Evaluating the Church Growth Movement – Five Views by Paul Engle

Last updated on: June 2, 2018 at 12:10 pm by Jim Erwin

Evaluating the Church Growth Movement – Five Views by Paul Engle 2018-06-02T12:10:25-05:00 Jim Erwin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Evaluating the Church Growth Movement - Five Views by Paul Engle

As the title implies, this is a book that allows the reader to evaluate five views about the church growth movement. As such, this allows the reader to make an informed decision about this movement. Whatever view a reader has about the church growth movement will affect how one approaches the church planting ministry. This reviewer must confess on the outset that book was confusing. The reader should have a working knowledge of the church growth movement while reading this book. The five views include the (1) effective evangelism view (pro- church growth movement view explained by Elmer Towns), (2) the Gospel and Our Culture view, (3) the centrist view, (4) the reformist view, and (5) the renewal view.

The introductory chapter provides an insightful review of the church growth movement and its history in the twentieth century. This introduction helped the reviewer to grasp a view of the historical background of this view and how it developed. While reading this chapter, the reviewer discovered that this was the primary view of the Southern Baptist seminaries and pastors in the past thirty years. It is clear that Rick Warren greatly influenced the modern expression of this movement. However, discovering the founder Donald McGavran and his influence helped to explain why many churches try to use this model.

Apparently, there are degrees of acceptance of the Church Growth movement. If the views were to be charted on a continuum, the effective evangelism view would be the most pro-church growth view. This would be followed by the Gospel and Our Culture. This view holds that the church growth movement only needs to improve its view of the church. The centrist view is naturally in the middle. The reformist view says that the theology is correct, but that the application is flawed. Finally, the renewal view needs to “renew” its view of the church to be effective.

Apparently, there is much to be critiqued about the church growth movement. While reading the effective evangelism view, this reviewer realized that the church growth movement behaves more like a science and less like a theological framework. The church is a social institution (37). Towns mentions that as the church has moved into the twentieth century, she has “more enlightenment than in past ages.” One wonders if the age of the Enlightenment has influenced the church growth movement (53).

The church growth movement shares the impression that the numerical growth of the church is the most important factor in the work of the church. Thus, the church needs to build more buildings and use an attractional model to justify its actions. However, this reviewer agrees with Van Rheenen in his critique that churches who plant new churches will be more effective than megachurches (61).

The Gospel and Our Culture view (GOC) shares the insight that there is a important distinction between “church growth” and the growth of the church. “Church growth” places the emphasis on growth, while the focus should be placed on more than just the growth of the church. The church should be the noun and not growth (89). In other words, the church is more important than its growth. In response to the GOC view, reformists show that the GOC is theocentric while the church growth movement is anthropocentric (114). One wonders that if this is true, why are so many churches using such a humanistic or self-centered theological perspective.

The centrist view would seem to be good except for all those charts. It seems that there is an attempt by the centrist to juxtapose the church growth movement with the many factors that may influence its growth (145). While this reviewer appreciated the thesis, it seemed a bit overworked and difficult to show.

The reformist view (which can probably be known also as the missional view) finds the most kinks in the armor of the church growth movement. The set of limitations (or weaknesses) of the church growth paradigm reveals the essential problem with that view. In basic terms, the church growth movement, like modernism is based primarily on human logic and observation (175). The church growth movement has an anthropocentric focus which seems to be attractive to modern seekers. However, in the postmodern era, there needs to be a new model. The church growth movement needs to be reformed for this postmodern age. Other weaknesses include the segmentation of theology and praxis (176-180), the theological level of inquiry – or the lack of it (180-182), the focus on numerical growth (182-186). This reviewer does not completely accept all the elements of the missional paradigm. However, the missional paradigm does seem to be the most effective for the postmodern age. The reformist view correctly starts with the Scriptural supports and then discovers the correct practices. The church growth movement is flawed because it begins with the cultural practice and then finds Scriptural support.

The modern church growth movement has morphed into a monster that the founder would never recognize. McGavran stated “it is God’s will that men and women become disciples of Jesus Christ.” Conversion was primary in his thought (194). The effects and results of the present church growth movement do not match the intent of the founder.

Because this reviewer may hold to the reformist view, one could find disagreement with the effective evangelism view. Despite the differences and disagreements, this book is helpful by sharing all the views concerning church growth. There may be many books that explain and apply one of the views. However, before a church planter starts his first church, he should read this book. This book will help him make up his own mind about church planting theology.

Church Growth Movement

church planting

review

Previous Post

February 18, 2014

Shaped by God's Heart by Milfred Minatrea

Next Post

February 21, 2014 Matthew 5:21-47 Be My Valentine

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 Chronicles 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Kings 1 Peter 1 Samuel 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Chronicles 2 Corinthians 2 John 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 Samuel 2 Thessalonians 2 Timothy 3 John Acts Advent Amos Book Review Colossians Comics Culture Watch Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra Galatians Genesis Guest Post Habakkuk Haggai Hebrews Hosea Humor Inspiritational Isaiah James Jeremiah Job Joel John Jonah Joshua Jude Judges Lamentations Lectionary Lent Leviticus Link Love Luke Malachi Mark Matthew Micah Movie Review Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Philippians Political Watch Prophecy Watch Proverbs Psalm Revelation Reviews Romans Ruth Science Watch Sermon Series Sermons Simple Thoughts Song of Solomon Titus Top Ten Uncategorized Video Review Zechariah Zephaniah

Select a Month May 2026 October 2025 September 2025 June 2025 February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 January 2022 June 2021 January 2021 October 2020 July 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2009 June 2008 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

James says that trials of many kinds test what, producing perseverance?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Your faith Your patience Your character Your love