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(McGavran51983):From BRIDGESPentecostals1955)to WAVEs(Wagner and the Church Growth MovementGrantMcClung*itsymbolizesenced “Bridges” Friendship ChurchPress, Growth1955),productsThetwenty-eightbooks has introducedessayis carefully chosen becauseof events which haveCA.:Regalbetween McGavran’s and research, documentation, pub-The title of thisintroductorymore than a quartercenturyturned the course ofevangelicalmissions and have also influ-themissionary policiesof the Pentecostal Movement.is Donald A. McGavran’s TheBridges of God (N.Y.:the book whichtechnicallyset theMovement in motion. “Wave” is C. Peter Wagner’sOn The CrestofThe Wave(Ventura,Books1983),one of the more recent and mostpopular literaryof the Church Growth Movement.year spreadWagner’slishing,andteachingon Church Growth which has revolution-theshapeofevangelicalmissions and has set the tone offor the future.Duringthis time somesignificant events have takenplaceasproductsof the Church Growththe initiation of the Church Growth Bulletin(NowChurchGrowth)in1964;the establishment ofof Church Growth(1961)and itssubsequentto become the School of Worldized theiremphasesMovement:known as Globalthe Instituteto FullerTheological Seminary Mission(1965);thefoundingcompanies,movegroups, publishingMARC – the Missions Advanced ResearchCenter(1966),William American Church Institute(1976); and, studies, books,WhatThisessay relationshipof the two movementsof Churchgrowthresearch andorganizationssuch asand Communication Library (1969),Institute forcen-to notice somepre-CareyGrowth(1973),and the Charles E. Fullerthepublishingof hundreds of academicand articles on Churchgrowth.has been therelationshipbetween the Pentecostal Movement and the Church Growth Movementduringthis time?reviews some related literature and traces the inter-duringthepast quarter tury, showinghowtheyhave interfaced with and influenced one another. To do this it will behelpfulMcGavran voices which have called attention to the Churchof the Pentecostals and to site some of theMcGavran himself.of other Churchgrowth proponentsattention will begivento the Pentecostalresponse Church Growth Movement.growth dynamics contributions of Donald observationsandInaddition,thewill be notedto the16Pre-McGavranVoicesThoughan extensivelistingof allliterarysources is not the intent of thisessay,it is evident from even a cursory review of missions literature that Pentecostals have been at the forefront of the missions advance in thiscentury.McGavran and the Churchgrowthschool of thought are to be credited forpopular- izingandanalyzingPentecostalgrowth dynamicsbut others werecallingattention to the Pentecostals(forvariousreasons!) before McGavran and hiscolleagues.One of them was J. Merle Davis who wrote of Pentecostals in his book How the Church Grows in Brazil in 1943. William R. Readsaysof Davis that, “He was one of our firstmissionary statesmen to see thedynamicfactors involved in the Pentecostal movement,and he called attentionparticularlyto therapid growthof the Pentecostal churches.”‘Davis studied theleadership styles,themessage, training methods,and lower class audience of Brazilian Pentecostals and concluded thatthey were,”… suited to the task of evangel- izingthe masses of Brazil.”3 In his Church Growth inMexico, McGavran cited the Churchgrowthconclusions of Davis and also calledupontheinsightsofEugeneNida’s work on Pentecostals.3Davis was not theonly pre-1955observer of Pentecostal Churchgrowth. Alreadyin1952,L.F.W.Woodford,then the Missionary Secretaryof the British Assemblies of God, was able toreportto the Pentecostal World Conference that:Informative articles and references towork are now frompentecostalmis-sionary appearingtime to time inresponsible missionary journalsandmagazines,includ-ingthe International ReviewofMissions and WorldDominion, the value and extent of theto missionspentecostalcon-tribution world is thusreceivingacknowl-edgementfrom these authoritativequarters.4Had the Pentecostals beenjustanother isolated sect emphasizingcontroversial doctrines andinward-looking prac- tices their existence couldprobablyhave beenignored.The “inconvenientreality”ofPentecostalism, however,was itsper- vasiveexpansionandpresencearound the world. The fact of theirgrowth, saysNorberto Saracco in a later International Reviewof Missions article, explainsthe attentiongivento them byChurchgrowthresearchers:The reason there is so much talk about the PentecostalMovement is not due to itsemphasison charismaticmanifestations,nor to divinehealing,but to its amazing2Evangelism occupies7growthin theseventy-five yearsof its existence …a centralplacein theministryof the Pentecostal churches. The other manifestationsrevolve around it.5McGavranMovement,”early1930’sbythewritings Pickett. In1936, India at thetime) toproducerevisedbyTheBridges ofof a1977)McGavransaid,”Themymind since thewhen he established theopposedIt is alsoanalyzenotattemptMcGavran’swith(ChurchGrowth Bulletin, questionearlysixties… “6 InstitutetianCollegetecostals asIn1963,McGavran lor)wrote Churchchurches. Churchand the PentecostalsCommonly regardedas “The Father of the Church GrowthDonald A. McGavran wasdeeplyinfluenced in theMethodistbishop,J. WascomMcGavran and Pickett(bothmissionaries inteamed with A.L. Warnshuis and G.H.SinghChurch Growth andGroupConversion(laterWilliamCarey Library 1973). By thetime of his bookGodpublishedin1955,McGavran wasfirmly convinced of thepeoplemovementapproachto missions asto the traditional missions stationapproach.about this time that McGavran wasbeginningtothegrowthof Pentecostal churches.[Thisarticle doesto document thechronological progressionofmention of Pentecostals in hiswritings.]Inaskinghis article “What Makes Pentecostal Churches Grow”Januaryunderlined above has animatedAsearlyas 1961of Church Growth on thecampusof Northwest Chris-inEugene, Oregon,McGavran hadacceptedPen-research associates there.7(alongwith JohnHuegeland JackTay-Growth in Mexico and devotedChapter11 to “ThePentecostal Contribution.” He referred to Pentecostals as “evangelicals”and noted the unfortunatedenominations to “shut themselves off” from PentecostalHequoted Bishopof South India who had earlier said:’IfanyChurch believes in thedeityof Jesus Christ andtheauthorityof the Bible and manifests the fruits of thewe are ondangerous groundstoquestionsitsfromSpirit,validity”Bythat denominationstandard,”choiceof someNewbiginof the UnitedMcGavran,”each PentecostalPentecostalto consider whether theto make”9of thesaysis a sound Church indeed! Continuedgrowthforces old-line denominationsmaynot have a valuable contributionwent on to claim that the mostprominentcontribution was itsbelief,”… that Godhimself,personallyPentecostalsMcGavranPentecostalthroughtheHoly Spirit,guidesand directs each38″NotableMissionsprinciple of spontane-as revealed infaith,.”10 1965 issue of Churchand introducedT.McGlasson, of the Assemblies ofGod,McGlasson,”impor-said McGavrantant tosayabout churchgrowth. as the first in this series.”” publicationof the McGavranthereportWorld Conference(this but before- bothgrowth). Respondingtional Pentecostalgathering McGavran said:discipleof Christ…” and that this, “…ous action under the controlof the spirit of JesustheScriptureslies at the heart of the PentecostalJust twoyearslater in theMarch,Growth Bulletin McGavran initiated a series of articles onMissions Leaders on Church Growth”a Pentecostal as the first writer. It was Robertthen theForeign Secretarywho wrote on “The Mission of The Church.””Dr.in hisintroduction,”… hassomethingWe aregladto have his articleThis was anearlyevent in thehistoryChurch Growth Bulletin in whichbrokeprecedentin order to commentfrom theeighthtriennialwas after Read’sstudyon Brazil in 1965theRead, Monterroso,and Johnsonreportof 1969of which had favorable conclusions on Pentecostalto J.Philip Hogan’s reporton the interna-in Rio deJaneiro,inJuly, 1967,greatmeetingfavorablyon of the Pentecostalhisgreatestwork,standingcommendfavorably, andgrowthof Pentecostal ostalfire…,”Church Growth Bulletin does notpublishaccounts ofdenominationalgatherings,but we havedepartedfrom this rule in the case of the Rio Conferencebecause the PentecostalfamilyofsolelyChurches has hadsuch notablegrowthin so many countries. We congratu-late the Pentecostals and ask God’s richesttheblessingstorestuponthem as they multiplyGospel throughoutthe earthsBy1970 McGavran hadproducedChurch Growth,13 and in it he did not hesitatethe Pentecostals. Hespokeof the”vitalitysections of theChurch,”of “Pentec-and of “The enormoushappeningsreportedUnder-togrowthof the Pentecos-of Pentecostaltals …”. He noted that the”rapid growth”churches in Brazil andChile,” …has startled andencouraged themissionaryworld.”‘4In1973,McGavranpausednear the decadalanniversaryof the Church Growth Bulletin and reflectedupon,”… fivewhich havegreat meaningfor the advancement of theGospel,” sayingthatamongthe multitudinous eventsaround theworld, these,”… stand out like mountain peaks.”15 Amongthe five(whichalso included theupcomingon WorldEvangelization,thespreadofacrossAmerica,the”workshop explo-InternationalCongress Church Growththinking4sion” in “Latfricasia,”and the advancementMcGavran Growth 1977, issue,He examined theHoly Spirit; ordinary Christians; newlyworld;spirits;Churchgrowth.’9 thePentecostals,with theostal church-with its tremendous9of Asian mission- “faithhealing” campaigns.’6utteryieldednesstothroughbetweenin theand evilofto… serious.emphasizeary societies)waspentecostal-stylehad introduced a Pentecostal in a leading ChurchBulletin article, in 1965.1?Bythe time of theJanuary,he devoted the entire issue to Pentecostals with his own leadarticle,”What Makes Pentecostal Churches Grow?”18fivegrowthfactorsincluding:God theHoly Spirit acting powerfullythe use ofconnections-bridgessaved Pentecostals and their unreached friendsthe belief in andabilityto deal with demonsand the use of innovative and adventurouspatternsWithin fivemonths, McGavranreturnedcommendingthem forgetting,”about theevangelizationof the three billion.”2oThatpartof those unreached three billion live in North Amer- ica and that the Pentecostals have a contribution to make here has also beenrecognized byMcGavran. In a recent interviewauthor he spoke of thewidespread “religion”of secula- rism in North America and saidthat,”It is here that the Pentec-emphasis uponGod the”21Holy Spirit acting rightnow inSociety-isHe went on tothat Pentecostals would “do a wonderful job” among the unreached ethnicpopulations cominginto the UnitedOf thesepeoples,he said:come overhere, and they are not secularized.Whenthey come, theybelieve in miracles.Theycon-front Secularism, and there is a vacuum there. I aminclined to think that if the Pentecostals would stresssignsand wonders in the ethniccommunity. theycouldwin them in a bigway.22States.Theyapproachtheological findandneeded.to Churchgrowthand hisgeniusinformingtheBecause of hispragmaticfoundation which causes him to seek forwaysto”God’s lostchildren,”Donald A. McGavran haspointedto Pentecostalgrowthasexemplaryfor theevangelicalworld. He is to be credited forbeinga bridge-builder between Pentecostalsothers who arefulfillingthe Great Commission to our common Lord.Church Growth ObserversAlarge partof Donald McGavran’sChurch Growth Movement was hisabilityto attract to himselfofhighcaliber whojoinedhim -in Churchgrowth research andwriting.At theoriginalInstitute of Church Growth inEugene, Oregon,McGavran recruitedanthropolo-persons510gistAlan R.Tippett. Later,when the Institute moved to the Fullercampus,McGavranbroughtinRalphD.Winter,Arthur F.Glasser,C. PeterWagner,CharlesKraft,and J. Edwin Orr to form the initial School of World Missionfaculty.McGavranencouragedteam research into Pentecostal growth.With JohnHuegeland JackTaylorhe wrote Church Growth in Mexico and included a chapter on “The Pentecostal Contribution.” This was soon followedbyaground-breaking studyof Brazil which had a large portion devoted to Pentecostal growthin that Latin Americancountry.It was William R. Read’s New PatternsofChurch Growth in Brazil. Alan R. Tippettsaid in his ” 1970RetrospectandProspect”that Read’s study,”…opened upthe whole area of Pentecostal church growthfor our consideration – a new dimension which turned out to behighly significant.”23Read found fivesignificant patternsofgrowth amongBrazi- lian Pentecostals. He said thattheywereurban,and thatthey madegooduse ofstrategiccenters ofpopulation. Thirdly,he said that theirgrowthwasdependent upon sociologicalfactors andthat, fourthly, theyhad a widegeographicaldistribution. Finally,he observed that the Pentecostals werefollowing Paulinepatternsof churchplanting.24Read’s research stirredgreatinterest in Latin American Pen- tecostalgrowth patterns.A follow-upstudywas commissioned byMcGavran and the School of World Mission. Read was joined byVictor M. Monterroso and Harmon A. Johnson and together they producedLatin American Church Growth.25 McGavran called it a “monumentalstudy”and it has since become a standard reference volume on Churchgrowthin Latin America. The Pentecostalstoryis woventhroughoutthe book andChapter21 is asignificant analysisof Pentecostalgrowth.WhatRead, Monterroso,and Johnson had done for the academicworld,C. PeterWagner accomplishedfor the wider evangelicalchurch audience.Wagner’sWhat Are WeMissing? (formerlytitled Look Out! The Pentecostals AreComing.Carol Stream,Ill.: CreationHouse, 1973)was notonlyused exten- sivelyas a textbook inleadingseminaries and Biblecolleges across thecountry,but became a catalytic and wide-read intro- duction formanychurch leaders into thephenomenonof Pen- tecostalgrowth.It was alsohighlyinstructional to North Amer- ican Pentecostals who had not realized some of thegrowthof their Latim brothers and sisters to the south.Wagner,who has done much to inform theevangelicalworld about Pentecostals and to instruct the Pentecostals in Church611growth principles,haslongbeen a friend to Pentecostals. Recently,he said that:Throughthe years I have becomevery close to Pentecos-tals.Why? Primarilybecause I am a student of churchgrowth: and,no matter where I look around the globe, Ifind that Pentecostal churches areleadingthewayinrates of increase.26,BeforewritingWhat Are We Missing?, Wagner had served in Latin America as amissionaryformany yearsand had also become trained in ChurchgrowthresearchbyMcGavran him- self. He recalled how God led him to contact the Pentecostal churches and said, “I had to find outwhyGod seemed to be blessingthese churches. “27 As aresult,he was able to discern some valuable lessons for the rest of theevangelicalChurch world which has been indebted to him since. He,alongwith McGavran and the other researchcolleagues,was a forerunner inbringingthe Church Growth and Pentecostal Movements closertogether.Inreflecting recentlyon the “Characteristics of Pentecostal Church Growth,”Wagnerobserved that:If the Lord tarries, Pentecostalism will undoubtedly godown in futurehistoryas the mostsignificant religiousphenomenonof the twentiethcentury.28A further Churchgrowth proponentwho should be menti- oned is JimMontgomery. Montgomeryfound Churchgrowth dynamics amongPentecostals in thePhilippinesmuch like Wagner’sconclusions from Latin America. Hisbook,Fire in the Philippines29 highlightedthegrowthof theFoursquareChurch in thePhilippinesand added another excellententryinto the growing bodyof literature on Pentecostalgrowth.He has also been instrumental inbringingPentecostalgrowthto the atten- tion of churchgrowthstudentsthroughhiseditorshipof Global Church Growth. Hisinsightfularticles havebroughtthe best of Pentecostal lessons to Churchgrowthreaders.30Churchgrowthadvocates in Canada are aware of the efforts of Dennis M. Oliver and thepublicationHis Dominion(for- merlyChurch Growth:Canada). Oliver,a Churchgrowthdisci- pleandgraduateof the Fuller School of WorldMission,has exposedhis readers to the churchgrowth principles arisingfrom PentecostalgrowthinCanada, particularly amongthe Pente- costal Assemblies of Canada.31 He and hiscolleagueshave found andpublished examplesof solidgrowthfrom Canadian Pente- costal case studies..712The PentecostalInaskingChurchesGrow?”32,McGavran beganseriousthat time untilresearchersbeen concerned with the total number of SchoolResponseMakesPentecostalseveral hadNow,aswith the lead article “Whatnoted that he and hiscolleaguesresearch into this issue in theearly1960’s. Fromhisarticle,he noted, of the more than 150 seriousat the Fuller School of WorldMission,thegrowthof the Pentecostals.33of World Mission dissertations and these numbers 453(January,1985 inventory),research both about andbyPentecostals.34have come to the School of Worldthere continues toissuespertinentto theirownto Church GrowthteachingGrowth36 andhave alsorespondedof their own in Global ChurchPentecostals have calledupontheGrowth Movement in their ownbe a growing list ofPentecostals themselves Mission and reflectedupon growth.35Pentecostalsby writingarticlesHis Dominion37. Inaddition, insightsof the Church publications.38Though benefitting say semi-symbiotic)Movement nor the Pentecostalfrom each other in a parallelrelationship,neither the ChurchMovementhave been the cause for each other’sThe Pentecostal Movement Church Growth Movement’s the PentecostalMovement and has been Somemighthas,(somewouldGrowthwouldsaythattheyacceptanceand diffusion. in a sense, benefitted from theOn the otherhand,the Church Growthrecognition.Movement hasencouragedadmired as a modelbyitsresearchers.,dare tosaythat if it were not for Pentecostalgrowth around the world, the Church Growth movementmightnot have muchgrowthtostudy.McGavran and hiscolleagues would be the first to contend that:evangelists’Look, Pentecostals,… a lot of growth is going on in the world that is not thedirect result of the churchgrowthschool of thought…look at the Pentecostal churches of the world.Manyofthem weregetting astounding growthbefore heardof the churchgrowthschool of thought.theyChurchgrowth simplytakes the dreams andaspira-tions and methods ofgoodmissionaries and effectiveand throws aspotlighton them andsays,this is working.’39on the other hand,inputas to where thespotlightbasic concerns of Pentecostals with the Church Growth Move- ment,forexample,has to do with theunderlying,thegrowthof the Pentecostalreasons forwould like to have more oughtto beplaced.One of thefoundational Movement. Pentecos-8tals fear that the Church GrowththesocioanthropologicalChurchgrowth thinking.13Movementmaytend to over-explanationsfor theof outsiders tohave influenced somewith”methodology” andexperience.emphasizegrowthof Pentecostalism. This is thepositionboth movements40 whounfortunatelyPentecostals are also concerned too muchemphasis being givento “environmental factors” which canproduce growth,4’and to the use of Pentecostaleven whilediscountingblies noted whichyet grant”Pentecostalize”particularPentecostalsof behaving morebelieve likeIn more recent times, however,the Pentecostal doctrineon the Brazilian Assem-canto considerthepossibilityChurchtheirgrowth tivityfactors.GloverShipp,forexample, reportedof God whenthey passedtheir three million mark. Hethat there areaspectsof Assemblies’ doctrine andpracticeareunacceptableto otherevangelicals. But,hesaid,:Let us utilize in our own effortsevery possiblebiblicalmethod of thisrapidly expandingmovement.Manyofthese methods are perhaps unpolished by our standards,arehighlysuccessful. In sodoing,us the same of growth withmaybeGod willdegreewhich He hasblessed our brothers of the Assemblies of God.42C. PeterWagnerhas said that non-Pentecostal churchesthemselves withoutcompromisingtheir owndoctrines. “In otherwords,”heasserted,”non-mightdo wellseriouslylikePentecostals,even if they do not choose tothem.”43growth proponents arefindinga newemphasis upontheHoly Spiritandsignsand wonders in Churchgrowth.44Pentecostals would claim thatis more than theconvergencePentecostals themselves do not discountity theoryandgenerally appreciateMovement.Theyhave theadvantage,their owngrowth dynamicsfrom the inside oUt.45Repeatedly,Pentecostals have affirmed that:… the reason forprogressin missions is that the Pen-tecostalpeopleendeavor both inpreachingandexpe-rience to give the place to theHoly Spiritwhich the NewTestament indicated should be given.Growth interpretinngof sociological recep-receptiv- theinsightsfrom the Churchhowever,of.The Pentecostalmissionarymovement is prospering for theveryreason that it is Pentecostal. Some recent wri- ters haveattemptedto show that the results Pentecostal churchesexperiencedon theforeignfield could be achievedby simply adoptingsome of thepracticesof Pentecostals which are mostappealingto the masses withoutnecessarily becoming”Pentecostal” inexpe-914rience. It is questionable that one could find a Pentecos-tal who wouldagreewith thispremise.46Pentecostals do not claim to have amonopolyon theHoly Spirit.Infact, theyhave takenpositive positionsof the Charis- matic movement and the newdevelopmentsof theHoly Spiritin our time.47They react, however,towardinterpretationsof their growthwhich tend togive explanationnswhich do not hold the primacyof theHoly Spirit.PentecostalmissiologistPaul A. Pomerville has addressed this issue and other concerns of Pentecostals in hisvery signifi- cant doctoral dissertation, “Pentecostalism and Missions: Distortion or Correction?” He hasemphasized that, “Among the reasons for thephenomenal growthof Pentecostalism in the world,the Pentecostalbaptismof thespiritmust be givenprim- aryattention. “48Pomerville,and otherPentecostals,would agreethat Churchgrowthiscomplexand that there aremany contributingfactors involved.49 He admits that:A common error on thepartof the Pentecostals is toattemptto explain churchgrowthin terms of one dimen-sion – theHoly Spirit.But perhaps an equallyerror madeby non-Pentecostalsisdeceptivethe underestimationof that dimension of churchgrowth, specificallythedynamicof the Pentecostalexperienceitself. soThis is not toimplythat non-Pentecostal writers haveignored the dimension of theHoly Spirit.Asalready mentioned,the Church Growth movement has been informed notonly byPen- tecostalpracticesbutbyPentecostal beliefs. This has been a growing process.It is interesting to note that when one searches the indices of all three consolidated volumes of the Global Church Growth,itmaybe observed that in the first two consoli- dated volumes( 1969and1977)there areonlythree references to Pentecostals and no index references to theHoly Spirit. By the time of the third consolidated volume(1982)there are fourteen references to Pentecostals andtwenty-twoentries under”Holy Spirit.”On the otherhand,Church Growththinkingis also findingitswayinto more Pentecostal circles. There is reason to believe that both movements will continue toedifyand instruct one another.Insummary, pre-McGavranvoices werecallingattention to the Churchgrowthof practices of Pentecostals in the 1940’s and early1950’s. At the outset of the Church GrowthMovement, Donald A. McGavran determined that one of hisprimary goals would be to find out “What makes Pentecostal churchesgrow?” He was joinedbyChurchgrowth proponentswho made discern-1015Pentecostalshaveingobservationsresponded by interactingparticular pensablehave beenGrowththinking.about Pentecostalgrowth.with the Church Growth Movement by emphasizingareas whichtheybelieve are indis-reasons for their owngrowth.At the sametime, theyinformed andhelped bytheinsightsof Churchof WorldChurch of God World Missions Church of God School article is takenmissions to bepublished*GrantMcClungis a doctor ofMissiology and Churchgrowthat the FullerTheologicalMission. He is a formerofTheologyfrom hisforthcomingby Bridge Publishing.Rapids:student in missionsSeminarySchoolmissionarytoEuropewith and willjointhefacultyof theinSeptember,1985. Thisbook on PentecostalI William R. Read,New Patternsof ChurchGrowth in Brazil (GrandWilliam B. EerdmansPublishing Company, 1965),123. 2J. Merle Davis, How the Church Grows in Brazil (New York: World Missionary Council, 1943),68.3Donald A. McGavran, John Huegel, and Jack Taylor, Church Growth in Mexico (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1963),119-120.4H.W.Greenway,ed. World PentecostalConference-1952 (no city: The British PentecostalFellowship, 1952), 50.5Norberto Saracco,”Typeof Ministry Adoptedby the Pentecostal Churches in Latin America,” International Review of Missions 66and C. Peter(January, 1977), 65-70.6Donald A. McGavran, James H. Montgomery,Growth Bulletin, Third Consolidated Volume(SantaGlobal Church Growth,1982), 97.of Growth”(Interviewwith Donald A.The Pentecostal Minister 3:3 (Fall, 1983), 31.Church Growth in Mexico, 113.Wagner,ChurchClara, CA.:7Grant McClung, “Analysis McGavran)8McGavran,113-114’Olbid.,solidateddated Volume(South9Ibid.,114-1151 Donald A.McGavran,ed. Church Growth Bulletin Second Con-Volume(SouthPasadena: WilliamCarey Library, 1977), 4212Donald A. McGavran, ed. Church Growth Bulletin First Consoli-Pasadena: WilliamCarey Library, 1969), 277.13Donald A. McGavran, Understanding Church Growth GrandWilliam B. EerdmansPublishing Company,1970. This book was revised in 1980.Rapids:141bid., 13, 113, 349, 161.15McGavran,Church Growth Volume,366.161bid.,376-377.Bulletin,Second Consolidated1116171bid., 42-44.18McGavran,Church Growth Bulletin, Third ConsolidatedVolume, 97-99.191bid., 98-99.201bit.,121.21 McClung, “Analysisof Growth,” 31-32.22Ibid.,34.23McGavran,Church Growth Bulletin, Second Consolidated Volume, 50.24 Read,New PatternsofChurch Growth in Brazil, 126-131. 25William R. Read, Victor M. Monterroso, and Harmon A. Johnson, Latin American Church Growth, GrandRapids:William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,1969.=bC. PeterWagner,”Characteristics of Pentecostal ChurchGrowth, The Pentecostal Minister 2:2 (Summer, 1982), 4.27C. PeterWagner,What Are We Missing?(CarolStream,Ill. : Crea- tion House,1973),12.28Wagner”Characteristics of Pentecostal Church Growth,” 5. z9Jim Montgomery, Fire in thePhilippinesCarol Stream, Ill. : Crea- tion House, 1975.3OMcGavran, Church Growth Bulletin,Third ConsolidatedVolume, 253ff.3’See for instance Vol. 1:2 (1974), 4-5; Vol. 2:3 (1975), 8-15; Vol. 7:1 1 (1980),11-15.3zMr.Gavran,”What Makes Pentecostal ChurchesGrow?,”97-99.33Ibid.,97.34A completelistingis now available in DorisWagner, ed.,Fuller SchoolofWorld MissionMissiologicalAbstracts($12.50 plus$3.50 postageandhandlingfrom FullerTheological Seminary,135 North OaklandAve., Pasadena,California 91101-1790. Attention Doris Wagner).include Zechariah Chelliah,”Missiological Strategyfor the Assemblies of God in Tamil 3sExamples Nadu,”unpublishedD. Miss. disserta- tion, 1981; Christopher J. Daniel,”Church Growth-ItsDynamicsand Strategy:AChallengeto the Church in Sri LankaToday,” Unpub- lishedproject, 1977; ChristianRudolf DeWet, “Signs and Wonders in Church Growth,”Unpublished project, 1981; RalphM. Elmore, “Dis- cipliningInnerCity Peoples:Models for Church GrowthAmongEth- nicGroupsin LosAngeles,” UnpublishedTh.M. thesis1981; Manuel JesusGaxiola,”TheSerpentand the Dove: A History of theApostolic Church of the Faith in Christ Jesus in Mexico,”UnpublishedM.A. thesis1978; PhillipE. Goble, “Messianic Judiasm: A BiblicalApolo- geticwith a View toLiturgical Reform,”D. Min.dissertation,Paul Anthony Pomerville,”Pentecostalism and Missions: Distortion or Correction?”UnpublishedD. Miss.dissertation, 1982; BenjaminP. Shinde,”The Contribution of the Assemblies of God the Church Growth in India,”UnpublishedD. Miss.dissertation, 1974; etc.36Melvin L.Hodges,”The Selection of MinisterialCandidates,” Church Growth Bulletin First Consolidated Edition, 232-234; Melvin1217L.Hodges, “SurmountingSeven Obstacles to ChurchGrowth,” Church Growth Bulletin, Second ConsolidatedEdition, 43-45; Edgardo Siluoso,”TheNaranjo PeopleMovement inGrowth Bulletin SecondArgentina,” Church Consolidated Edition, 451-459. 37See above, note 31.Leaders Look at Church Growth,” The Pentecostal38E.C. Thomas, ed., “PentecostalMinister 3:3 (Fall, 1983),6-12; Richard Champion, Edward S. Caldwell, andGary Leggett,eds. Our Mission inToday’s World; CouncilonEvangelism Official PapersandReports (Spring- field,Mo.:Gospel Publishing House, 1968);Gwen Jones, Ron Rowden,MelSurface, eds., Higher Goals: NationalChurch Growth ConventionDigest (Springfield: Gospel Publishing House, 1978); Bev- erly Graham,ed. Mountain Movers 25:1 (January,1983);C. Peter Wagner,”Characteristics of Pentecostal Church Growth,”pp 4-9. 39Donald A. McGavran, “Then the End Will Come,”(Interview) Church Growth Bulletin Third Consolidated Edition, 76.4Walter J.HollenwegerThe PentecostalsMinneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House,1972; Nils Bloch-Hoell, The Pentecostal Movement Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 1964; Christian Lalived’EpinayHavenof the Masses: A Studyof the Pentecostal Movement in Chile London: Lutterworth Press, 1969; Prudencio Damboriena,Tonguesas of Fire: Pentecostalism inContemporary Christianity Washington,D.C.: Corpus Books,1969; Emilio Willems, Followers of the New Faith Nashville: VanderbiltUniversity Press, 1967;William J. Samarin, Tongues ofMen andAngelsNew York: The MacmillanCompany, 1972.4?Donald A. McGavan,UnderstandingChurch Growth Revised Edi-tion, 159, 184.42GloverShipp,”Brazil AOG Passes Three MillionMark,”Global Church Growth (1981),p. 86.43Wagner,What are We Missing? p.39.44See forexampleChristianLife Magazine44:6 (October,1982) which has been re-issued as a compilationbythe editors of ChristianLife Magazinewith thecooperationof C. Peter under the title Signsand Wonders Wheaton: Christian Life Wagner TodayMagazine,1983.45Thomas F. Zimmerman, “The Reason for the Rise of the Pentecos- tal Movement,” in VinsonSynan,ed.Aspects ofPentecostal- CharismaticOrigins (Plainfield,NJ.:Logos International, 1975), pp. 5-13; Champion, Caldwell, Leggett,Our Mission inToday’s World, 144ff.; RayH.Hughs,ChurchofGod Distinctives Cleveland, Tenn.: Pathway Press, 1968;DonaldGee, Spiritual Giftsin the Workof the Melvin Ministry Today Springfield: Gospel Publishing House, 1963; L. Hodges,”CreatingClimate for ChurchGrowth,” “DevelopingBasic Units ofIndigenous Churches,”and”Administeringfor Church Growth,”in Donald A. McGavran ed. Church Growth in Christian Mission,New York:Harper& Row,1965), 27-39, 111-130,and 214- 227 Melvin L. Hodges, “A Pentecostal’s View of MissionStrategy,”in Donald A. McGavran, ed.Eye of theStorm Debate in Mission (Waco, TX.: Word Books, Publisher1972), 142-149;Melvin L.Hodges, A1318Theology ofthe Church and Its Mission: A PentecostalPerspective (Springfield: Gospel PublishingHouse, 1977); J.”Observations Based onPhilip Hogan,ExperienceinNinety-Five Countries,” Church Growth Bulletin Third Consolidated Volume,479; Hogan, “Responseto Dr.RalphWinter’sp. PhilipPaper,” Larry Christianson, “TheHoly Spiritin Evangelism,” Herman H. terWelle, “Evangeliza- tion of Children,” and Loren Cunningham,in J.D.”Mobilizing Young People for WorldEvangelization,”958-965 Douglas,ed. Let the Earth Hear His Voice (Minneapolis: World Wide Publications,1975),242- 245, 273-276, 725-733,and 958-965.46Hodges,ATheology of the Church and Its Mission,35-36. 4?Thomas, Ibid., 9-11.48Pomerville, Ibid.,289.’ 49De Wet, Ibid.,10; Douglas, Ibid.,242ff.sopomerville, Ibid., 351-352.14
Troy Day
this is ONE solid comparison @followers @highlight
Troy Day
Historical Bookends: The movement’s evolution is framed between Donald A. McGavran’s 1955 publication The Bridges of God (which initiated the Church Growth Movement) and C. Peter Wagner’s 1983 book On the Crest of the Wave.
Pre-1955 Recognition: Early observers like J. Merle Davis (1943) and L.F.W. Woodford (1952) highlighted Pentecostalism’s rapid expansion, leadership structures, and appeal to working-class populations prior to formal church growth research.
McGavran’s Focus on Pentecostals: Considered the “Father of the Church Growth Movement,” McGavran frequently cited Pentecostal churches in Mexico, Brazil, and Chile as primary models for evangelism, pointing to their reliance on the Holy Spirit, ordinary believers, relational networks, and active spiritual ministry.
Academic & Methodological Research: Key scholars—including William R. Read, Victor Monterroso, Harmon Johnson, C. Peter Wagner, and Jim Montgomery—studied Pentecostal growth dynamics to identify reusable strategies for global church planting.
Pentecostal Critique & Tension: While Pentecostals embraced the academic interest and utilized Church Growth insights, missiologists like Paul A. Pomerville cautioned against over-explaining church expansion through sociological or sociological-anthropological factors while minimizing the core spiritual dimension of the Holy Spirit.