Cell churches, house churches: the reformation continues
This issue of the Friday Fax is dedicated to a review of one of the most
rapid developments in church history, described by many as 'the structural
reformation of the church at the end of the second millennium'. Between 9
and 12 November 1999, some 140 people involved in cell and house churches
in 27 countries met in Hong Kong for a "Global Summit". They reported of
the beginnings of a significant structural reformation of existing
churches in all parts of the globe, which is starting to affect church
planting and pioneer missions. The central thesis is that "the church is
coming home", Christians share their daily lives and organise themselves
in cells in regionally varying structures. Here's a brief summary of some
current developments (November 1999):
Transitional processes
Some 2,000 Brazilian churches are in the process of the qualitative
and structural transition to cell churches. In South Africa, some
3,000 churches are making the transition; in some cases, this
involves entire denominations. In Australia, there are between 30 and
40 cell churches, in England some 700, 300 of which are 'at an
advanced stage'. Lawrence Singlehurst, Director of YWAM England,
reports that youth cells are gaining particularly strongly; in one
case, a group of 3 youths became a cell movement of 250 in only two
years. In the Philippines, a Pentecostal movement with some 300
churches has decided to become a cell church movement. Similar
developments are underway in Malaysia, Japan, India, the Ukraine,
Ireland and a number of other nations. The Hong Kong Cellchurch
Network currently links 160 churches with a missionary perspective,
aiming to change the status quo of only 5% of Hong Kong's population
following Jesus, targeting a figure of 20% in 2010.
Growing cell church movements
- Obaja Tanto Setiawan, pastor of the "GBI Keluarga Allah" church
in Solo, Indonesia, experienced the growth of his cell church
from 273 cells in February 1999 to 636 in November 1999. Some 15
new cells are formed each week. The movement began 10 years ago,
and currently has 10,000 members. They planted 25 daughter
churches in the last year.
- Love Singapore 2001: in 1995, pastor Lawrence Khong of the Faith
Community Baptist Church envisioned a particular effort to reach
Singapore's 4 million inhabitants with the gospel. His plan: 1)
encourage unity between Christian churches, 2) serving society
practically, 3) starting prayer cells in each of Singapore's
high-rise blocks, in which 85% of the population live, 4) a
7-phase evangelistic campaign in 2001 and 5) that each of
Singapore's churches 'adopt' an unreached people-group. To date,
some 100 of Singapore's 300 churches have joined the vision, and
around 400 pastors attend the annual Prayer Summit. 50,000
Christians took part in a recent sponsored run, with the
proceeds being donated to various Christian and non-Christian
charities. In addition, a 'Love Singapore Fund' was initiated,
overseen by the churches individually, but forming a common fund
to help the unemployed or needy of all faiths who can request
assistance in any church.
- Cesar Castellanos MCI church in Bogota, Columbia, grew from 70
small groups to 20,000 cells in only 8 years. They pay
particular attention to youths, to which 9,000 cells are
dedicated. During the Saturday evening services, attended by
18,000 people, it is common for some 500 young people to decide
to follow Jesus.
- The 'Bethany World Prayer Center' (pastor: Larry Stockstill) in
the USA has 800 cells and 8,000 members. Equador's 'Christian
Center Guayaquil' (pastor: Jerry Smith) has 2,000 cells with
some 7,000 members.
- The 'Pakistan Gospel Assemblies', led by Dr. William Johnson,
has
grown to 1,105 churches in the 25 years since its foundation. 80
of the churches already have a cell structure. "This year, we
have already planted 105 new churches. Our long-term aim is to
grow to 5,000 churches through church planting; by the year
2000, we will probably have reached 2,000 churches", according
to a representative of the movement.
House churches
- Most of China's churches are organised as house churches rather
than cell churches. It is now certain that there are a number of
national house church networks in China, together representing
some 50 million Christians, as well as a number of smaller
regional and local house church movements comprising some 25-35
million Christians. On top of that, there are a number of other
organised, state-registered church forms with a total of between
10 and 15 million members. The growth rate of house churches in
China is spectacular by any standard; a house church movement
began 8 years ago in one province with less than 100 people.
Within 5 years, it had grown to 55,000 members (the number of
house churches doubled every 6 months), and has grown to maybe
250,000 in the last 3 years.
- Adrian de Visser is Senior Pastor of Sri Lanka's Kithu Sevena
church movement, through which 131 new house churches have come
in to being in the last 7 months.
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