For my most recent Whitworth class, Global Missions, one of our required readings was The Kingdom Unleashed, by Jerry Trousdale & Glenn Sunshine. The book contrasts the rapid growth of the church in the Global South, characterized by Disciple Making Movements (DMM), with the stagnancy, and even decline, of the church in the Global North. As someone who has been questioning the biblical legitimacy of our traditional structures for the church in the west for the past several years, this was not only a fascinating read, it served as confirmation for my skepticism. Even further, it shows, I believe, a better way for the church to function.
There is much that is challenging in this book, not the least of which is a challenge to our own egos. For some, the biggest hurdle to overcome in reading this book may be the idea that leaders in the Global South have figured something out that we have missed. Admitting that the west does not have a monopoly on Christian wisdom is a bitter pill to swallow for some. But if you can muster some humility to learn from our Christian family in another part of the world you might find yourself, like me, questioning much of how we think about church in the west.
Here are just a few of the differences that are seen in the DMM of the Global South:
A building is not the focus of the church. The movement is primarily gaining momentum through house churches - faithful believers meeting regularly in homes.
There are not professional Christians (ministers/clergy) and the rest of us. Every member of the church is expected to be actively involved in discipleship, both leading and receiving.
The church fully expects God to intervene in supernatural ways. A saying that many live by in the Global South is, "Prayer is our oxygen and miracles are our daily bread."
This is just one piece of the puzzle. I have been feeling uncomfortable with the traditional structure of the church in the west for quite some time and I am finding it increasingly difficult to simply accept that this is the way it is. It is not a model I see reflected in scripture and through considerable Google searching, I was never able to find someone who makes any attempt to defend the current structure scripturally. It has been this way so long that Christians simply assume that this is how the church should look. No questions asked. No scripture needed.
More on all this will be scattered throughout this site, but if you are looking for another book on this topic, check out Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna. Let me know if you have read anything else lately that either defends the traditional way we do church from a biblical point of view or questions its consistency with scripture.