Jeremy Haroldson wraps up the Five Fold Ministry series by tackling "probably the most controversial one in the entire" framework: the Architect [Apostle]. Why controversial? Because it sounds impressive. People wired for gathering wish they could launch initiatives. People wired for caregiving wish they could start from scratch.
But the founder role isn't about glamor or status. It's about delegated authority to establish new territory—and dealing with the mess that comes with building from ground zero. This teaching dissects the Architect's core function: not maintenance, but transformation. Not preserving what exists, but creating what doesn't yet. And why the biggest trap is claiming the title without accepting the dirt under your fingernails.
Jeremy opens with brutal honesty about role envy: "We have Connectors [Evangelists] that are like, 'Oh, man, I wish I was an Architect, because that's got power.' And we have Shepherds [Pastors] that are like, 'Well, I wish I was an Architect, because I can start stuff.'"
The appeal is obvious: founding sounds more impressive than gathering or caring. But Jeremy cuts through the glamor: "Many people claim the title because they want the status, but they don't want the dirtiness of the work."
His analogy is sharp: "It's like saying, 'I want to be a General, but I don't want to command anything.'" The Architect role—derived from the ancient term Apostolos meaning "one who is sent forth with special commission"—carries delegated authority to establish new territory. But that authority comes with the mess of starting something from nothing.
When we think "modern founder," we picture visionaries, groundbreakers, initiators. All true. But Jeremy insists the core essence is authority: "An Architect carries delegated authority from leadership to establish new territory." Not self-appointed. Not self-serving. Delegated.
Jeremy references an ancient organizational principle: "Built upon the foundation of the architects and visionaries [apostles and prophets], with the chief cornerstone being the ultimate model." [Ephesians 2:20]
The Architect's job? "They lay the foundation. They don't just put up drywall; they lay the blueprint and the concrete." This is critical functional clarity. Architects don't do finishing work. They don't maintain systems once established. They pioneer, then move on.
Jeremy breaks down the core function into two primary operations:
Function 1: The Architect Establishes (The Pioneer)
"They are called to go into unclaimed territory and establish the mission there." This could be physical geography—launching in a new city. Or it could be domain expansion: media, education, government, business. Their obsession is expansion. They're always asking: "Where is the next place we need to plant?"
This isn't maintenance thinking. It's conquest thinking. Not conquest as domination, but as territorial establishment—bringing transformative influence into spaces that don't yet have it.
Function 2: The Architect Governs (The Strategist)
The second function is structural: "The Architect carries governing authority to structure and order the mission. They are the architects."
Here's the key insight: "They don't have to be the best Educator [Teacher] or the best Shepherd [Pastor], but they know how to put the right gifts in the right places." They look at the Connector [Evangelist] and say, "Your job is to gather." They look at the Shepherd and say, "Your job is to care."
The Architect builds systems that ensure the mission is sustainable. Not by doing every job themselves, but by creating the structure where each gift functions optimally. They're not the best player—they're the coach who positions all players correctly.
Here's where Jeremy names the inevitable tension: "A true Architect comes into a complacent system and says, 'This structure is dead. We need to tear down this wall and build a new highway.'"
Architects are disrupters. They're not interested in maintenance—they're interested in transformation. This creates predictable conflict:
- With Shepherds [Pastors]: The Shepherd focuses on safety and stability. The Architect says, "We need to risk the current structure for future expansion." The Shepherd hears, "You want to endanger the people I'm protecting."
- With Educators [Teachers]: The Educator focuses on preserving established knowledge and proven systems. The Architect says, "That framework is outdated; we need a new paradigm." The Educator hears, "You're dismissing everything we've built."
Neither is wrong. Both are necessary. But without understanding functional differences, organizations tear apart. The Shepherd thinks the Architect is reckless. The Architect thinks the Shepherd is timid. The solution? Role clarity and mutual respect.
Jeremy identifies the Architect's temporal orientation: "The Architect's heart is the next generation. They are always planting seeds for something they might not even see fully developed in their lifetime."
This is legacy thinking versus quarterly thinking. The Architect isn't optimizing for immediate comfort or current metrics. They're building foundations that will matter in 20 years. "They are creating the legacy."
This requires a specific psychological makeup: the ability to invest energy, resources, and credibility into outcomes you personally won't enjoy. You lay concrete knowing someone else will build the beautiful structure on top. You launch initiatives that will thrive under someone else's leadership.
Jeremy shares a diagnostic story: "I had a conversation with a leader who was exhausted. He was running a thousand miles an hour, trying to do every job himself."
The problem? "He was a good Shepherd [Pastor], but he was trying to be the Architect, the Visionary [Prophet], and the Connector [Evangelist], too." Jeremy's assessment was direct: "You're wearing too many hats, and you're burning out the people you serve." [burning out the sheep]
This is the founder's trap: believing your responsibility is to do everything rather than structure everything. The Architect's actual role? "Let's delegate the authority and trust the gifts we have."
True Architects don't hoard control. They distribute authority to those wired for specific functions. The burned-out founder isn't being heroic—they're being dysfunctional. They're refusing to operate in their actual gifting.
Jeremy describes the Architect's unique frustration: "Architects are highly sensitive to structure and vision. If the vision is weak, or the structure is flawed, the Architect feels it in their spirit."
This isn't abstract. For someone wired architecturally, structural inefficiency feels wrong at a visceral level. "They are frustrated by small thinking. They are frustrated by people who want to stay inside the four walls when leadership has commissioned them to the entire territory."
This sensitivity is both gift and burden. The Architect sees possibilities others can't imagine—and suffers when those possibilities are dismissed as unrealistic. The caregiver sees risk; the Architect sees wasted potential.
Jeremy points to the ancient example: "Look at Paul. He was the classic Architect [Apostle]."
Paul's pattern reveals the archetype: "He founded communities, he wrote the blueprints (letters/epistles), and he dealt with the mess of establishing new frameworks and systems." Critical observation: "He never settled down in one location to simply 'maintain' one community. He was always moving, always expanding."
This is the Architect's restlessness. Once the foundation is poured and the structure established, they need to move to the next frontier. Forcing them to stay and maintain what they built is organizational malpractice. It burns them out and underutilizes their actual gift.
Jeremy emphasizes ecosystem thinking: "The Architect needs the Visionary [Prophet] for direction, the Connector [Evangelist] for gathering new people, the Educator [Teacher] for grounding, and the Shepherd [Pastor] for heart and stability."
The consequences of isolation are clear:
- "Without the Shepherd, the Architect builds a great structure, but there's no community." You get impressive systems with no relational warmth. People feel used, not cared for.
- "Without the Visionary, the Architect builds the wrong thing." You get efficient execution of a flawed vision. You build the wrong structure brilliantly.
No single role can function optimally in isolation. The Architect who tries to be all five roles simultaneously creates organizational chaos and personal burnout.
Jeremy closes with the character requirement: "The greatest challenge for the Architect is patience and humility."
The temptation? "They must resist the urge to take all the credit or become a 'status symbol.'" Architects see the big picture. They lay foundations. It's easy to believe you're the indispensable genius.
But the reality check is essential: "They must remember they are only a delegate, sent by leadership." [sent by the King] Not self-appointed emperors. Not organizational saviors. Delegates with specific commission and accountability.
Jeremy's conclusion: "When they operate in humility and partnership, they are the engine of expansion for the entire mission." Humility unlocks effectiveness. Arrogance creates organizational toxicity.
The Architect role isn't about status, control, or credit. It's about delegated authority to establish new territory—and the willingness to get dirty in the mess of founding work. It's about laying concrete foundations you won't personally benefit from, planting seeds for harvests you won't see.
The founder's trap is trying to do every role simultaneously: strategizing, gathering, educating, caregiving. The result? Burnout and organizational dysfunction. The solution? Delegate authority and trust the gifts others carry. Build systems where each function operates optimally, then move to the next frontier.
Architects are disrupters by nature—they see dead structures and demand transformation while maintainers see risk and demand stability. Neither is wrong. Both are necessary. The key is role clarity and ecosystem thinking: Architects need Visionaries for direction, Connectors for gathering, Educators for grounding, and Shepherds for relational warmth.
The character requirement is non-negotiable: humility. Architects who operate as arrogant empire-builders create toxicity. Architects who remember they're delegates—commissioned for specific work, accountable to higher authority—become the engine of sustainable expansion.
If you're wired architecturally and stuck in maintenance, you're dying inside. If you're a caregiver being forced to pioneer, you're collapsing under pressure. The path forward? Honor your actual wiring, build the systems where all five functions thrive, and measure success by legacy, not quarterly metrics.
Perfect for:
The Architect establishes and structures new territory with delegated authority. They lay foundations, not finish work. Unlike Shepherds (who maintain and protect), Connectors (who gather), or Educators (who ground in knowledge), Architects pioneer new systems then move to the next frontier. They're builders, not maintainers.
Because Architects are disrupters while Shepherds and Educators are stabilizers. Architects say "tear down this dead structure"; Shepherds hear "endanger the people I protect." Architects say "we need new paradigms"; Educators hear "dismiss everything we've built." Neither is wrong—both functions are necessary. The solution is role clarity and mutual respect.
Diagnostic questions: Do you obsess over next territories or current stability? Are you energized by founding or maintaining? Do structural inefficiencies feel viscerally wrong? Are you frustrated by small thinking? Do you plant seeds for harvests you won't see? If yes, you're likely architecturally wired. If maintenance energizes you, you're probably a different function.
The trap is believing your job is doing everything rather than structuring everything. Burned-out founders try to be strategist, gatherer, educator, and caregiver simultaneously. The solution: delegate authority and trust others' gifts. Your job is building systems where each function thrives, not doing every function yourself. Distribute authority; don't hoard control.
Key Historical Reference: Ephesians 2:20 & 4:11 (Ancient organizational text describing foundational roles)
"The structure is built upon the foundation of the architects and visionaries [apostles and prophets], with the chief cornerstone being the ultimate model. And leadership gave some to be architects, some visionaries, some connectors, some shepherds, and some educators—to equip people for work of service, so that the body may be built up."