About Us
Kenneth Popken (a US citizen) graduated from VWMTC missionary training center in Tulsa Oklahoma in 1986 and received his B.A in Christian Ministry from Indiana Christian University under the late American Apostle/Evangelist Lester Sumrall in South Bend Indiana. He has been an international minister since 1988, serving fourteen-years in the Philippines and has traveled throughout Asia on multiple ministry tours.
Helen Popken (a dual US and Korean citizen) attended from Hampstead Bible School in London England in 1987. This bible school was founded by the late British Prophet/Teacher-Howard Carter. Helen then returned to Korea where she oversaw a fellowship (for about five years) which she named Agape International Fellowship. This was a fellowship of overseas workers in Seoul that met in the administration building of David Yonggi Cho’s Yoido Full-gospel Church in Seoul South Korea.
Kenneth met Helen when he was invited to minster in her fellowship. They married in March 1997 at the US Embassy in Seoul Korea and after marriage Helen came to the Philippines with Kenneth where she helped him in founding a bible school. They currently reside in Wonju City, South Korea as International ministers.
All of the teaching material of Kenneth Popken is available free for online viewing and also for download. The biblical principles taught on this website have proven to be instrumental in bringing divine order and peace and healing and financial increase to those who apply these principles to guide their daily living. Available to everyone in every country these materials can be downloaded and translated into any language to help anyone who has a desire to order their lives according the divine order of God.
Receiving from a Ministry Gift
This web-page is titled “About US” and so it would not be complete without information about the ministry gift of Kenneth Popken. It is of vital importance that people understand what type of gift a Fivefold minister has in order to be able to receive from this gift. If people do not know how a certain ministry gift operates, they may not be able to receive the benefit of that gift and may rather be offended instead.
Matthew 10:41 (NASB)
41 “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward…
This scripture above speaks of receiving a Prophet in the name of a Prophet and receiving a Prophet’s reward. The reward of a Prophet is the fruit of the ministry gift of Prophet (which is holiness and fear of the Lord). But if someone does not receive the ministry of a Prophet (or even worse they reject the ministry gift of Prophet) they will not receive the reward he brings. Without the fruit of holiness and fear of the Lord, a believer will not finish their race on earth and will be cut down as a barren tree and burned in the fires of hell. Therefore, not receiving a Prophet (as a Prophet) will cause believers to end up in eternal damnation because without holiness no man will see God and holiness is a fruit of the ministry of the Prophet.
See the teaching lesson “Christians in Hell” for more details.
Matthew 10:41 (7KB)
41 “He who receives a Prophet (as a Prophet) shall receive a prophet’s reward…
This scripture above would be better translated as, “He who receives a Prophet (as a Prophet) will receive a Prophet’s reward. If the believers do not receive a Prophet (as a Prophet) there is no way they will receive the benefit that he brings. They cannot assume everyone is a Pastor (with feminine-type of exhortation and comfort). If they presume to receive the ministry of a Prophet (as a Pastor) instead of a Prophet then they will be offended and lose the reward of holiness that the Prophet brings.
Not receiving a Prophet as a Prophet can cause a Christian to fail to produce fruit of holiness and fear of the Lord and this will end bad for them in the end when they fail to finish their race on earth and perish in hell.
The lesson “Salvation’s Race” shows that salvation is the beginning of the race (not the end of it) and those who do not finish their race on earth will not inherit the kingdom of God!
See the teaching lesson called “Salvation’s Race” for more details.
It is of vital importance that believers learn to receive from a specific ministry gift because if they do not know how to receive, they may be offended instead. For example, the office of Apostle and Prophet are masculine gifts and so the men who possess these gifts will minister differently than a Pastor which is a feminine type of gift. This can be compared to the difference in which a father deals with a son and the way that a mother deals with a son.
In a household that is run by a woman (instead of a man) the woman will typically pamper a boy to allow him to yield to his feelings. If the boy says he does not feel good, a woman may call the school and make excuses for keeping her son home. A boy raised by a woman-ruled home will typically grow up to be a sissy and will trained to yield to his feelings. Such effeminate males will grow up to expect that all society will pamper them and take care of them in the way that their mother always did. Thus women-ruled households will produce effeminate eunuch liberal males who cry out to be carried and pampered by society and these eunuchs will protest if they are not treated like a baby!
In contrast to a woman-ruled household is the household ruled by a man (whose wife is submissive to him and his children obedient) as the bible commands. In a man-ruled household the father shows his love for his son by using the rod of correction. The father knows that no one will give his son anything for free in life. If the boy cannot get out of bed to go to work then he will not be able to provide for himself and his future family. So, the father will express his masculine love using the end of a hardwood dowel stick applied forcefully to the buttocks of a lazy boy who cannot get out of bed on time! That boy will soon learn that he cannot yield to his feelings but he must get up and go to work on time whether he feels like it or not! A son raised in a household ruled by a man will grow up to be a man himself and such a boy will learn to take care of himself and be a productive citizen and become a good provider for his own family and hold a steady job or manage a business.
Which is better? To have a boy raised by a woman who pampered him and let him grow up to become useless and effeminate and who does not work but wants to be fed by the society as freeloader? Or is it better for a son to be raised by a man who disciplined him to learn how to work and become a man who is a productive and useful citizen?
True love is masculine love which does what is right for the boy and provides him with the man-skills needed for him to take care of himself in life and which disciplines him so he will not yield to feelings (rather than treating him like a mother who pampers him like a poodle dog!) In the same way, being a believer requires spiritual mentoring and discipline just as fathers are required by God to provide for their families.
1 Corinthians 12:28 (NIV)
28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers . . .
The Apostle and Prophets are listed first and second in importance because they provide the tri-part spiritual foundation of divine order, fear of the Lord, and holiness. These two gifts are masculine in nature and provide a spiritual rod-of-correction of rebuke and instruction to cause believers to fear God and put their lives in order.
1 Corinthians 4:21 (AMP)
21 Now which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of correction, or with love and in a spirit of gentleness?
Apostle Paul spoke of using a rod of correction (which is administered by rebukes as delivered by an Apostle). An Apostle can see disorder and is able to give systematic bible teaching to set that disorder back into divine order again. The Apostle can deliver rebukes and correction from God’s word to discipline and rebuke wayward Christians and save them from hell. So the ministry of an Apostle is masculine in nature much like a father who uses a hardwood rod of correction on the buttocks of his lazy son!
Prophets also do the same thing by exposing and rebuking sin. Oftentimes a Prophet will expose secret sins publicly by the operation of Word of Knowledge to know hidden things. This has a cleansing effect upon the entire congregation because they will quickly repent of unrepentant secret sin for fear of being exposed publicly by a Prophet.
The Apostles and Prophet are like the two strong arms of a boxer to knock out disorder and sin within the congregation. These are masculine gifts to cause believers to mature and be purified so they will qualify for heaven.
But if believers only have input from the feminine love of a Pastor (who comforts them like a mother) then they will be shocked when they experience the masculine rebuke of an Apostle and Prophet. Instead of hugs and kisses of exhortation and comfort they will get a rod-of-correction of rebuke! But rebukes bring cleansing and repentance and this results in having believers make it to heaven. But those who have only the feminine-type of love from a Pastor (which is full of edification and comfort) will not typically make it to heaven because they cannot finish their race on earth without the masculine discipline of an Apostle and Prophet.
Just as a son needs to have the masculine discipline of a father to turn out right, so believers need to have the masculine discipline of the Apostle and Prophets in order to make it to the end of their race and be saved. Just repeating a salvation prayer will not help them if they do not learn how to become an overcoming Christian and finish their race on earth. If believers receive only the feminine love of a Pastor, they will be like sons raised within women-ruled households who were pampered by a mother and grew up to be worthless to society.
See the lesson “Overcoming Christian” for more details.
So, believers who have no masculine rebuke of an Apostle or Prophet will not grow up properly and will only want to be pampered and will carry defects with them all of their lives. Such people will not finish their race and they will end up in hell. Those who remain “spiritual-babies” for decades without improvement will be rejected as fruitless Christians because they did not overcome. These are the people who want to be carried and bottle-fed like a baby all of their lives and refuse to grow up. Those believers who refuse to grow up and overcome will eventually be rejected by God as unfruitful branches and will not enter the kingdom of God.
The teaching of Apostles and Prophets are in great contrast to that of a pastor. The gift of Pastor is feminine in nature and basically gives only the message of exhortation that says, “God loves you!” Yes, God does love the believers and that is why God provided the masculine gifts of Apostle and Prophet to rebuke disorder and sin so that believers will repent and not end up in hell! The masculine love and rebuke of Apostles and Prophets will save the believers from hell as long as they are willing to receive these two gifts rather than rejecting them in favor of being pampered like a baby (by a Pastor).
Often those who want to be pampered by a mother’s love will accuse the Apostles and Prophets as being “sheep-beaters” because they do not want any type of discipline or correction. But masculine correction is done out of love to save these believers from hell and therefore the rod of correction is masculine love (not abuse).
What is better for the believer? To have effeminate teaching that focuses on nothing but exhortation and comfort (like a steady diet of sugar candy) or to have the rebuke of Apostles and Prophets that can bring them to repentance and save them from hell? True love will speak the truth rather than flattering carnal Christians with lies while they are headed for eternal damnation!
A father corrects bad behavior in a son using the rod of correction. This is not a beating (but rather correction) and after the boy’s bad behavior is corrected then the rod is not used. The rod is only applied to correct bad behavior. This is what masculine love is all about to do what is in the best interests of the son for his future so he will grow up to be a useful citizen and learn to take care of himself and his future family.
Giving a woman’s love to a son (that has already been weaned from the breast) is no love at all! Pampering a boy will result in the boy growing up to be a useless member of society. Such spoiled “women-raised” boys will cry out to be carried and fed and pampered as their mothers always did for them. Such useless boys will never grow up to be men and will never learn to take care of themselves.
Apostles and Prophets are masculine gifts and their ministry results in believers standing on their own two feet and they cause them to become overcomers and finish their race on earth to obtain eternal life.
Matthew 10:41 (7KB)
41 “He who receives a Prophet (as a Prophet) shall receive a prophet’s reward…
Again, in order for a believer to receive a Prophet’s reward they will have to receive the ministry gift of a Prophet as a Prophet. This same principle also applies to all of the Fivefold ministry gifts (including the Apostle). He who receives an Apostle (as an Apostle) will receive an Apostle’s reward. The reward of an Apostle is the fruit of divine order. But it must be noted if people falsely assume the Apostle is the same as a Pastor and try to receive the ministry of an Apostle in the same way as they would receive the ministry of a Pastor then they will be in for a real shock. They cannot receive an Apostle (as a Pastor). They cannot receive from the Apostle in the same way they receive comfort and edification of a Pastor. They must receive from an Apostle (as an Apostle) or they will not receive the benefit of the gift he possesses.
Instead of spiritual hugs and kisses of a Pastor’s exhortation and comfort they will get a masculine rod-of-correction of rebuke from the Apostle which rebukes the disorder and sin in their lives! It is for this reason that a ministry gift should be identified by the fruit that he produces and believers should be informed of what type of gift he possesses so that they know how to receive from that gift. Believers cannot receive from a ministry gift if they are ignorant of that gift and are ignorant of how it operates.
Introduction of the Ministry Gift of Kenneth Popken
It is therefore necessary for me to introduce myself (Kenneth Popken) and clarify what ministry gift I possess. If believers do not understand the gift, I possess then they will not be able to receive the reward that comes from this gift. It should be noted that I hold a dual-gift of Apostle/Teacher.
See the lesson called “Fivefold Ministry Gifts” for more details.
Dual-Office of Apostle/Teacher
Luke 6:44 (NASB)
44 “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.
Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruit and this same principle also applies to every one of the offices of the Fivefold Ministry. Each ministry gift produces its own fruit and sometimes a man will hold a dual-gift which is a combination of two of the ministry gifts blended together.
For example, I know of a man with a dual-gift of Prophet/Teacher and he can expose and rebuke sin as a Prophet but he can also teach on subjects related to defining and overcoming specific sins. Together his dual-gift of Prophet/Teacher works wonderfully to expose and rebuke sin and to teach on and define these matters in great detail so the believers can identify a specific sin and overcome it in their lives. The fruit that he produces is the fruit of a Prophet for holiness and a fear of the Lord and also the fruit of a bible Teacher to bring divine revelation. But his teaching always follows along the same vein of defining and exposing sin so his teaching gift always flows together with his Prophetic gift.
The same man has also exposed sin publicly by rebuking people in the church before everyone who are engaging in secret sin. He once publicly exposed the secret sin of members of a church choir (who were engaging in the secret sin of sexual immorality). He operated by the Spiritual Gift of “Word of Knowledge” to know present things.
See the link “Spiritual Gifts” for more details.
This Prophet was able to supernaturally call out their secret sin and exposed them before the entire congregation and this revelation caused the fruit of holiness and fear of the Lord to sweep over the entire congregation who also feared they would be exposed publicly if they did not repent of secret sins. The fruit of a Prophet/Teacher is the fruit of holiness and the fear of the Lord in combination with revelation of a teaching gift.
In the same way, I also have a dual-gift and this dual-gift is that of an Apostle/Teacher. I bring the fruit of an Apostle (which is divine order) together with the revelation produced by a teaching gift. Therefore, much of my teaching will flow along the lines of an Apostle because it will always deal disorder and with correcting human motives. If I teach on a subject like faith or prosperity, I will always end up dealing with the secret motives of humans who want to have faith or prosperity. Both faith and prosperity are good things to have (provided the human motives are right in desiring them). So, whenever an Apostle/Teacher ministers then his teaching will flow in the vein of setting things in order (including human motives related to various topics).
For example, on this website there is a list of topics I have written as a dual-gift Apostle/Teacher. I bring divine order to the lives of believers using the systematic teaching of God’s word. Only the word of God can change lives so my teaching will flow in a series of scriptures like a chain-reference with many scripture links. This brings the reader into a complete understanding of the subject in systematic manner as their minds are renewed by the word of God.
Consider the following subjects which were written by Kenneth Popken:
Christians in Hell
Salvation’s Race
Overcoming Christian
Fear of the Lord
Divine Order for Women
All of these subjects above put the lives of believers in order using the systematic teaching of God’s word. These subjects are “apostolic” in nature meaning they bring divine order to the lives of believers and make them realize they are in a race and must finish that race in order to obtain eternal life. But this apostolic revelation is all given by the gift of a bible Teacher to bring revelation of God’s word in a systematic manner (with a sequence or “chain-link” of many scriptures) that will renew the minds of the believers who study them.
All of these teaching lessons bring a rebuke and warning to cause believers to fear God and repent and cleanse all disorder so that they will qualify for eternal life. There is a dual-fruit of both the divine order of an Apostle and the revelation of God’s word as put forth by a bible Teacher. The dual-gift of Apostle/Teacher will work to teach God’s word like only a bible Teacher can do but also this teaching flows in the vein of an Apostle and always puts things in order by exposing disorder and giving steps to put that disorder back into order according to the Divine Order of God!
In order for believers to receive the benefit or fruit of the dual-gift of Apostle/Teacher they have to first receive the gift as such. If they suppose to receive the Apostle/Teacher the same as they would a Pastor they will be in for a big shock. That would be as foolish as for a child to assume his father will show the same behavior toward him as his mother. Such a child would be shocked when he receives a masculine rod of correction (when he formerly only had the feminine love of a mother with hugs and kisses and affection). But the father’s love is expressed by a rod of correction and it is designed for the long-term good of the son so that he will grow up to be a man and learn to overcome.
In the same way, the dual-gift of Apostle/Teacher is a masculine gift that is not focused on flattering or comforting or exhorting believers but instead it focuses on exposing disorder and putting that disorder back into Divine Order using the systematic teaching of God’s word. This is true masculine love that cares enough about the believers to give them the truth and thus save their souls from hell! After all, what good is it if someone only receives from the feminine exhortation of a Pastor but never repents as a result. This will not end well for the believer harboring disorder and unrepentant sin in their lives and in the end, they will be cut down as a barren tree and cast into the fires of hell!
Again, see the lesson “Christians in Hell” for more details.
But if a believer has been taught to receive a dual-gift Apostle/Teacher (as an Apostle/Teacher) then they will receive the reward of an Apostle/Teacher (which is divine order from systematic teaching of God’s word). This divine order can save the believers from hell by putting their lives in order according to the divine order of God.
I have also traveled internationally for many years and I have taught the word of God in hundreds of churches of all types of denominations. I would typically receive from God a special message for those churches and I would then deliver that message in systematic message with a sequence of scriptures in a chain-reference. When I did this, I would often define and expose the disorder that existed within that particular congregation then I would turn the guns on them and say, “And you are the guilty ones!” This would have explosive effect and I would often have the guilty parties and instigators of disorder gnash their teeth in a rage! But they were left speechless because I had already systematically exposed their sin and disorder (which they introduced in the church) in such detailed manner that they could no longer deny it! It was never the same after I left because they could no longer continue in their manipulation and control and disorder after I had exposed them publicly by the systematic teaching of God’s word using a sequence or chain-reference of scriptures!
See the link “Apostles Abolish Disorder” for more details.
Everywhere I went I had reports of how disorder was removed from congregations and backsliders came back to God and numbers increased in the churches I had visited.
This fruit of an Apostle/Teacher even worked by my presence alone when I once stayed in the home where disorder existed and my presence (without me saying anything) caused order and peace to come to that household. The fruit of an Apostle/Teacher is divine order and peace and putting things in order according to the divine order of God.
As a dual-gift Apostle/Teacher I have the ability to perceive disorder and perceive the hearts of humans to know who is causing this disorder even without them even saying a word. I can then give a teaching lesson with scripture sequence to expose and define the source of that disorder.
I also operate in revelation gifts which includes the gift of Discerning of Spirits to know the secret motives of human hearts if they are good or evil. This gift operates even without me having to be present in person. My brother once attended a church and when he mentioned it in my presence, I immediately knew that the man leading the congregation was a fake laymen pastor who was not called into the ministry by God! My brother was offended when I said that and replied, “How do you know when you have never been there before?” But I did not have to be there to know this because this revelation was received by the spiritual gift called “Discerning of spirits” which enables the possessor to discern the heart motivations of humans and it also works to discern if they possess a Fivefold Ministry Gift or if they are only laymen intruding into the holy office.
See the lesson “Spiritual Gifts” for more details.
This lesson “Spiritual Gifts” linked above will teach more in-depth about the gift of “Discerning of spirits” which is the discerning of human spirits (or human hearts and also works to discern the presence of Ministry Gifts or their lack thereof).
I also frequently operate in the gift of Word of Knowledge to know current things and understand what is happening in the present-tense. These gifts operate to expose disorder and to supernaturally reveal things that could not known by natural sources.
Other gifts have been operated as the need arises but Word of Knowledge and Discerning of Spirits are the main gifts that operate continually in my ministry as an Apostle/Teacher and they do so along the lines of exposing disorder and rebuking disorder caused by humans. I can walk into any congregation and immediately know what disorder exists and who are the people perpetrating this disorder. Then I receive revelation of a bible Teacher as scriptures flow to me in a sequence in systematic manner and these scriptures commonly expose disorder and give details how to restore order to the congregation according to the divine order of God.
The only cases where I did not correct disorder is if the congregation was such that they have grown hardened in sin as a result of decades of unrepentant sin and God forbid me to correct them. Such people are sealed up for damnation and can no longer be corrected so I will have no correction for such people and no rebuke at all because it is already too late for them to repent.
Those believers who receive my ministry as an Apostle/Teacher will receive the rewards of this gift and these rewards include divine order and revelation from God’s word for setting things in order. My teaching as an Apostle/Teacher will cause divine order to manifest into their home and family and finances and in every area of their personal lives. I am gifted to see disorder and to perceive it and correct that disorder using the revelation of God’s word in sequence of scriptures in a chain-reference that comes by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
I have also written a poem which speaks of the masculine gift of Apostle and how this gift was given to the Body of Christ to bring divine order to the lives of believers. This gift is compared to the masculine love of a father who does what is right for the long-term good of his son rather than pampering him like a mother.
See the link “Apostle Poem” for more details.
If the ministry of an apostle could be compared to music then it would be abrasive and not pleasant to listen to. Apostles are always exposing the motives of the heart and calling people to repentance. The lessons linked below compare the ministry of an apostle to the abrasive music of Beethoven’s “Grosse Fuge” and this comparison shows how the calling of Apostles and Prophets expose the sin nature and idols in the hearts of believers (which is not always something that is popular to listen to)!
See the link “Idols of the Heart” for more details.
The Apostolic Ministry Gift will typically expose sin in systematic manner then point the “big-guns” at the audience and say, “And you are the guilty ones!” This has powerful effect in exposing sin and calling people to repentance for the purpose of saving them from hell.