During the past twenty years the phenomenon of "church growth"--especially as it has been known under the dynamic leadership of Donald McGavran and the School of World Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary--has resulted in an impressive array of books, articles, reports, and theses.
While freely acknowledging their debut to the church growth school, the contributors to this volume wish to explore further the premises, principles, and goals of church growth. Firmly convinced that church growth is more than empirical data and effective methods, and that there is nothing approaching a "complete book of church growth," they aim not simply to offer definitive answers but rather to open up fresh lines of inquiry--historical, experiential, methodological, and theological. Thus, while interacting with previous studies, the authors view their work as a constructive contribution to the search for a more adequate understanding of church growth patterns.
Contributors to this volume include Alfred C. Krass, Harvie M. Conn, Orlando E. Costas, John H. Yoder, Harry R. Boer, and C. Rene Padilla.
Wilbert R. Shenk is Senior Professor of Mission History and Contemporary Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. His other books include 'Changing Frontiers of Mission' (1999).
"The most interesting, balanced, and helpful book on church growth in mission studies that I have seen."
-- Gerald H. Anderson
Director, Overseas Ministries Study Center
"An extremely fresh and stimulating book on a familiar topic. Irenic in nature and yet challenging the premises, principles, and goals of traditional church growth thought, this multiple-author work presents new field research, proposes varied methodologies, and gives a solid, scholarly theological underpinning to its conclusion."
-- Ralph R. Covell
Editor, Missiology