Church Trends Revisited: The Vitality of the Church in Latin America

Transcription

1 A PROLADES Study, Reflection & Discussion Document DRAFT COPY - NOT FOR PUBLICATION Church Trends Revisited: The Vitality of the Church in Latin America Compiled and Edited by Clifton L. Holland, Director of PROLADES Last revised on 21 March 2013 PROLADES Apartado , San José, Costa Rica Telephone: (506) ; FAX: (506) prolades@ice.co.cr Internet:

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3 OUTLINE OF CONTENTS Introduction 5 Part I Present Challenge: The Revitalization of Biblical Christianity 9 Part II - The value of using FODA to analyze the current situation in a particular denomination to determine levels of stress, conflict and crisis with a view to overcome these tensions via the revitalization process 14 Part III - Church Growth Trends and Variables 16 Part IV - Major problems facing the Evangelical Church today in Latin America 24 Part V - The need for improvement in organizational and leadership development within the Protestant movement in Latin America 25 Part VI SWOT Analysis categories to be explored regarding the Church in Latin America during the coming decade 26 Part VII - A Proposed Missiological Research Agenda for the next decade 28 Summary and Conclusions 31 Bibliography 33 Complimentary Support Documents 34 3

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5 The Vitality of the Church in Latin America Introduction In this PROLADES Study, Reflection & Discussion Document, I will attempt to make my own SWOT Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the Protestant movement in general in Latin America and define a research, evaluation and strategic planning agenda for the next decade for PROLADES. This document builds on information presented in the previous PROLADES Study, Reflection & Discussion Document, entitled Church Trends in Latin America, which we produced in December I would like to begin this discussion with a review of the Summary and Conclusions presented in the previous document. Church Trends in Latin America: Summary and Conclusions This document presented a general perspective of CHURCH TRENDS within the major traditions and denominational families of Latin American Christianity. Each religious tradition and denominational family of Christianity represents a unique configuration of beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that have been culturally conditioned over the past centuries, modified by political, social and religious conflicts in the parent continent and mother country, and transported through immigration and migration to distant lands and transplanted in the native soil of each Latin American nation and within each racial, ethnolinguistic and socioeconomic component of society. Today, all the Latin American nations are considered to be predominantly Christian, with a variety of blends and flavors in a complex mix of competing brands in the modern religious marketplace that an estimated 596 million people call home. The old religious monopolies are undergoing a process of crisis, conflict, fragmentation, disintegration, reconfiguration (mergers, unions, redefinition and revitalization) or extinction/ absorption. The remaining religious monopolies are largely composed of traditionalists who oppose modernization and change because of their firm belief and commitment to a traditional worldview and their fear of an unknown future. Traditionalists exist within each of the major Christian traditions but are most common in the Eastern Orthodox and Western Roman traditions, and within the Older Liturgical Protestant traditions (Lutheran, Reformed-Presbyterian-Congregational, and Anglican- Episcopal Families of Denominations). However, within the Protestant Free Church Tradition that originated among dissenter groups within the Protestant State Churches (Lutheran, Reformed-Presbyterian, and Anglican) of Europe and spread to the Americas (especially North America) prior to 1900, there are a few traditionalist groups of churches (some reject all denominational structures) in modern Latin America. These groups include some of those within the Amish-Mennonite Family of denominations, the Baptist Family, the Pietist Family, the Holiness Family, the Independent Fundamentalist Family, the Restorationist Family, and independent-separatist Free Church groups. The Adventist Family of denominations is also largely traditionalist and separatist in their relationships 5

6 with other Protestant groups and with modern society. Also, the Pentecostal Family of denominations has some groups that are strongly traditionalist, which has led to numerous conflicts and divisions in each country and to the multiplication of splinter movements, new denominations and church associations, as well as independent local churches. The Marginal Christian Groups represent a large variety of religious traditions and denominational families within Christianity in general, and they are separated and isolated from the Major Christian Traditions that we have described previously. In Latin America, some government organizations that are responsible for monitoring and registering religious associations have used the term para-protestant to describe what we have termed Marginal Christian Groups within the PROLADES Classification System of Religious Groups in the Americas. None of these groups fit within our definition of the Protestant Movement because each one deviates in various degrees from the historic Protestant worldview of beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. In the official census reports of Mexico and Brazil, the Adventist Family of denominations is listed as para-protestant, whereas we have opted to include this tradition within our definition of the Protestant Movement. As we discussed earlier in Church Trends in Latin America, the traditionalist groups (authoritarian and dogmatic) tend to lose adherents to the more democratic and moderate groups, such as the defection of Roman Catholic adherents to Evangelical-Protestant mainstream groups and to groups within the Pentecostal movement, or even to some Marginal Christian groups ( para-protestant ). However, most of the latter groups in Latin America are also authoritarian and dogmatic, and some of them claim to be the only true path of salvation. Also, there are defections from these Christian traditions and denominational families to other religions (non-christian) and to secular society (no religious affiliation, agnostics or atheists). At some point in time, we are prone to ask ourselves, where is the True Church of Jesus Christ in the world today, within all of these competitive and confusing religious alternatives that call themselves Christian? Who are the members of the Universal Christian Church that is composed of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ? True biblical conversion is to the historical Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah and only Redeemer and Savior of humanity, and to His teachings as revealed in the New Testament, and never to another religious leader or organization. Attendance, membership or affiliation with a religious organization is neither salvific nor can any religious organization authentically claim to be so. Nor can eternal salvation be earned by good works, but by sola gracia, sola fe, solo Cristo. Therefore, not everyone who attends, is a member of, or is affiliated with any particular Christian denomination or church body (by choice or by birth) has experienced true conversion, as defined above. Statistics on church membership, attendance and/or affiliation ( community ) as reported in Church Trends in Latin America are only an indication of the relative size of a particular denomination in comparison with all other denominations within the various Christian traditions and families of denominations. Such statistics can be used to measure average annual growth rates (AAGR) of those denominations that honestly and fairly issue reports on the same. By comparing such statistics at 6

7 intervals of 5, 10 or more years, researchers can analyze the data and calculate the AAGR for one or more denominations in a given geographical area, as we did in Church Trends in Latin America and in hundreds of other documents produced by PROLADES since 1977, when our organization was founded as a parachurch ministry dedicated to missiological research and information management. In addition to formal church structures, which we have called denominations in our research documents, there are also parachurch organizations within all the various traditions and families of denominations of Christianity. Parachurch organizations are faith-based organizations that work outside of and across denominational boundaries to engage in a variety of Christian ministries, usually independent of direct church oversight. These bodies can be businesses, non-profit corporations, or private associations. Some of these organizations cater to a defined spectrum of beliefs within the various major traditions and families of denominations, but most are self-consciously interdenominational and many are ecumenical. In Catholic and Protestant theology, parachurch organizations are termed sodalities, as distinct from modalities, which is the structure and organization of the local church and of the thousands of denominational bodies within Christianity as we have described above. If the True Church of Jesus Christ is composed of all born-again believers in the Risen Lord throughout the world regardless of race, gender, age, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic variables, political orientation, citizenship, denominational affiliation, etc. then we should recognize and celebrate the fact that we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord and act like we are part of the same Family of God, the Body of Christ, the Church Universal. The reality is that, although we call ourselves Christians, we are seriously divided by artificial, man-made boundaries of church structures (modalities), religious traditions and denominational families of churches in Latin America and worldwide. However, there have been various attempts to create some unity in the midst of diversity among Christian groups, both within the major traditions and within the various denominational families of churches. (See Unity in the Midst of Diversity in the Latin American Church in the Complimentary Documents section, page 33). The various Ecumenical Councils in the history of the Christian Church prior to the Protestant Reformation were attempts to find common ground within the various Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic traditions in the Middle East, North America and Europe. That same ecumenical dialogue continues today through various international forums that were created by The Vatican (See of the Roman Catholic Church), the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, and other Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions. The most recent initiatives in this regard were undertaken following the Second Vatican Council (mid-1960s) of the Roman Catholic Church, which renewed its contacts with leaders in the main Eastern Orthodox Churches and in some Protestant denominations and parachurch organizations, such as the World Council of Churches (WCC, founded in 1948). The WCC is a worldwide fellowship of churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. The WCC s counterpart in Latin America is the Latin American 7

8 Council of Churches (CLAI, founded in 1978). However, the WCC-CLAI sphere of influence in Latin America is very weak in most countries because of the underrepresentation of mainline Protestant denominations (liberal and progressive doctrinally, socially and politically). The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement, a movement whose goal is Christian unity. The WCC brings together 349 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories throughout the world, representing over 560 million Christians and including most of the world's Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches. While the bulk of the WCC's founding churches were European and North American, today most member churches are in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific. Source: The Evangelical-Protestant sphere of influence in Latin America has developed slowly since the late-1900s under the umbrella of the Latin American Fellowship of Evangelicals (CONELA), founded in 1982 in Panama City, Panama, after initial discussions were held among Evangelical leaders who participated in various Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization-sponsored activities with logistical support from the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association (headquarters in Portland, Oregon, USA). CONELA is affiliated internationally with the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF, founded in 1951), now renamed the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA, 2001). The World Evangelical Alliance is a global ministry working with local churches around the world to join in common concern to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus in their communities. WEA is a network of churches in 129 nations that have each formed an evangelical alliance and over 100 international organizations joining together to give a world-wide identity, voice, and platform to more than 600 million evangelical Christians. Seeking holiness, justice and renewal at every level of society -- individual, family, community and culture -- God is glorified and the nations of the earth are forever transformed. Today a new day dawns upon a revitalized WEA with its regional and national alliances, commissions (theology, religious liberty, mission, youth, women, and information technology), affiliated specialized ministries, and organizational ministries. Source: Rather than having a membership composed directly of individual denominational, local church and parachurch leaders, such as is the case with CONELA, the WEF has built a worldwide coalition of national evangelical alliances and federations, which are composed of denominational, local church and parachurch leaders. Nevertheless, there are many Evangelical-Protestant denominations and church associations in Latin America (as well as worldwide) that have not joined these so-called ecumenical organizations, whether those related to the WCC-CLAI sphere of influence or the WEA- CONELA sphere. Most of those denominations and church associations that decline to be involved ecumenically are identified as conservative-separatist Evangelical groups within the Fundamentalist wing of the Protestant movement in Latin America. In addition, the anti-ecumenical stance of most of the groups within the Adventist Family of Churches 8

9 isolates them from having fraternal relations with most of the Evangelical-Protestant denominations and parachurch organizations. Although it is usually easier for most Pentecostal leaders to have fellowship at various levels with other Pentecostals, not all of them have become associated with non-pentecostals in regional, national and/or international fellowship organizations, such as the WCC-CLAI and WEA-CONELA networks. Regarding the Protestant movement in Latin America, there is more unity in the midst of diversity among the various Christian traditions and denominational families of churches in Latin America today than in previous decades when doctrinal differences and denominational idiosyncrasies played a more dominant role in interdenominational relationships. Of course, there are still some major tensions and conflicts within the Evangelical- Protestant spectrum in Latin America due to the principal controversies that we mentioned earlier: the Pentecostal/non-Pentecostal polarization, Liberation Theology, the Charismatic Renewal movement, the Prosperity Gospel, the G12 Vision & Strategy, and the New Apostolic Reformation (and its emphasis on modern-day apostles & prophets, spiritual warfare, territorial spirits, dominion theology, etc.). Part I - Present Challenge: The Revitalization of Biblical Christianity There have been times in the modern historical development of the major Christian traditions and denominational families when serious moments of reflection, strategic planning and action/reaction occurred, such as the periodical assemblies of the World Council of Churches ( ), the Second Vatican Council ( ) of the Roman Catholic Church, and the various worldwide conferences sponsored by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization ( ). However, it is debatable as to whether or not any of these worldwide assemblies and conferences had any direct positive impact on the local congregations in each country of the Americas within the various ecumenical spheres of influence in terms of producing revitalization movements. Revitalize means to impart new life or vigor to an urban area (neighborhood, community, city, etc.), group, organization or movement. Revitalization, in the broadest sense, means to impart new life, energy, or activity to something. According to *Dr. Kenneth D. Tollefson, the Epistle of Titus describes the religious revitalization process among the Cretan believers engaged in the task of perpetuating their faith in a hostile environment. Tollefson argues that the Epistle of Titus is organized in the same six-phase-sequence that is found in thousands of case studies of "revitalization movements" around the world (Biblical Theology Bulletin, December 22, 2000: *Kenneth D. Tollefson, Anthropologist; B.S., Manhattan Bible College, 1958; M. Div., Asbury Theological Seminary, 1961; M.A., University of Oklahoma, 1965; Ph.D., University of Washington, 1976; taught at Seattle Pacific University ; Professor Emeritus since

10 The processes of disintegration and reorganization are an integral part of all societies the warp and woof of cultural continuity. Cultural values, beliefs, and symbols change with the passing of time. Change produces stress and distortion, and if unchecked, may lead to cultural extinction. All societies must, therefore, continually adapt to survive. Behavioral scientists have long noted the process of social change whereby societies experience "successful innovation of whole cultural systems." Wallace (1956: ) classifies this kind of change under the general rubric of a "revitalization movement" and defines it as "a deliberate, organized, conscious effort by members of a society to construct a more satisfying culture." This concept implies that at some previous time, people found their culture to be meaningful, believable, and satiable. But over a period of time the growing gap between old social expectations and new social behavior, between old cultural values and new ones, and between local autonomy and foreign domination frequently increase cultural distortions. Unresolved, this type of confusion and disorganization may contribute to ethnic or societal extinction. Wallace identifies five common stages through which all revitalization movements must pass to reverse this trend. One, the revitalization process begins with a "steady state" characterized by social conformity, acceptance of a common set of values, the fulfillment of individual needs, and the resolution of social conflicts. Eventually, internal changes brought about by social, economic, or technological innovations, and external forces, frequently result in increased social competition and ethnic conflicts giving rise to increased social disruptions and decreased levels of individual satisfaction with their present system contributing to a second stage referred to as a "period of increased individual stress." If the internal social mechanisms fail to reduce this increasing level of anxiety, then members will experience rising levels of stress, causing the revitalization movement to evolve into a third stage, called "the period of cultural distortion." This stage is characterized by disillusionment, apathy, cultural deterioration, decreased birth rates, increased death rates, and internal factionalism. Fortunately, during such distressful periods of social unrest some individual frequently emerges with a creative cultural plan for resolving the social malaise, introducing a fourth stage of dynamic change designated as "the period of revitalization" (Wallace 1956: ). Successful social adaptation and institutionalization of the revitalization plan produces a new steady state that culminates in an ongoing spiral of continuity and change as societies adapt to innovations. Revitalization movements generally occur during periods of increased social conflict and change caused by colonialism and urbanization that give rise to increased confrontation between competing groups. That is, these first-hand interactions between dominant urban or colonial societies with subordinate peasant and tribal societies frequently produce a clash of values that contributes to intolerable levels of individual and social stress. Quinn (21) depicts the first century CE social milieu as an era of conflicting social and cultural forces, such as class conflicts, ethnic competition, sexual discrimination, apostolic teachings, Jewish influences, and "the ambient Hellenistic and Roman culture from which they all came." Literally thousands of examples of revitalization movements exist in the ethnographic literature (Barrett; Hiebert: 388; Tollefson 1976; Wallace 1972). 10

11 Thus, cultural revitalization is one adaptive social response whereby the past and present values, customs, and beliefs which produce dissonance arising from the distortions that exist between them are analyzed and recombined into a new synthesis, a new mazeway, or a new Gestalt. Wallace (1956: ) describes six phases that occur in this fourth stage of revitalization movements. In the first phase of religious revitalization, the "mazeway reformation" phase, a visionary experiences a radical change in personality, assumes a new role in society, devises a new plan for reorganizing society and proposes a new order that promises new meaning and purpose for living. In the second, "communication," phase, the visionary successfully transmits the mental blueprint for social and cultural change to other members in the society. Third, in the "organization" phase, the visionary appoints leaders and organizes the followers into an effective social movement to implement the proposed changes. This is followed by a fourth or "adaptation" phase, in which the new organization devises strategies to counter internal resistance from those who feel threatened by the sweeping changes or external confrontations from powerful groups who are hostile to the changes. In the fifth phase, referred to as "cultural transformation," the vision of the reformer becomes "owned" by the membership and transformed into the daily behavior of the people. Since many of these changes do not come easily, the leadership needs to monitor and encourage the followers to complete the process by integrating the new values, beliefs, and behavior into the cultural norms of the people in the sixth or "routinization" phase. Over a period of time, these movements generally evolve into a "new steady state period" characterized by a new period of relative social tranquility and thus the process continues in another cycle of adaptation and change. Linton (230) suggests that while "all societies unconsciously seek to perpetuate their own culture," this process may become an explicit endeavor "when a society becomes conscious that there are cultures other than its own and that the existence of its own culture is threatened." Cohn (2) notes that urbanization forces people to form organizations and to manipulate their cultural values in order to compete for scarce resources. Royce (7) states that "no ethnic group can maintain a believable (viable) identity without signs, symbols, and underlying values that point to a distinctive identity." Adapted from: I believe that the concept of revitalization movements, as described above, can provide us with important tools for evaluation and strategic planning of religious groups, fellowships of churches and denominations within the Protestant movement, which is my main focus in this document. While studying Cultural Anthropology in the School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary under Dr. Alan R. Tippett in the late-1960s, I became intrigued by Wallace s concept of revitalization movements and wrote a term paper on this subject, which has become an important part of my conception framework as a Protestant missionary educator ( ), especially in the context of the Central American region ( ) and later as I travelled throughout the various Caribbean and South American cultural areas (1982 to date). 11

12 The conversion to Christianity of many Amerindian groups in the Americas has been described by some observers as examples of revitalization movements, such as in Holy Saints and Fiery Preachers: The Anthropology of Protestantism in Mexico and Central America, edited by James W. Dow and Alan R. Sandstrom (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2001); also, in Evangelism & Apostasy: The Evolution and Impact of Evangelicals in Modern Mexico, by Kurt Bowen (Quebec, Canada: McGill-Queen s University Press, 1996). However, I would like to explore the concept of revitalization movements in terms of organizational and leadership development within the Protestant movement in the context of Latin America. This concept is particularly important to help us understand the nature of internal conflicts, divisions and the formation of dissident denominations or fellowships of churches within a particular Family of Denominations or a specific denomination in one or more countries. The case of Chile. The history of the Pentecostal movement in Chile, and its evolution from the time that the Rev. Willis C. Hoover left the Methodist Church to form the Methodist Pentecostal Church (Iglesia Metodista Pentecostal, IMP) in 1910, is notorious for being the source of scores of new denominations that separated from the IMP for a variety of reasons. Below is a summary of the historical origin of those separations and divisions (at least 23) The Church of the Lord Mission / Misión La Iglesia del Señor 1930 Apostolic Church of the Lord / Iglesia Apostólica del Señor 1925 Evangelical Church of the Brethren / Iglesia Evangélica de los Hermanos 1933 Evangelical Pentecostal Church /Iglesia Evangélica Pentecostal, under the leadership of Willis C. Hoover 1934 Christian Church of the Apostolic Faith / Iglesia Cristiana de la Fe Apostólica 1936 Christian Church Won with His Blood / Iglesia Cristiana Ganada con Su Sangre 1951 Pentecostal Church of God / Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal 1952 Pentecostal Church Mission / Misión Iglesia Pentecostal 1956 Evangelical Pentecostal Corporation / Corporación Pentecostal Evangélica 1933 Pentecostal Church of Southern Chile / Iglesia Pentecostal del Sur de Chile 1933 The Evangelical Army of Chile / El Ejército Evangélico de Chile 1933 Evangelical Corporation of Vitacura / Corporación Evangélica de Vitacura 1936 Christian Evangelical Church / Iglesia Evangélica Cristiana 12

13 1938 Apostolic Pentecostal Church / Iglesia Pentecostal Apostólica 1943 Free Apostolic Pentecostal Church / Iglesia Pentecostal Apostólica Libre 1938 Apostolic Christian Mission / Misión Cristiana Apostólica 1941 The Church of the Lord that was Won with His Blood / La Iglesia del Señor que fue ganada con Su Sangre 1942 Pentecostal Christian Church / Iglesia Cristiana Pentecostal 1943 The Humble Manager of Christ Evangelical Church / Iglesia Evangélica El Pesebre Humilde de Cristo 1946 Pentecostal Church of Chile / Iglesia Pentecostal de Chile 1946 National Evangelical Church of Christ / Iglesia Evangélica de Cristo Nacional 1950 Evangelical Methodist Pentecostal Church that meets in the Name of Jesus / Iglesia Evangélica Metodista Pentecostal que se reúne en el Nombre de Jesús 1953 Pentecostal Evangelical Christian Mission / Misión Cristiana Evangélica Pentecostal However, the majority of these divisions and separations were the result of conflicts between leaders and organizational disputes, rather than doctrinal controversies. This has been the situation in most of the denominations that have experienced schisms in most countries of Latin America. The Case of El Salvador. The history of the Church of God of Prophecy in El Salvador is marked by similar organizational disputes and conflicts between leaders, which resulted in a series of at least five schisms: 1952 Holy Zion Church of God of Prophecy 1954 Church of God of Prophecy (Cleveland, TN) 1969 Fountain of Life Evangelical Church of Prophecy 1972 Fundamental Church of God of Prophecy 1974 The Holy Zion Church of God of Prophecy 1974 The City of Zion Church of God of Prophecy According to our interviews with church leaders in El Salvador during , none of these divisions was the result of doctrinal controversies rather they were caused by conflicts between leaders. 13

14 In conclusion, it appears to me that many of these internal conflicts and divisions could have been mediated through a process of serious dialogue among those involved on all sides of the issues, but this requires a willingness to dialogue and negotiate by all parties concerned. When the latter is not possible or fails, then divisions and schisms take place as a result of what could be called irreconcilable differences, which is a term frequently used in divorce trials. When the groups in conflict within a denomination finally go their separate ways, both groups are then free to pursue their own interests (theological focus, worship style, etc.) and organizational models. Once again, the revitalization model can help us to better understand the dynamics and options involved in these kinds of conflictive crisis situations. Organizational Analysis is the process of reviewing the development, work environment, personnel and operation of a business or another type of association. Performing a periodic detailed organizational analysis of an entity can be a useful way for management to identify problems or inefficiencies that have arisen, but have not yet been addressed, and then develop strategies for dealing with them. In addition, SWOT Analysis is an important tool for determining levels of stress within a denomination or service organization for the purpose of identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, in order to mediate internal conflicts, reduce stress, overcome weaknesses, minimize threats, take advantage of opportunities, and engage in strategic planning with a view to improving organizational functioning, planning for future development, and achieving greater success in terms of the organization s vision and mission. Part II The value of SWOT Analysis to evaluate the current situation in a particular denomination to determine levels of stress, conflict and crisis with a view to overcoming these tensions via strategic planning and the revitalization process. A. General description of SWOT and its value as a tool for organizational analysis, strategic planning and improved organizational development. SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project, a business venture or an organization. It involves specifying the objective(s) of the project, business venture or organization, and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable or unfavorable to achieve those objectives. A SWOT Analysis must first start with defining a desired end state or objective(s) as defined in the vision and mission statement. A SWOT analysis may be incorporated into the strategic planning model. 1. Strengths: characteristics of the team, business or organization that give it an advantage over others in the market place, whether secular or religious. 2. Weaknesses: are characteristics that place the organization at a disadvantage relative to others. 3. Opportunities: external chances to achieve greater success in a given environment. 14

15 4. Threats: external elements that could cause trouble for the organization. Identification of SWOTs are essential because subsequent steps in the process of planning for achieving greater success in the accomplishment of the selected objective(s) may be derived from the SWOTs. First, the decision-makers have to determine whether the objective(s) is/are attainable, given the SWOT Analysis results. If the objective is NOT attainable, a different objective must be selected and the process repeated. The SWOT Analysis is often used in business and academia to highlight and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It is particularly helpful in identifying areas for future development. See the diagram below. B. Applying a SWOT Analysis to a particular Protestant denomination or service organization can produce positive results if the officials involved are honest and sincere and willing to engage in constructive self-criticism in the documentation of the results of their SWOT Analysis, in defining a strategic plan of development, and in its implementtation and continuous follow-up via periodic SWOT Analysis. The PROLADES Team conducted a series of case studies using SWOT Analysis in Costa Rica and Nicaragua during the early 2000s among Christian schools (primary and secondary), funded by Worldwide Christian Schools (WCS, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan), for the purpose of helping the leadership of those schools evaluate the SWOTs of their respective institutions and develop strategic action plans (3-5 years) for improving the quality of their administration and their educational programs. Information about these case studies is available on the PROLADES website, along with copies of the Manual of Policies, Norms and Procedures for the Evaluation of Christian Schools in Latin America (in English and Spanish) produced by PROLADES for WCS at: 15

16 C. Achieving improved organizational development and success via SWOT Analysis and the revitalization process in terms of the organization s vision and mission. When the SWOT Analysis and strategic planning process is applied to a particular Protestant denomination (or to a local congregation, such as a mega-church), these tools can be an important part of the revitalization process that may lead to greater integral church growth within a particular context or environment. We will explore the meaning of this phase in the next part of this study. Part III Church Growth Trends and Variables A. Toward a model of integral church growth (Costas, Cook, Holland, Barrientos, Larson, Miranda) During the 1970s and 1980s, some of my colleagues and I explored the concept of church growth as advocated by Dr. Donald McGavran and his associates in the School of World Mission (SWM, now called the School of Intercultural Studies) at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and we agreed that it needed to be modified to include other important dimensions besides the two most commonly described by McGavran: quantitative (numerical) and qualitative (life-style). Orlando Costas (Puerto Rican, a Baptist), Bill Cook (Argentine, Plymouth Brethren background and later a Methodist), Alberto Barrientos (Costa Rican, Bible Church Association) and I (born in the USA, converted in a Baptist church and later served as Director of Christian Education in several Baptist and Congregational churches in Southern California, mid-1960s to early 1970s) were all members of the International Institute for In-Depth Evangelization (known as INDEPTH or EVAF), based in San Jose, Costa Rica, during the 1970s and early 1980s. We frequently discussed (and sometimes argued about) the concept of church growth advocated by McGavran and the SWM. Because I was a graduate of the SWM (1972, M.A. in Missiology) and knew McGavran and his associates personally (they were my professors, mentors and became my friends), I often defended SWM teaching against what I believed to be the distorted view of Costas and Cook regarding the SWM meaning of church growth. Nevertheless, the three of us, along with our Costa Rican colleague Alberto Barrientos, arrived at a consensus regarding the need for a broader definition of church growth in the context of Latin America; we modified the term to include integral or holistic, i.e. integral church growth. This resulted in the production of a series of documents by the four of us that were used in our INDEPTH training programs (non-formal education) for Christian leaders in Central America ( ) and later in Brazil (Bill Cook) and elsewhere. Those preliminary documents were later expanded and improved upon by each of us, and this led to the production of numerous published books and study materials by INDEPTH Publications and other publishers (see Bibliography). In addition, Drs. Peter Larson (former Baptist missionary in Argentina and later in Mexico) and Juan Carlos Miranda (an Argentine who later worked in Hispanic ministry in the USA 16

17 with Brethren Church of Ashland, Ohio), both of whom had studied at the SWM in Pasadena, CA, produced similar published studies on integral church growth that were widely used in Latin America and among Hispanic church leaders in the USA (see Bibliography). 1. Below is one of the integral church growth models that I developed as a teaching aid in seminars and workshops of non-formal education during the 1970s in Central America; as part of the formal education course materials that I developed for use in the Missiological Institute of the Americas (IMDELA in Spanish) during the 1980s and 1990s (founded in 1983 in San José, Costa Rica) as a Master s degree program in Missiology; and later as part of the curriculum materials used in the Missiology Department of the Evangelical University of the Americas (UNELA in Spanish) after its founding in 1997 in Costa Rica (I was one of the founders of IMDELA and UNELA). DIMENSIONS OF INTEGRAL CHURCH GROWTH COMMUNION WITH GOD + Coming to Christ: repentance and faith (being born again in Jesus Christ) + Worship: praise, prayer and celebration of God s presence + Testimonies of power: faithful witnesses, evidence of signs and wonders CONCEPTUAL + Meditation and study of God s Word + Growth in knowledge, understanding and wisdom of God s will + Teaching others to walk with the Lord and obey His will ORGANIC + Relationships within the congregation: love, unity and service + Relationships outside the congregation: denominational and interdenominational (love, unity and service) + Structures: roles and functions among local church members + Development of leadership and trained lay-workers (gifts of leadership) + Mobilization of church members in service ministries (gifts of serving) 17

18 REPRODUCTION + New believers + New disciples + New cell groups of disciples + New congregations (daughter churches) + New ministries and church associations INCARNATIONAL + Presence as salt, light and leaven in the world (community) + Identification with one s neighbors (empathy and compassion) + Disinterested love (loving others for their sake) + Diaconal service and social action (helpers, peacemakers and reconcilers) EXISTENTIAL + The fullness and life in the Holy Spirit: gifts, obedience and fruit (John 15) Produced by Clifton L. Holland, Director of PROLADES (last revised on 23 March 2001) 2. Another model that I developed for these same educational programs is presented below, applied to the life and ministry of a local congregation. During the 1970s and early 1980s, I was an active member and deacon in the Rev. Alberto Barrientos church, Iglesia Bíblica Nazaret (located in San Francisco de Dos Ríos in the San José Metropolitan Area). Together, we developed a series of Discipleship materials (Alberto wrote them and I was the editor and publisher) that we used in our own local church as well as in the nonformal educational programs (seminars and workshops) that INDEPTH sponsored throughout Central America. These materials were in great demand during this period because there was a general lack of such materials in Spanish on the subject of Discipleship based on the concept of integral church growth. The model illustrated below is my conceptualization of what integral church growth should look like in a local Evangelical congregation in Latin America, along with a brief explanation of each of the terms used. 18

19 A MODEL OF HOLISTIC MISSION FOR THE LOCAL CHURCH Created by Prof. Clifton L. Holland Last updated on 15 January 2003 PASTORAL TEAM: leads the congregation DIACON BOARD (men and women) SCHOOL OF LAY MINISTRY CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DISCIPLESHIP GROUPS WORSHIP TEAMS & MUSICAL GROUPS OUTREACH TEAMS EVANGELISTIC HOME BIBLE STUDY GROUPS PRAYER GROUPS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAMS MINISTRIES OF COMPASSION AND SOCIAL SERVICE 19

20 PASTORAL TEAM The Pastoral Team leads the congregation and has the maximum responsibility for its spiritual life and for producing integral church growth ; the Pastoral Team should define and coordinate a yearly Master Plan for the congregation based on the church s vision and mission statements (approved by church members in its annual business meeting); recruits and trains the church s leaders; plans and coordinates the preaching schedule for the church s main worship services; plans and coordinates the activities of the worship team and musical groups for the main worship services; coordinates the church s administration, counseling, Christian education and other ministries with the respective team leaders, according to the annual Master Plan, etc. BOARD OF ELDERS / DEACONS The Deacon Board is composed of approved men and women from the congregation, who are chosen for this office by the Pastoral Team or are elected to this position during the church s annual business meeting, with the approved of the Pastoral Team; the Deacon Board is responsible for assisting the Pastoral Team with their various ministerial tasks as needed, for maintaining proper order in the worship services, and for coordinating the cleaning and maintenance of the church s facilities; for supervising the church s finances and bank accounts, the collection of tithes and offerings, the preparation of periodic financial reports, and the protection of the church s buildings and property; and the coordination of the ministry of visitation of church members, visitors and adherents, especially of those in need (spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, etc.); and for maintaining the membership list, caring for the spiritual life and development of church members, and reaching out to those who are most vulnerable. As the church s membership grows, some of these responsibilities and tasks may be assigned to paid staff members, under the supervision of a business administrator (pastor or layman). CHRISTIAN EDUCATION TEAM The Christian Education Team is responsible for the planning, organizing and coordinating the church s Sunday School program, as well as other activities and events in the area of Christian Education in general, with a special focus on children and youth; the selection, preparation and supervision of Sunday School teachers and those who lead the church s overall ministry to children and youth on Sunday evening and/or weekdays; the preparation of new believers for baptism (baptismal classes taught by qualified personnel) in coordination with the pastors and deacons, etc. DISCIPLESHIP TEAM The Discipleship Team is responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating discipleship groups for church members in the church s facilities and/or in private homes, especially for the consolidation and incorporation of new converts, as well as inactive members, into the life and ministries of the local congregation; and for the selection and preparation of leaders for these discipleship groups. EVANGELISTIC HOME BIBLE STUDY TEAM This Team is responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating evangelistic home bible study groups, usually in the homes of church members, for the purpose of reaching out to unconverted family members, friends, neighbors and working associates of church members and inviting them to study the Bible and pray together under the leadership of a qualified Bible teacher and spiritual counselor; the goal is to guide inquirers to a greater knowledge of the Gospel message, to teach them basic Christian doctrine, and to guide them to a personal experience of receiving Jesus as 20

21 their Lord and personal Savior (to be born again), and later to instruct them in the Christian faith and incorporate them into the life and ministries of the local church. MISSIONARY OR OUTREACH TEAM This Team is responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating activities for the formation of new churches (daughter churches) in strategic areas of the metropolitan area or other target areas (such as the home towns of church members outside the metropolitan area) of the nation, as well as in similar activities beyond the national borders; for the selection and training of those who will participate in the outreach and missionary teams, for promoting and funding these activities within the membership, and for encouraging others to pray and support the team members as much as possible. TEAM OF INTERCESSORS The Team of Intercessors is responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating the activities of prayer groups in the church facilities and in private homes; for the preparation and training of prayer warriors who will dedicate themselves to a ministry of prayer; for the collection and distribution of praise & prayer requests to be distributed to the various prayer groups; also, this team could plan and organize special prayer retreats several times a year for the purpose of helping to deepen the spiritual lives of church members and their concern for others. WORSHIP LEADERS & MUSIC TEAM The Worship Team and the Music Team are responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating activities related to the church s various congregational worship and praise assemblies, under the supervision of the Pastoral Team. SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP / SCHOOL OF MINISTRY TEAM This Team is responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating activities related to the preparation of the saints for the work of ministry, both in the church s facilities as well as in its outreach ministries; to help church members to discover, use and develop their spiritual gifts and natural abilities as faithful and obedient disciples of Jesus Christ; to facilitate this process by offering training courses (non-formal education) for church members to better prepare them for active participation in the church s internal ministries and outreach programs; and to prepare leaders for these ministries and programs. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM This Team is responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating activities related to the community development needs of church members and adherents in their local neighborhoods, with a special focus on human welfare and social justice; and as an outreach to others in the neighborhood; also, church members should participate in other community development, community improvement and social action activities organized by their friends and neighbors. MINISTRIES OF COMPASSION AND SOCIAL SERVICE This Team is responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating activities directed toward assisting those with special needs (at-risk populations): unmarried women with children; victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse; widows, orphans and the elderly; street children and youth; victims of disasters and refugees; the poor, hungry and homeless; those who are weak, sick and traumatized; the uneducated and unemployed, etc. Some of these ministries can be part of an overall strategy for community development in coordination with the Community Development Team. 21

22 For more information, see Alberto Barrientos P., Principios y alternativas del trabajo pastoral. Miami, FL: Editorial Caribe, B. Types of church growth within various Protestant traditions and denominational families (theological, organizational and relational differences) 1. See PROLADES Classification System of Religious Groups within the Protestant Movement at: 2. There are theological, organizational and relational differences between the members of each Major Protestant Tradition (and between these Traditions) and Denominational Family (and between these Families). The definition of Biblical soundness varies among all of the component groups within the Protestant movement. The only thing that defines all of these groups is whether or not they adhere to the basic tenets of the Protestant reformation; those that do not are not part of the Protestant movement. 3. The main theological and relational differences within the Protestant movement are between those that compose the Mainline Protestant denominations (Liberal) vs. Evangelical groups (Conservatives and Moderates); WCC-CLAI-related groups vs. WEA- CONELA-related groups. 4. There is also a major theological divide between non-pentecostal and Pentecostal groups and between these denominations and the Adventist Family of Churches, which often restricts interdenominational cooperation and expressions of unity. 5. There remains the difficult problem of expressing unity in the midst of diversity, especially regarding conservative-separatist groups vs. interdenominational cooperation in evangelical alliances and fellowships. C. Types of church growth in different sociological groups (ethnolinguistic variables) 1. The extreme ethnocentrism inherent within many sociological groupings (such as Amerindian tribal groups) limits the group s ability to accept outsiders (those who were not born or raised within a specific ethnolinguistic group those who share a common language, culture, worldview, religion, etc.), and this makes it difficult for transcultural communication, evangelism and church growth to take place; outsiders and those who convert to another religion are often shunned by other members of that ethnolinguistic group, and sometimes are persecuted, become victims of violence or run out of town. 2. Milder forms of ethnocentrism exist between Ladinos (native Spanish-speaking descendants of the Spanish or Portuguese colonists) and Amerindian populations (especially those who are monolingual and monocultural in their native language and culture), but there are also more extreme cases of racial prejudice and hatred directed by one group against another group or between both groups, whether in rural or urban areas. 3. There are also various levels of ethnocentrism between members of different sociological groups that are bilingual and bicultural, whether Ladinos or Amerindians, which 22