Evaluating The Church Growth Movement

What exactly is the Church Growth movement? This timely volume in the Counterpoints series addresses the history of the movement that has become such an enormous shaping force on the Western church today, and it explores--in a roundtable forum of leading voices--five main perspectives on the classic Church Growth movement: Effective Evangelism View - presented by Elmer Towns Gospel in Our Culture View - presented by Craig Van Gelder Centrist View - presented by Charles Van Engen Reformist View - presented by Gailyn Van Rheenan Renewal View - presented by Howard Snyder Each view is first presented by its proponent, then critiqued by the co-contributors. The interactive and fair-minded format allows the reader to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions. Evaluating the Church Growth Movement concludes with reflections by three seasoned pastors who have grappled with the practical implications of Church Growth. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

Author Donald A. McGavran is considered a founder of the Church Growth Movement in America. In this 3rd edition of his standard work, McGavaran analyzes the causes, methods and strategies for successful church growth both in America and abroad.

Soon after it was published, Understanding Church Growth by Donald McGavran (Eerdmans, 1970) became known as the definitive exposition of the church growth philosophy, and its author was recognized as "the dean of church growth studies and prophet of church growth importance and practices" (Southwestern Journal of Theology). Though Understanding Church Growth was geared toward overseas missions, many began to see that its principles and strategies were also applicable to North American churches. Because of the widening interest in North American church growth, Donald McGavran has revised and updated his landmark study to make it more relevant and accessible to pastors and lay leaders in the United States and Canada. This revision has not altered the original aim of the book -- to demonstrate that communicating the faith, discipling the nations, and propagating the Gospel are the chief and irreplaceable tasks of the church, biblically required and pragmatically sound. McGavran has, however, "Americanized" the book throughout, so that basic church growth principles can be more easily applied to the burgeoning American Church Growth Movement. Besides adding three new chapters, McGavran has incorporated the recent contributions of several contemporary church growth specialists, including C. Peter Wagner, Ralph Winter, Winfield Arn, and George Hunter. - Back cover.

Examines church growth in light of Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and church membership data.