Introduction

The late 20th and early 21st century had witnessed the proliferation of churches and some had mushroomed overnight into mega ecclesiastical outfits with aggressive marketing policies. Donald McGavran had already formulated the main principles of Church Growth theory in the 1930s as a missionary to India but it was not until the 1970s that his ideas become more widespread and accepted outside the missiological realm. Chief among his work is "Understanding Church Growth" (1970) and the formation of the Fuller’s School of World Mission including prominent men like Arthur Glass, Peter Wagner, Alan Tippett, Charles Kraft and Paul Niebert and men like Bill Hybels of Willow Creek is not the least among them. This uncanny fraternity of church growth gurus provided the impetus for the promulgation of these newly crafted Church Growth ideas to pastors, missionaries and church staff all over the world. One US based Leadership magazine did a survey and discovered that 86% of pastors interviewed have read about these new church growth principles and thoughts that they should be used because these methods are effective (ie pragmatism-the end justifies the means).

According to Os Guiness, the church growth movement is defined by its focus on the acknowledgment of cultures, the insistence on tangible results (ie physical numbers) and the worldly wisdom of using the best insights and technologies proffered by the key disciplines of the human science. This gives rise to the growing acceptance of questionable theories like theistic evolution, the criticism on the authenticity of the biblical record (ie the universal flood) and the growing fascination of the church with secular psychology, in concepts like positive thinking and self-esteem.

The tools proposed by these gurus to bring about church growth are secular psychology, marketing technologies and the findings of behavioural science. Popularised by so-called Christian psychologists, biblical doctrine and church discipline are not vital ingredients in modern church growth philosophy. Any church is supposed to expand their church even if they are liberal or conservative in their doctrine if they adapt pragmatic church growth principles. These are supposed to be just workable, practical techniques, which are patterned after the world that can work for any church as well apparently.

George Barna in his book, Marketing the Church, sees the concept of church expansion as a business enterprise with a product to sell (ie relationship with Jesus is supposed to be a saleable ‘Core product’ of Christianity). Barna challenges each church to be the ‘Chrysler of tomorrow’ and to employ viable marketing strategies to bring people into the church. Therefore, church marketing seminaries and courses have been offered instead of bible-based theological programmes to search the scriptures. Now, an MBA or Masters in Missions, church management and counselling is one of the keys to be a successful pastor through newly concocted church growth techniques and theories. There seems to be no need for bible subjects, original languages, systematic theology, or church history studying the basic doctrines of grace. Ironically, the Bible in 2 Tim 3:16,17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works". We believe in the authority, sufficiency, inspiration, perspicuity, inerrancy and providential preservation of the Scriptures. Decision-making skills, management and counselling abilities come from a careful meditation and application of the Word of God and not from man-made theorems.

One of the keys to revamping the church according to these professional church growth gurus is the understanding of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a blatantly godless psychological concept where man is at the apex fulfilling his whims and fancies (at the expense of eternity) and the church is supposed to aid him to self-actualisation if it were to survive and thrive. The sovereignty of human needs have led many churches to jettison sound doctrine and biblical practices to self-styled homespun entertainment based worship and ostentatious ministry. It is a consumer culture when we pander to, with the so-called felt needs of the members as valuable clients are to a commercial enterprise. As a result, line and prophetic dancing are popularly introduced into many modern churches today to attract the young and excitable into the fold with a mischievous spin away from reverential worship and apparently the masses are flocking to this new style churches.

Offering a wide array of programme to meet the needs of the people, large modern community churches boast of luxurious facilities for children and youths, child-care amenities and entertaining worship services with professional and amateur dancers well choreographed services coupled often with drums, synthesizers and loud jarring music. What’s wrong with these new church growth principles (if any)? To compare the church to a secular business enterprise is a parody to say the least. The true church of Jesus Christ has nothing to sell but it has a definite call to preach the pure gospel of Christ (and not works) and an uncompromising message to depraved sinners to surrender to God unconditionally. The Apostle Paul clearly teaches, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Rom 12:1,2)."

Church growth is not about marketing a spiritual product. (ie the Dominican friar, Tetzel’s sale of Indulgences during the 16th century Reformation that was strongly condemned by the German Reformer, Martin Luther rightly in his 95 theses pasted on the walls of Wittenberg Church on 31 October 1517). The church declares unashamedly the absolute sovereignty of a thrice holy God that summons sinners to evangelical repentance and to a saving relationship with Him based on the propitiatory work of Jesus Christ at Calvary alone (Rom 5:1-8). Simply put, the church unequivocally proclaims the free offer of the gospel and not hawk the product of man’s works that is worthless in salvation. It is the priceless and matchless message of the glorious gospel of redemption that meets the innermost hearts of men, promulgating also our sinful total depravity and the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ alone (Rom 1:16).

How does the church grow then according to the Bible? The Bible in Acts 2:42-44,46,47 says, "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." The church grows when they honour God in His Word, with fervent intercession, active evangelism, God-honouring reverential worship and the proper administration of the sacraments. Acts 9:31 also adds, "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." When we honour Christ, preach the Gospel and His Word and obey His commandments, the Lord Himself will bring about both spiritual (and possibly numerical growth) to the local congregation. The success of a church is not measured by its membership, physical assets, programmes or activities. It is not pragmatic optimism or the marketeer’s ingenuity that grows the churches of Jesus Christ. The house that is built on sand will collapse in due time but the church that is built on Christ, the Rock will last forever (1 Cor 10:4). To marginalise the Word of God, prayer, dependence on Christ and surrender to Him in reverential God centred worship is to undermine the very foundational fabric on which the church of Christ is to be built and will have dire consequences in the light of eternity.

Worldly Pragmatism and secular psychology had invaded the church subtly and they have produced a disposition in the ecclesiastical realm where the end justifies the means. Workable secular techniques is substituted for biblical truth, marketing action for careful spiritual discernment, the temporal satisfaction of a few individuals for the spiritual health and vitality of the whole church, a therapeutic view (ie healing of the body) for a true biblical vision, compromise and human organisation for the organic unity of the church. At the centre of it all is a shallow self-centred profiteering consumerism coupled with a debilitating lack of spiritual compliance and the fear and reverence for God’s holiness and His matchless precepts. The selection of church headship for these churches is not necessarily based on biblical criteria of sound men of character, the profound knowledge of God and of His Word but instead on his business acumen, oratorical abilities and managerial skills. The church will pay a hefty price for setting aside truth and settling for ecclesiastical and social engineering instead. Unless the church humbly and prudently returns to the infallible biblical precepts of church building on a doctrinally sound basis, the pragmatic, emotional and social pressure of the world will reign supreme in our churches and render it unacceptable to heaven. Consequently, theological compromise and man-centred techniques will lead our churches to spiritual disaster and decay, losing its unique witness as light and salt in a darkened world for Christ in these last momentous days.

Many churches today are in desperate need of spiritual repair and revival. In one sentence, one needs to humbly return to scriptural precepts and practices and surrender secular methodologies and humanistic philosophies and dare to trust God and honour Him in His Word and proper reverential worship till He comes.