Romans 1:11 (KJV)
But consistently sitting under someone can shape far more than your gifting. It can shape your instincts, language, attitudes, values, and treatment of people.
“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”
—Luke 6:40 (KJV)
It’s not only about what someone knows or how powerfully they minister. It’s also about who they are—and who you are becoming while receiving from them.
When I first wrote about this, I was mainly asking:
“Who is God using to form me?”
Now I’m also asking:
“Is this formation making me more like Jesus?”
“Am I becoming faithful to my own assignment, or am I simply being molded to fit someone else’s ministry culture?”
“Is this relationship producing maturity—or dependence upon a personality?”
“Would I still believe the Word of God if the person teaching it failed?”
Those are not dishonorable questions. They are necessary ones.
Stay Planted, but Stay Discerning
Let me be clear: I’m not saying you shouldn’t visit other churches or receive from other ministers. You absolutely can—and often should.
God speaks through the entire Body of Christ. I have received powerful impartations at revival meetings, conferences, guest services, and through ministers who were never assigned to oversee my life.
No single leader possesses everything you will ever need. God is not limited to one person, one church, one movement, or one ministry circle.
At the same time, there is tremendous value in having someone who actually knows you—someone who can identify your blind spots, correct you, encourage you, hold you accountable, and celebrate growth that a distant minister may never see.
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls…”
—Hebrews 13:17 (KJV)
But biblical submission is not ownership.
Your pastor is not your mediator. Jesus is.
No leader replaces the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, or your responsibility to know God for yourself. Honor should never require you to silence genuine discernment, excuse manipulation, or ignore conduct that contradicts Scripture.
Healthy leadership should help you depend more deeply upon Christ—not make you permanently dependent upon a personality.
You don’t need to treat your church like a prison. But you also shouldn’t treat your calling like a vacation, hopping from place to place because every new voice feels more exciting than the last.
Be rooted without becoming confined.
Receive broadly without becoming scattered.
Honor leadership without surrendering discernment.
Value impartation without building your identity upon another person.
Sometimes the pastor who knows your weaknesses is more valuable to your formation than the famous minister who only sees your gifting. But being planted does not mean being restricted. God may plant you in one house while allowing you to receive from many parts of His Body.
Roots are not chains. They are what allow you to grow without being carried away by every wind.
Impartation Doesn’t Mean You’re Empty
I’ve also come to understand that impartation does not mean the believer is spiritually empty until the right preacher touches him.
If you are born again, the Holy Spirit lives within you. You are complete in Christ. You are not spiritually destitute, waiting for a minister to give you access to God.
But that does not make impartation unnecessary.
God still uses relationships, teaching, prophecy, the laying on of hands, and spiritual proximity to stir gifts, strengthen believers, establish ministries, communicate wisdom, and impart particular graces.
Paul told Timothy:
“Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”
—1 Timothy 4:14 (KJV)
We already possess everything that belongs to us in Christ, yet God still chooses to minister through His Body. That isn’t a contradiction. It is His design.
Impartation does not replace your relationship with God. It serves, strengthens, and stirs what God is already doing within you.
Character Matters More Than Access
I’m no longer interested in chasing ministers simply because they have large platforms, impressive numbers, or access to the “right” ministry circles.
If my favorite preacher fell tomorrow, the Word of God would still be true.
If an influential leader never recognized my calling, God’s call would still stand.
If I never entered an elite preaching circle, I would still be responsible for completing the assignment God gave me.
Impartation is valuable, but intimacy with God is indispensable.
The goal is not to become a copy of another preacher. The goal is to receive whatever grace God has placed upon their life while becoming more like Jesus and more faithful to your own assignment.
Honor the vessel, but worship the Source.
Receive from people, but know God for yourself.
When I first wrote about impartation, God was teaching me how to receive from people. Now He is teaching me how to receive without surrendering discernment, how to honor without idolizing, and how to remain rooted without becoming restricted.
My conviction has not disappeared. It has become deeper and more balanced.
I’ve moved:
• From treating every question as rebellion to testing it with discernment.
• From seeing covering primarily as protection under a leader to recognizing Christ as my ultimate covering.
• From seeking validation through influential ministers to trusting the call God gave me.
• From thinking primarily about receiving another person’s grace to guarding my own relationship with God.
• From equating being planted with staying in one place to understanding that healthy roots prepare you to grow and go.
• From honoring leaders because I felt that I needed their approval to honoring them freely because I recognize what God has genuinely given through them.
I still believe in impartation.
But the purpose of impartation is not to make me another man’s possession or duplicate. It is to strengthen me to become everything God has called me to be.
A Personal Shoutout
I would also like to give a special shoutout to my pastor and spiritual father, Apostle Larry Herring.
You knew my grandparents. You witnessed their undying love for God, and you have watched that same love be passed down to me.
You didn’t attempt to replace that heritage—you fostered it. You recognized what God had placed within me, encouraged it, and helped lead me into an even deeper walk with Him.
Thank you for the example, integrity, correction, encouragement, and impartation you have poured into my life. Your leadership has not merely influenced what I do—it has helped shape who I am becoming.
I honor you not because honoring a man replaces knowing God for myself, but because knowing God has taught me to recognize and appreciate the people He has genuinely used in my life.
For the way you have cultivated what my grandparents carried, encouraged my calling, and pushed me deeper into the things of God, I am forever grateful.
If you’re looking for a place to grow in the Word, be challenged in your calling, and experience the love and truth of Jesus through solid leadership, come visit us sometime: