Exploring Church Growth

by Wilbert R. Shenk

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 debt 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.

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Dr. Wilbert R. Shenk, who is well known both as an international missiologist and as a specialist in the area of Anabaptism and Mission, has been the main speaker. He has edited a book with the same title, that is still a classic in this field. Until 2005 Shenk served as professor of mission history and contemporary culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California/USA. He lives in Elkhart, Indiana/USA. Dr. Peter F. Penner is Director of the Institute of Contextual Missiology at the International Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS) where he has served since 2001 in different capacities. Prior to this, he was involved with the St. Petersburg Christian University (SPCU) in St. Petersburg, Russia six years as Rector and four years as Academic Dean as a missionary of the German Missionary Fellowship (Deutsche Missionsgemeinschaft). He is married to Katharina, who was actively involved at SPCU and presently continues to serve with him at IBTS. They have two children and live in Prague, Czech Republic.