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Articles 211 - 240 of 470
Full-Text Articles in Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Religion Crossing The Frontiers: Nigerian Pentecostal Dynamics In The Western World, Jacob Kehinde Oladipupo
Religion Crossing The Frontiers: Nigerian Pentecostal Dynamics In The Western World, Jacob Kehinde Oladipupo
Great Commission Research Journal
This article examines how the Pentecostal movements in Africa and most especially in Nigeria are experiencing fast growth and how African Pentecostals are speaking on the global scene, especially in Europe and America in the twenty-first century. This kind of Pentecostal reverse mission from Africa to the Western countries that brought Christianity to Africa in the eighteenth century is not without strengths and weaknesses. This article unveils the nature of the Nigerian Pentecostal movements in the diaspora and how much impact the movements are making in the Western cultures of Europe and America. The passion of the African immigrants’ churches …
Book Review: Who Broke My Church? 7 Proven Strategies For Renewal And Revival By Kent R. Hunter, David Thiessen
Book Review: Who Broke My Church? 7 Proven Strategies For Renewal And Revival By Kent R. Hunter, David Thiessen
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
The Future Growth Of Global Christianity And Yoido Full Gospel Church: Its Potential Role In The New Context, Wonsuk Ma
Great Commission Research Journal
Christians have long recognized the amazing growth of Yoido Full Gospel Church. It has been a pioneer in the Church Growth Movement and has set an example in its dependence on prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit. The church faces challenges/opportunities in the future as it relates to the church growth in the Global South, the changing culture in South Korea, and the Pentecostal/charismatic movements around the world.
Do Larger Churches Tolerate Pastoral Narcissism More Than Smaller Churches?, David R. Dunaetz, Hannah L. Jung, Stephen L. Lambert
Do Larger Churches Tolerate Pastoral Narcissism More Than Smaller Churches?, David R. Dunaetz, Hannah L. Jung, Stephen L. Lambert
Great Commission Research Journal
Pastoral narcissism in churches is a problem, from both a theological and practical perspective. In this study, we explore the question of whether church size is related to tolerance for narcissism. In the popular press, pastors of megachurches are often portrayed as narcissistic. The Dominance Complementarity Model of narcissistic leaders (Grijalva & Harms, 2004) predicts that churches which have less dominant followers, as may be the case in larger churches, would be more tolerant of narcissistic pastors than smaller churches. Yet larger churches also have the resources to hire the most qualified staff, which would presumably exclude candidates high in …
The Life Of Donald Mcgavran: Turning To North America, Gary L. Mcintosh
The Life Of Donald Mcgavran: Turning To North America, Gary L. Mcintosh
Great Commission Research Journal
The event that put Church Growth on the worldwide map was the Lausanne Congress on Evangelism held on July 14-28, 1974. Then, as the Church Growth Movement took hold around the world, the focus of some faculty at Fuller’s School of World Mission gradually turned toward North America. This article describes the actions and processes that propelled the movement into world prominence.
Architectural Evangelism: Examination Of Place Constructs Held By Churched And Unchurched Individuals, Matthew Niermann
Architectural Evangelism: Examination Of Place Constructs Held By Churched And Unchurched Individuals, Matthew Niermann
Great Commission Research Journal
In recent decades, the exterior design of Protestant churches has undergone radical reformulation under the influence of the church growth architectural design theory known as architectural evangelism. Presupposing that churched and unchurched individuals hold differing place constructs, architectural evangelism seeks to attract unchurched individuals to the church by changing the exterior design from church typologies to secular typologies. In doing so, as the theory proposes, when an unchurched individual is exposed to a typology they are more familiar with, a different place construct formulation occurs—a place construct rooted in conceptions of comfort and the perception of community-based activities. Noting the …
The Global Missionary: The Emerging Roles Of North American Missionaries In The Twenty-First Century, Blayne C. Waltrip
The Global Missionary: The Emerging Roles Of North American Missionaries In The Twenty-First Century, Blayne C. Waltrip
Great Commission Research Journal
This article explores the emerging roles of the North American missionary in light of the changing face of global missions. Missionary sending has become a phenomenon of reciprocity. Because the Global South has become a missionary sending force, missionaries are going from everywhere to everywhere. This shift has created a need for North American missionaries to reevaluate their roles in missions. They are increasingly becoming “Global Missionaries” that serve in more than one context. The author defines and describes a Global Missionary, evaluates the factors for the shift, and advocates a greater global partnership to fulfill the Great Commission.
A Case Study Of Growth And Decline: The Churches Of Christ, 2006-2016, Stanley E. Granberg
A Case Study Of Growth And Decline: The Churches Of Christ, 2006-2016, Stanley E. Granberg
Great Commission Research Journal
The group known as the Churches of Christ is one of America’s largest religious bodies with over 1.5 million adherents and congregations in all fifty states. Like many U.S. Christian bodies, the Churches of Christ have entered a time of decline. This article is a case study of the Churches of Christ and describes the group’s growth and decline, with a specific focus on the years 2006 to 2016. The movement’s current state of health is assessed, and the impact of new church planting as the engine for movement growth is described. The article ends by addressing three hard challenges …
Book Review: Reclaiming Glory: Revitalizing Dying Churches By Mark Clifton, Chris Messerer
Book Review: Reclaiming Glory: Revitalizing Dying Churches By Mark Clifton, Chris Messerer
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Turn-Around Churches: How To Overcome Barriers To Growth And Bring New Life To An Established Church By George Barna, Harvey Mitchell Jr.
Book Review: Turn-Around Churches: How To Overcome Barriers To Growth And Bring New Life To An Established Church By George Barna, Harvey Mitchell Jr.
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Learn Why Some Churches Are Growing, George G. Hunter Iii
Learn Why Some Churches Are Growing, George G. Hunter Iii
Great Commission Research Journal
Donald McGavran’s pioneering contribution to understanding the growth of churches and Christian movements drew from field research in growing churches and Christian movements, in addition to scripture and history. While field research included analysis from observation and the church or movement’s history and statistics, interview research produced the lion’s share of new insights. This article reports some of what has been learned about field interviewing—who to interview, the kinds of questions to plan to ask, the importance of follow up questions, and how to ask questions, manage the interview process, record insights, and reflect on the insights to inform future …
The Life Of Donald Mcgavran: Founding A School, Gary L. Mcintosh
The Life Of Donald Mcgavran: Founding A School, Gary L. Mcintosh
Great Commission Research Journal
With the Institute of Church Growth in Eugene, Oregon, set to close in June 1965, McGavran was thinking of retiring to his small farm in Oregon. However, his plans changed when he was chosen to become the founding dean of Fuller Theological Seminary’s new School of World Mission and Institute of Church Growth in September of that same year. The story of McGavran’s selection, as well as that of getting Alan Tippett back into the USA, demonstrates God’s miraculous work in bringing about the establishment of the new school.
Book Review: Race And Theology By Elaine A. Robinson, Aaron Perry
Book Review: Race And Theology By Elaine A. Robinson, Aaron Perry
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Entrepreneurial Church Planting, Jay Moon
Entrepreneurial Church Planting, Jay Moon
Great Commission Research Journal
Entrepreneurial church planting (ECP) explores innovative approaches for church planting in the marketplace. This article describes how entrepreneurial church plants leverage the networking and value creation provided by business in order to form communities of Christ followers among unchurched people. Biblical, theological, historical, and missiological support is provided to guide ECP planters. Four contemporary examples provide a paradigm of church planters that are typically suited for this approach to include the artist, social scientist, evangelist, and builder. These examples demonstrate the potential of ECP to break out of limited contexts and plant churches in larger networks of relationships in the …
The Case To Redress Evangelism In North America, Gary Comer
The Case To Redress Evangelism In North America, Gary Comer
Great Commission Research Journal
This article is a response to a warning made by George Hunter regarding the church’s adherence to its own “folk wisdom.” It explores the question of how the church could change, particularly in how it currently views evangelism, and how church leaders and members are unprepared to face the mission complexity unique to our time. It offers an alternative perspective with methodology that is theologically formed on the pattern of Christ, and built around the notion of spiritual influence. To that end, the kind of research that is most needed is discussed along with ideas on examining existing presuppositions.
Higher Education As Mission, Lewis Edwards, Kenneth Nehrbass
Higher Education As Mission, Lewis Edwards, Kenneth Nehrbass
Great Commission Research Journal
While missiologists have been paying attention to business as mission, few have studied the value of securing teaching positions in foreign secular universities as a missionary method. This article bases “Higher Education as Mission” on the Apostle Paul’s four-fold taxonomy for reaching the educated and uneducated at home and abroad. Teaching in universities can be a legitimate platform for gaining an entry point in restricted access countries. More than that, as Christian scholars pursue excellence in their own academic fields, they can model to the future elites of societies what it means to follow Jesus in every aspect of our …
Orthodox Background Believers: Listening And Learning, Cameron D. Armstrong
Orthodox Background Believers: Listening And Learning, Cameron D. Armstrong
Great Commission Research Journal
Evangelical church and organizational leaders in majority-Orthodox Romania often find themselves at a loss in understanding how to conduct outreach to Orthodox people. Often the cultural differences between Orthodox and evangelical Romanian Christians seem impassable. One approach is that of listening and learning from the transformational narratives of evangelical Christians converted out of Orthodoxy. The following article moves in this direction through qualitative analysis of conversion stories by four Romanian Orthodox background believers. Five common themes that arise from the data are discussed. The article concludes by offering an initial “evangelism rubric” to better posture evangelical groups to begin outreach …
Leading Through Growth: The Role Of The Lead Pastor In The Large Church, Stephen Grusendorf
Leading Through Growth: The Role Of The Lead Pastor In The Large Church, Stephen Grusendorf
Great Commission Research Journal
In order to be an effective leader, the large church lead pastor must recognize and respond to the ever-shifting organizational dynamics of his church. This article highlights the distinctive organizational dynamics of large churches as opposed to churches of other sizes. It will seek to identify the unique responsibilities that leading a large church places on the lead pastor. Finally, this article will describe the particular organizational perils and opportunities present as the lead pastor transitions a church through the various stages of organizational growth.
Book Review: Growing God’S Church: How People Are Actually Coming To Faith Today By Gary L. Mcintosh, Garrett R. Eaglin
Book Review: Growing God’S Church: How People Are Actually Coming To Faith Today By Gary L. Mcintosh, Garrett R. Eaglin
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: The Benedict Option: A Strategy For Christians In A Post-Christian Nation By Rod Dreher, April Berg
Book Review: The Benedict Option: A Strategy For Christians In A Post-Christian Nation By Rod Dreher, April Berg
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Church Planting In The Secular West: Learning From The European Experience By Stefan Paas, John P. Thompson
Book Review: Church Planting In The Secular West: Learning From The European Experience By Stefan Paas, John P. Thompson
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
The Life Of Donald Mcgavran: Becoming A Professor, Gary L. Mcintosh
The Life Of Donald Mcgavran: Becoming A Professor, Gary L. Mcintosh
Great Commission Research Journal
As McGavran’s missionary career in India came to an end, publication of The Bridges of God opened new doors for research, teaching, and writing. The years 1955–1965 found McGavran moving from a missionary career to that of a professor and founding The Institute of Church Growth. In Eugene, Oregon, he met and befriended Methodist missionary Alan R. Tippett who became a partner in the spread of Church Growth Thought during the 1960s and 70s.
Conflict In The Small- And Medium-Sized Church, William D. Henard
Conflict In The Small- And Medium-Sized Church, William D. Henard
Great Commission Research Journal
One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with any church is conflict. Because of humanity’s fallen nature and because of the difficulty of initiating and accepting change, conflict is almost always inevitable. Conflict becomes detrimental when it is not handled correctly or when it remains unchecked and finds its source deep within the sinful nature and motives of people. Conflict in the church, though, does not necessarily have to be destructive. Many of those within the church reconciliatory ministry say that conflict is essentially neutral. When handled properly, it can actually result in some positive benefits for the church.
Preparing To Multiply: Four Steps For Established Churches, Joey Chen
Preparing To Multiply: Four Steps For Established Churches, Joey Chen
Great Commission Research Journal
How should a leader of an established church lead the church to multiply? With the increased attention to church planting, there are more resources available, but little attention is given to the established church. This article seeks to help the leader of an established church prepare to engage in multiplication. While strategy, best practices, and finances are vital components to church multiplication, the crucial starting point for an established church leader is to prepare. There are four places to look while in the preparation stage: inward, upward, outward, and around.
Rethinking The Term Missionary: Is Every Christian A Missionary?, Cecil Stalnaker
Rethinking The Term Missionary: Is Every Christian A Missionary?, Cecil Stalnaker
Great Commission Research Journal
In order to emphasize the missionary nature of the local church, a new expression has emerged in recent years: “Every Christian a missionary.” Is this valid? Should local churches be instructing and claiming that their church members are all missionaries? Although many mission leaders and writers claim that the Bible never uses the word missionary, an examination of fifty-two different English versions of the Bible shows otherwise. In order to respond to the main question, a number of avenues are explored in this paper—the identity, definitions, and origin of the term missionary, including old and new paradigms and their analyses. …
Choosing The Right Consultant, William J. Ingram, Denise D. Quigley
Choosing The Right Consultant, William J. Ingram, Denise D. Quigley
Great Commission Research Journal
The church in North America is in decline. Research indicates that many churches are not growing or even considered “healthy.” More and more churches are addressing their declining attendance through hiring consultants to identify areas of growth and improvement. The key is finding the right consultant or consulting firm for the needs of the local church. This article seeks to help the local church ask the right questions when selecting a consultant or consulting firm.
One More Time: Why We Do Research On The Ministry Of Evangelism, George G. Hunter
One More Time: Why We Do Research On The Ministry Of Evangelism, George G. Hunter
Great Commission Research Journal
George Hunter has spent a lifetime studying the ministry of evangelism. Following his teenage conversion, he discovered that the ministry that helps pre-Christian people become new Christians was the most understudied of the Church’s ministries. In this article, he reports on how he studied, from multiple perspectives, the Church’s most essential (but most academically neglected) ministry. Hunter gradually discovered at least a dozen assumptions about evangelism in Protestant folk-wisdom that are typically more counterproductive than productive. He interfaces with these assumptions to suggest alternative views that are more academically warranted and practically effective. He concludes by inviting a generation of …
Theological Empathy And John Wesley’S Missional Field Preaching, Lenny Luchetti
Theological Empathy And John Wesley’S Missional Field Preaching, Lenny Luchetti
Great Commission Research Journal
John Wesley cited several external reasons for his submission to field-preaching. These external factors include the persuasive requests of George Whitefield, the effectiveness of open-air preaching, and the closed doors of the Anglican Church. These usual suspects have received much attention among Wesley scholars. However, a closer look at Wesley’s writings, especially his A Farther Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion, reveals that internal motivators were at least as much to blame as external ones for driving Wesley to the fields. What initiated and sustained Wesley’s field-preaching for fifty-one years, despite the many inconveniences and dangers associated with this …
Eight Steps To Transitioning To One Of Five Models Of A Multicultural Church, Bob Whitesel
Eight Steps To Transitioning To One Of Five Models Of A Multicultural Church, Bob Whitesel
Great Commission Research Journal
Theories of change and theories of changing are insufficiently studied, hence often inadequately understood by the ecclesial academy. The few theories that are available are based on an author’s experience with singular process model developed from similar homogeneous contexts. However, the present author, reflecting on case studies over a ten-year window, strengthens the argument for a holistic, eight-step model as first developed by John P. Kotter at Harvard University. Whitesel argues that the eight-step process model is resident and visible in ecclesiological change. He then suggests that the requisite change objective for many churches will be a heterogeneous, multicultural model, …
How Donald Mcgavran Has Impacted One Urban Church Plant And Indirectly Influenced Thousands Of Other Churches: An Analysis Of The Journey Church Of The City, Nelson Searcy, Matthew C. Easter
How Donald Mcgavran Has Impacted One Urban Church Plant And Indirectly Influenced Thousands Of Other Churches: An Analysis Of The Journey Church Of The City, Nelson Searcy, Matthew C. Easter
Great Commission Research Journal
This essay offers five specific principles from Donald McGavran that have directly influenced The Journey Church in New York City, San Francisco, and Boca Raton, Florida, and indirectly thousands of other churches (through the writing and coaching ministry of Nelson Searcy with Church Leader Insights). McGavran’s principles of missionary eyes, goal setting, assimilation, homogeneity, and a Great Commission focus have proven invaluable in this church plant and offer a similar value to other churches seeking to make a difference in their communities.