교회성장운동의 역사

Church growth movement began with Donald A. McGavran's book The Bridges of God. The book shows that people movements are effective means whereby people can become a Christian in the form of mass conversion. In the same vein, McGavran claimed that "Men like to become Christians without crossing social, linguistic, or class barriers." He founded the Institute of Church Growth through which he propelled church growth movement although he struggled in its early stage. He published the Church Growth Bulletin periodically which was read among missionaries and pastors all over the world. He became the Dean of School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary. There he taught mission courses with Alan Tippett, Ralph Winter, Arthur Glasser, and Charles Kraft. He published a classic textbook Understanding Church Growth in which he explained whatever he wanted to express concerning church growth in the world. He authored with Arthur Glasser Contemporary Theologies of Mission to defend evangelical theologies of mission against ecumenical theologies of mission. He is called "the father of the church growth movement." C. Peter Wagner was impressed by McGavran's teaching about church growth and his book The Bridges of God. He was invited by McGavran to teach church growth courses at Fuller Theological Seminary. He experienced divine healing when he attended a revival meeting in his mission field of Latin America. He published lots of books concerning church growth, spiritual gifts, and spiritual battles. He became the best disciple of Donald McGavran and revised Understanding Church Growth although he missed a crucial chapter regarding discipling urban populations. He maintained the evangelical theologies of mission and stressed making disciples of all nations based on the Great Commission. He authored the Third Wave of the Holy Spirit. Among his books, Church Growth and the Whole Gospel and Strategies for Church Growth are more theological than others. These two books deal with theological foundations for church growth. He stressed intercessory prayer through which Kingdom of God is extended. He taught the course "The Ministry of Healing and World Evangelization" (MC 510) with John Wimber who left Fuller Theological Seminary to lead Vineyard movement. In addition to these two men, George Hunter, Eddie Gibs, Win Arn, Kent Hunt, Elmer Towns, Charles Chaney, Lyle Schaller, Delos Miles, Ralph Winter, William Easum, and Thom Rainer have studied church growth and taught it. Church growth was criticized by many but it became a science in theological circles. The church growth movement today tends to be evangelical while accepting a holistic position. As McGavran pointed out, the 19th century was the great century in terms of mission, but the 20th century became the century of church growth. The key of church growth movement is discipling all nations of the world. In doing so, all Christians are called to reach many groups of people who are yet to be Christians all over the world. The church growth movement is essential to reach them.