Somewhere along the way, we decided it was impossible, or at least improbable, for the Church to experience rapid numerical growth and significant sanctification. I started marking such conversations in my journey as I heard them in the United States in the early 1990s. Many of you can provide earlier examples, including such that extend into centuries before we were born.
Two tribes may be found among North American evangelicals. I refer to one as the Church Health Tribe and the other as the Church Movement Tribe.
The former emphasizes depth; the latter emphasizes expansion.
One is known for maturity; the other is known for multiplication.
Church Health stresses sanctification; Church Movement stresses regeneration.
One gives attention to the qualitative; the other gives attention to the quantitative.
While I have great respect and value both campus, I am greatly disappointed with them. I will refrain from naming names. But I have read articles, posts, and books from both sides. I have listened to podcasts, sermons, and lectures representing both perspectives. While each party makes very important theological and missiological arguments, both have been guilty of creating strawman arguments based on anecdotal evidence. While we pastors love anecdotal evidence (It’ll preach!) we academics are at fault too. The divorce remains.
The apostolic imagination knows no such divorce.
The Bible never dichotomizes health and expansion. Maturation and Movement are often emphasized in the same contexts:
| “Whoever abides in me and I in him…” | “he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). |
| “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth….” | “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. . . . I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:17-18, 20). |
| “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,” | “and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7) |
| “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up.” | “And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit they multiplied” (Acts 9:31). |
| “So the churches were strengthened in the faith,” | “and they increased in numbers daily” (Acts 16:5). |
| “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone…” | “that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28). |
| “The gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood” (Col 1:5-6) | “We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding… bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:9-10). |
| “The gospel, which has come to you. . . just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf” (Col 1:5-7). | “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis” (Col 4:12-13). |
| “Our gospel came to you…And you became imitators of us and of the Lord…so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thes 1:5, 6, 7). | “For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything” (1 Thes 1:8). |
| “Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead…” | “and be honored, as happened among you” (2 Thes 2:3). |
Must we pick a side? What if what we advocate as health is not really God-glorifying maturity unless there is movement? What if what we call multiplication is not God-glorifying expansion unless there is significant sanctification?
During this year’s Global Alliance for Church Multiplication, I had the honor and delight to spend a few days with hundreds of brothers and sisters from across the world. I am so thankful for their Kingdom labors and always learn much from them. On the last day, I had the opportunity to speak about the importance of holding together strengths found in both tribes. The apostolic imagination knows no other way. May we walk this path for the five billion remain.
If you are interested in hearing my message, HERE is a link to the video. My session begins at 55 min 8 sec.
Thanks J.D. Your book on Apostolic Church Planting was a real encouragement to Sharon and me as we started visiting door to door in East end Montreal in 2017. We are torn between evangelism and keeping the 16-22 people who meet on Sunday afternoons well fed spiritually. This article is great! But for a 75 yr-old Church planter who has not yet seen God’s provision for a Timothy, keeping those two objectives going is a stretch. Do you have anybody willing to come up, learn French and work with me then take over? René Frey (514) 577-7074 renefrey@hotmail.com
Thanks!
Thank you, René, for responding and encouraging words! And thank you for your Kingdom labors in Montreal! While I do not have anyone in mind, since you posted this on my blog hopefully it will help spread the word!