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GROWING GOD’S KINGDOM:
A CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF A GROWING MIDWESTERN CHURCH

By

Elshivo Kenneth Harmon Sr.

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
Department of Sociology

2007

ABSTRACT

GROWING GOD’S KINGDOM:
A CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF A GROWING MIDWESTERN CHURCH

By
Elshivo Kenneth Harmon Sr.
This research studies the growth of Mount Zion Baptist Church located
in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This paper will demonstrate that Mt. Zion’s 5 ‘0’
factors of church growth are founded upon creating a cultural atmosphere that
it in fact reproduces itself. The motto of the church, “If you show up, you’ll
grow up” supports the literature that suggests that social interaction through
religious affiliation is crucial to Ieamed patterns of behavior and, inevitably,
the reproduction of growth as a cultural phenomenon. Finally, utilizing both
biblical doctrine and sociological frameworks it will be argued that sociology
does not necessarily refute the biblical principles related to church growth, but
provides sound scientific evidence, to expound and illuminate the biblical

beliefs I which Christians profess.

“being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will cany it on to completion until
the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6 - NIV).

“with God, nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His divine strength
and inspiration to do what many (to include myself) deemed impossible. I thank
my committee members, Toby Teneyck, Ralph Pyle and Steve Gold for your
patience, time and talents. To my mentor and academic drill sergeant, Ruth
Hamilton, in your passing, you are surely missed. I also would like to thank
Reverend Addis Moore, my Pastor, friend and spiritual father for your many
whippings, your continued encouragement and your willingness to pour so much
of yourseif in me. You will never know how much I appreciate you. Finally, I
would like to thank my best friend, my helpmate suitable for me, my gift from God
Himself, my wife Tracy La’Shonn Harmon for your continuous love and support of
this project. You pushed me to produce a project worthy of the God we serve.

Brownies for life.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................. vi

LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................... vii

I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1

Sociology and Theology ........................................................................ 3

Church Growth and Decline .................................................................. 5

Mt. Zion Baptist Church ......................................................................... 8

II. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 11

III. 5 ‘C’ PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH GROWTH ........................................... 15

Casting the Vision: The Charismatic Leader ....................................... 15
Catching the Vision: Growth is a Learned Behavior ............................ 20 '

Social Institutions in the Growth Process .................................... 22

How ‘Playing Church’ Hinders the Growth Process .................... 25

Commit the Vision: To Entrust a Pledge of Faith ................................. 28

Faith as the Foundation of Language ......................................... 31

Carry and Completing the Vision:

To Make Whole by Taking from One Place to Another ............... 33
IV. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................ 39
V. BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................... 42

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Data Survey of Scientist Religious Beliefs .......................

Table 2 Church Membership/City Population Ratio ......................

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Growth Reproduction Model ............................................... 12
Figure 2 Dramaturgical Model of a Growing Church ............................ 35
Figure 3 Dramaturgical Model of a Declining Church ........................... 36

vii

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

This paper began with a very simple question, what does the Christian
interested in church growth have to gain by studying sociology? The question
formulated in its theoretical framework asks What is the relationship between
Christian biblical doctrine and basic sociological theories in church growth
examination?’ For many Christians, clergy, and theologians alike, Matthew
28:16-201 acts as the biblical directive for which all church growth phenomena

occurs. It states:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had
told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. Therefore 90 and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age.

Known as 'The Great Commission,’ these passages of scripture proclaim church
growth as a biblically fated - thus God orchestrated - phenomenon. Because of
' this, it often becomes difficult for clergy and theologians to subjugate biblical
authority to scientific research, study and validation. For example, a fellow clergy
screamed from the pulpit, “I don’t know nothing but bible and don't want to know
nothing but bible,"2 in a perceptible refute to a recent discussion into the need
for additional research meshing sociological theories and biblical doctrine in
church growth studies. Apparently he did not agree with me. His statement,
however, is typical of many who are apprehensive about applying or identifying a

scientific approach to a biblical ordination in church growth studies.

 

1 All biblical scriptural references will use the New International Version unless otherwise stated.
2 Personal Note February 12, 2006

Like my fellow clergy, the question of coupling biblical doctrine and
science plagued me for years and even led to my eventual departure from
sociology and graduate school altogether. It appeared the more I developed my
Christian beliefs, the more I struggled to comprehend, grasp and embrace many
facets of sociology (e.g., a Marxist perspective). Often these varying viewpoints
appeared to render nothing but criticism at organized religions. After an
extensive hiatus from graduate school in which I found myself immersed in
intense biblical research and study, I returned to sociology with a much sought
after answer. 80 what does a Christian interested in the biblical dynamics of
church growth have to gain by studying sociology? Upon further research and
reflection, Icame to the conclusion that when comparing and contrasting
Christian biblical doctrine with sociological principles in identity formation there
was a need for bringing both into a socio-biblical development for understanding
church growth dynamics.

The generation and maintenance of beliefs in an institution is key to its
sustainability and growth. Like most institutions, Mt. Zion, a Mid-westem Baptist
Church, must gain followers to continue its existence. Through a sociological
examination of the biblical mandates concerning church growth, this research will
address the need for church growth research as a byproduct of cultural
production and reproduction through collective identity. By sociolOgicalIy
deconstructing what it calls its 5 “C” Principles to Church Growth (Cast, Catch,
Commit, Carry and Complete), the data will show the members of Mt. Zion have

internalized growth as part of their collective faith. So much so, it then manifests

itself externally producing a collective action whereby growth becomes a part of
the expected cultural norm, not the exception.
Sociology and Theology

Since the founding of Sociology as a discipline, there has been, and
continues to be substantial disparity in sociological and theological views of
religious behavior. Talcott Parsons (Weber 1991: XXX) explained, “When he
[Max Weber] turned his studies towards religion, his focus was not on religion “as
such,” as the theologian or church historian conceives it, but upon the relations
between religious ideas and commitments and other aspects of human
conduct...within a society.” Little has changed since that time as there is Still a
considerable difference in the sociological and theological accounts on church
growth.

While both sociology and theology are concerned with human conditions,
these Iiteratures often have very different frames of references (lnskeep 1993:

135; Mills 1980: 2). Moberg (1964: 334) stated that:

At the root of the controversy are two different normative systems which have
two different theories of knowledge, two different approaches to reality, two
different methods of extending knowledge, and two different attitudes of mind.
Only as doctrinal differences are reconciled can there be peace between science
and religion.

For many who study the Sociology of Religion, the church is constructed
primarily as a religious social institution and is studied as such. ”Gill (1980:105-6)

described three sociological approaches to theological studies:

A Study of the Social Context of Theology: Sociological analysis could
provide incisive and rigorous tools for the theologian to understand better the
social context within which he operates.

A Study of the Social Determinants of Theology: The focus here is less upon
the task of the theologian than upon theology itself. This approach assumes that
as a human enterprise theology is socially determined. It suggests a correlation

between social structures and theology, regarding the latter as a product of the
former. Theology, like all other ideologies and explications of beliefs, is viewed
as a human product or as a social construction.

A Study of the Social Significance of Theology: Here the possibility is
explored that theology, even as a product of society, may in turn have an
influence upon that society. If the previous approach regards theology as a
dependent variable within society, this one allows for the possibility that theology
may also act as an independent variable. Overall, theology is seen as socially
constructed and a social reality.

When examined together, it becomes evident that these three approaches offer a
very academic means to studying theological and biblical scripture with the
purpose of demonstrating patterns of social group dynamics through social
interaction (Durkheim 1995), social structures (Dubois 1903; Durkheim 1995), or
the social constnrction of reality (Berger 1967).

It is not surprising that this intellectual approach often attempts to debunk
metaphysical or scriptural beliefs (Zukerrnan 2003:28—34; Perkins 1987; O’Dea
1966: 53). Table 1 illustrates the different religious orientations of scientists and
the general public. If it is a true representation of US society, as reported by
Wuthnow (1989: 144 - 5) and the data hold true, it is not unexpected then that
scientists are more likely than others to discount theological explanations of why

a church is growing.

 

Table 1 - Scientist Religious Beliefs

 

Question: Scientist% Public°/o
Ever read the Bible 64 75
Am a religious person 50 f 74
Frequently felt God loved them 31 73
Prayed frequently 27 57

Made a personal commitment to Christ 18 47

 

My argument against secular explanations for religious behavior stems from the
fact that there appears to be a continuous attempt to sociologically analyze some

aspect of Christianity devoid of its written biblical doctrine and theological beliefs.

This approach devalues Christianity, does not give an accurate picture of the
institution, and perhaps most important, does little to stimulate the novice
Christian student into a deeper study of sociology.
Church Growth and Decline

Church growth is often described as a movement within Christianity to aid
and encourage the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a discipline, church
growth research is found in both Christian theological (McIntosh 2003; Rainer
1993; McGavran 1990) and sociological fields of study (Kelley 1972; Hoge and
Roozeri 1979; Hilliard 2006). For the purpose of this research, Rainer’s attempt
at an interdisciplinary approach to church growth will suffice. For Rainer (1993:
21), “Church growth is that discipline which seeks to understand, through biblical,
sociological, historical and behavioral study why churches grow or decline.”

There are there are three basic ways in which a church can grow (Rainer
1993: 22-23). These are biological, transfer and conversion. Biological Growth
occurs each time a child is born to parent(s) who are already established as
members. Transfer growth, often called ‘sheep-swapping,’ occurs when
members leave one church to join another. Transfer growth has some extremely
positive qualitative benefits to the individual leaving his/her former church such
as better ministry opportunities or an increase in spiritual growth. The main
problem in transfer growth, however, is as one church grows, others decline. In
addition, most transfer growth seldom results in a more deeply committed

Christian.

Transfer growth or sheep-swapping is significantly different than sheep-
stealing. Sheep-stealing is when a pastor or church aggressively targets
programs and efforts at another specific religious institution or denomination with
the intent to remove or draw members from that church to their church
(McGavran 1979: 16). Whereas sheep-stealing is targeted toward a specific
church, sheep-swapping issimply producing a program that appeals to the
general masses that are not receiving the spiritual nurturing they desire in their
current church.

Conversion growth is the purest form of growth and will be addressed in
more detail in the next section as I examine the ways in which Mt. Zion has
sought to grow over the past few years. Conversion growth is a nonbeliever
accepting Jesus in his/her life and agreeing to enter into an assimilation process.
Mt. Zion’s purpose both as a spiritual and social institution is to assist in the
conversion process.

It is often quoted at Mt. Zion that “A stagnant church does not grow and
anything that is not growing is probably dying.” The decline or death of a church
isgenerally described as one potential outcome of the process of
institutionalization (Moberg 1964: 118-125). It is a process by which the
. activities, values, experiences and relationships of the group become formalized
and stabilized so that relatively predictable behavior and more rigid
organizational structures emerge. For a church, this can mean that it has ceased
to function in the best interest of the original movement or the vision. Moberg

(1964: 118-124) identified five stages in the church’s life cycle that begins with a

“collective excitement” of the newly formed church that eventually ends with
overinstitutionalization.

This occurs when church transitions from a place to worship God, to a
religious institution (maintained primarily through traditionalism), to an institution
which often serves the needs of cliques or those in positions of power (Moberg
1964: 291 ), while often overlooking the needs of its general parishioners. John
2:13-16 tells us that the Church had become a place of socialization, capital and

cultural exchange. It states:

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others
sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove
all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the
money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said,
”Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!

This passage of scripture demonstrates that the power of overinstitutionalization
in the destruction of a church is biblically recognized and cannot be emphasized
enough. The end result produces disintegration, which produces division (e.g.,
church splits), which produces decline, which can ultimately produce the death of
the church (Moberg 1964: 122).

Am (1988:16) suggested that between 80 °/o - 85 % of all churches in
America have reached platitude or are in decline. This data corresponds with a
2002 report (Good News - The Christian Century) that “Only 15 percent of
American congregations have grown by even one person in the last five years.”
The report looks at demographic causes for this but comes to the conclusion that
many churches simply do not have the necessary resources to grow. This is key

to understanding why some churches grow while others do not. It is within a

cultural approach that we can make sense of this situation. For example, internal
conflicts over cultural meanings associated with class divisions, generational
splits or technological differences are apt to producing divisions that often push
members out of the church towards other competing social institutions (Moberg
1964: 343). One of the major hurdles to overcome is producing a match between
scripture and modern culture. I now turn to a discussion of one church which has
set out to do this.
MT. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Zion’s considerable growth in both its membership and structure has
caused substantial expansion in the social and structural edifice of the church to
meet the needs of its members and the surrounding community. Ammerrnan
(1997: 325) validated that a church unwilling to change to meet the needs of its

members is socially and structurally doomed for failure. She explained:

...congregations whose strong attachment to their buildings [are] often out of
touch with the church’s current needs and uses. They return each week to
buildings that hold sacred memories, rather than using their property as an asset
for current needs. They have neither the resources to restore the buildings to
their former glory nor to turn them into new centers for ministry activity. Old
buildings directly affect the ability of congregations both to engage in certain
activities and to imagine what those activities might be.

Since February 1995, when the Reverend Addis Moore accepted the call to lead
and pastor, Mt. Zion has undertaken a $2.5 million expansion project that more
than doubled the size of the existing facility. The development added a wing of
classrooms, a larger conference room, a full chapel to serve as a separate Youth
Church, a functional library and study center, additional seats in the sanctuary, a
full court gym and fellowship hall, additional office space and a newly remodeled

atrium area.

In addition to the building renovations, 2003 marked the beginning of a
television broadcast ministry airing 23 times per week reaching millions of
viewers. Growth continued in 2007 with the birthing of a full service physical
fitness center. The Living Well Fitness Center embodies the vision of a holistic .
ministry and social gospel that serves both the spiritual and physical needs of not
only its members, but the surrounding community as well. Targeted at an
underserved population, The Living Well Fitness Center offers employment
opportunities and provides physical fitness access in the heart of the inner-city
with the intent to improve the various health issues affecting the predominantly
African-American population of the area. Finally, mindful of future growth, the
church initiated an Endowment Fund to provide support for the expected member
escalation and sustainability of current members.

Membership comparisons of Mt. Zion to various popular giga-churches
(10,000+ members) across the US shows that it is exceeding other similar
institutions (see Table 2). For example, from January 1, 2006 to September 30,
2006, a total of 872 individuals have accepted Christ, joined or renewed their
commitment to the church. Of the 872, 661 have united desiring to be members
and agreeing to make Mt. Zion the church they will be attending on a regular

basis.

Table 2 - Church Membership/City Population Ratio

 

 

 

Potter’s House Crenshaw Lakewood Mt. Zion Baptist
Christian Center Church Church
Membership 28,000 17,000 43,000 2,600
City Population 1,213,390 3,900,000 2,016,582 72,700
(Dallas TX) (Los Angelos CAL (Houston TXL (Kalamazoo MI)
Ratio 1 :43 1 2217 1 :47 1 :28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ability to gain new members is only complete, however, when an individual
joins any biblically teaching church, which at Mt. Zion can be seen in the form of
new and renewed membership. This can only occur by getting all members to
believe that it is their responsibility to help grow the church, not just the select

few who hold administrative or evangelistic positions.

10

CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
Mt. Zion utilizes what it describes as its 5 “C” Vision Principles to nurture
and grow its members, thus its membership. Inspired through the senior pastor,
the 5 “C” PrinCipIes are:
Cast - Growth starts with leadership.
Catch - Growth is a process identity reformation.
Commit - Growth consists of putting faith to work.

Carry - Growth requires moving beyond the church.
Complete - Growth ends with assimilation.

9:59.”?

The conclusions to these principles are actually echoed in Emile Durkheim’s
extraordinary book, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (1995).
Durkheim argued that social interaction was the primary source and cause of
religion and thus religious behavior. Consequently understanding religious
behavior, or rather how individuals act and react within the religious group,
proves crucial in understanding the growth or decline of a church. The 5 “C”
Principles, as demonstrated in figure 1, theorizes that church growth occurs
when a process of social interaction is created, produced and recreated among
the actors or members of the congregation.

After careful sociological deconstruction of the 5 “C” Principles, what this
research has discovered and will demonstrate is that Mt. Zion’s 5 “C” Principles
is the creation and embodiment of yet another C — Culture. For the purpose of
this paper, Christian culture is defined as Christian religious and spiritual beliefs,

values, behavior and material objects shared by a particular group of people

11

prescribing the plan, direction and behavior deemed acceptable or unacceptable

(Macionis 1972; Goodenough 1981).

 
 

 

 

Principle 5 . .

g. PI'II‘ICIQIB 1
531; COMPLETE: T° make .1: CAST: Anointed to
.3 WhOIe -.'

ngfiigzgpfg'gp'“ Biblical Principle:
. ' Ephesians 4:11-12
I. Smiomicnaiamlysis: Sociological Analysis:

Charismatic Leader

 

 

 

 

The 5 “C”
Principles of
Church Growth

   

._..._,....,,..___‘ ,_. ..
ml“. .kat.".- .-i .-- r -. .'. t' I?
\

Princigle 4

CARRY: To take from

   

- - .
__,.__

Principle 2

   

one place to another.

 

CATCH: To take hold of.

 

 

 

Biblical Principle: Biblical Principle:
Matthew 9:37 Proverbs 22:6
Sociological Analysis: . ' ‘-' ».- '-—» < " . Socioéogiclal Analysis:
Front-s 3 . _ . 0959 i1: inn

.demmcfiifi . Prrncr le 3

     

 

92:3 COMMIT: To entrust a
pledge of faith.

 

Biblical Principle:
James 2:20

Sociological Analysis:
Faith empirically validated

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. Growth Reproduction Model

“Religion, as a central element in culture, provides form and direction to human
thought, feeling, and action...lt stabilizes human orientation, values aspirations
and ego—ideals” (O’Dea, 1966: 116). Christian culture is ’a way of life’ (Williams
1958: 4) for the many members of Mt. Zion. Wuthnow (1988: 49 - 67) went on to
define culture as the “symbolic expressive aspect of social behavior.” The beliefs

and values formulated through various symbols produce a system of ‘meaning’

12

whereby members within the church create, store, and use this meaning to
organize their day-to—day affairs (Turner 1985: 63). As a result, Christian culture
prescribes a ‘way of life' by giving direction to what is true, false, right or wrong
for the members of Mt. Zion.

At times, the research in this writing proved somewhat complicated as
“Researchers in the social sciences typically conduct research based on human
subjects” (Berg 2001: 28). This paper will prove typical for the non-believer as
cross referencing biblical doctrine with sociological theory is nothing more than
simple ‘literature review’ (Berg 2001: 19 - 21). There is nothing wrong with this
view of biblical doctrine for the non-believer, however for the Christian, biblical
doctrine goes beyond simple literature review. Quoting scripture proves atypical
for the Christian researcher as the primary interviewee is God Himself. As a
Christian and minister of the gospel, I believe that all biblical scripture is the
infallible spoken word of God recorded in written form through men (2"d Timothy
3:16). In other words, God inspired men to record both prophetic and historical
events as they were to occur, were occurring or had occurred. Thus, for this
researcher, juxtaposing biblical scripture and sociological theory goes beyond
biblical principles as a simple cross literature review (Berg 2001: 19).

In its theological sense, it is asking what God (through biblical scripture)
has to say in reference to the pre or proceeding sociological theory or statement.
Berg went on to say that, “Usually, interviewing is defined simply as a
conversation with a purpose. Specifically, the purpose is to gather information”

(Berg 2001 :66). One definition of ‘conversation’ is “association or social

13

intercourse” whereby ‘intercourse’ is the exchange of ideas, thoughts or feelings
through communication (Random House 2006). If prayer is talking to God
(Psalm 66:19, Psalm 54:2), this paper presupposes that biblical reference is God
talking back to the believer.

Finally, while I will be presenting the empirical data, a high level of
generalizations will be referenced utilizing as little technical jargon as possible.
This is based on my concern with studying the ways in which Christians (and
Christianity) can use sociology to better understand their own situation and the
ways in which they could help build relationships with the purpose of

strengthening and growing the church.

14

CHAPTER III
5 ‘C’ PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH GROWTH
CASTING THE VISION: The Charismatic Leader

While The Great Commission ordains church growth, it does not happen
in a vacuum. In addition, although important and imperative, church growth does
not necessarily occur simply because of prayer. This research demonstrates that
a church’s institutional growth happens because of and through leadership not
only believing and envisioning growth as a crucial aspect of the church, but
moreover, implementing measures needed to bring it into existence.

A church atmosphere conducive to growth starts with senior leadership
believing, desiring, embracing and promoting growth throughout his or her
church. For example, senior leadership implementation of a growth mission and
vision statement has acted as a catalyst and key to Mt. Zion’s expansion. All
social, institutional and structural recommendations are filtered through the
mission statement, “Growing God’s Kingdom According to His Word.”
Furthermore, if the mission statement is the ‘what,’ Mt. Zion’s vision statement,
“A Church Living in Obedience to God’s Word” acts as the ‘how’ growth should
be manifested. A biblically based vision assures that scriptural doctrine and
values are not lost in the mission growth objectives by eliminating the possibility
of ‘institutionalization' as previously mentioned in Chapter 1, Church Growth and
Decline.

Biblical doctrine suggests God calls, anoints, and equips the leader to do

what He has commissioned them to do. The anointing is defined as divine

15

intervention and empowerment by God himself on those that He has called to
leadership. Exodus 28:41 states, “After you put these clothes on your brother
Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may
serve me [God] as priests.” Understand, when an individual is anointed by
another individual, it is simply a symbolic representation of what has taken place
on the inside by God. According to the Tanakh, the Jewish Bible, whenever
someone received the anointing, the Spirit of God came upon this person, to
qualify him or her for a God-given task.

Ephesians 4:11-12 notes, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some
to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to
prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body [church] of Christ
may be built up...” As scripture makes this clear that God assigns leaders to a
church to grow the church, why then do many churches fail to grow their
congregation? While the reasons vary, many fail to recognize the power of a
leader’s anointing. I

Weber described the importance and power of this anointing through his
use of the framework ‘charisma.’ If the anointing is a God ordained
empowerment placed one leader, a specified gift or talent, then, in many cases,

charisma is the tool of choice. Weber (1947: 358 - 359) explained charisma as:

...a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart
from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at
least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These are such as are not
accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as
exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a
leader.

16

if charisma is a ‘divine’ anointing given to a few select leaders, its power is
measured by its ability to socially influence, either directly or indirectly affecting
the thoughts, actions, or feelings of its followers (Turner 1999). Weber further
clarified that this influence cannot be taught or Ieamed, but must be ‘awakened.’

Mathew 7:28 - 29 recognizes the poweriof a charismatically anointed
leader to influence his or her followers. It states, “When Jesus had finished
saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught
as one who had authority [power], and not as their teachers of the law [the
educated].” For churches seeking leadership to grow their church, it cannot be
stated any clearer that the charismatically anointed leader is an absolute force in
the church growth process.

The importance and the power of a charismatically charged leader can be
seen in every day life. Conversations with parishioners frustrated with their
church leaders have show me that academic or seminary degrees do not replace
charismatic leadership based en a calling. I have realized just how important
identifying the anointing is in the leader for church growth to take place. If
pastoral leadership cannot recognize their own gifts and talents needed and used
to influence and grow the congregation, how then can the people recognize
these gifts and, perhaps most importantly, be willing to adhere?

Deeper discussions of this has made it became evident that many
parishioners are confusing academic degrees with divine empowerment. The
Apostle Paul (19” Corinthians 2:1 - 4) spoke of this when he addressed the church

of Corinth. Paul states:

17

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom
as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing
while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in
weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching
were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s
power.

The strength of this statement is that Paul studied under the renowned scholar
Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), who was then reputed as one of the greatest teachers of
the annals of Judaism. Despite his exceptional academic credentials, Paul
reminds the church that the power of the anointing is not originated through
academic credentials. He reminds the church that while education is important, it
is only useful as a tool in addition to the anointed empowerment of the leader.
Websites are filled with hundreds of extremely educated men and women
seeking leadership positions in churches but, perhaps, lack the charismatic
influence of the anointing to do so.

The challenge for sociologists is that no one sees ‘anointing’ or ‘charisma.’
What is witnessed are the social consequences derived from the perceived
power and authority cast on the anointed or charismatically appointed leader. It
is not the leader’s anointing per se that creates a strong cultural atmosphere, this
is simply the catalyst; the evidence of a leader's anointing or charismatic
authority is found solely in the willingness of the led to subject themselves to that

authority. Weber (1994: 33) explained that:

...the relevant quality might be “objectively" assessed from an ethical, aesthetic,
or any other point of view is obviously immaterial: of sole importance is how the
charismatically ruled (i.e., the “followers’), assess this quality...lt is recognition on
the part of the ruled which is decisive for the validity of charisma.

18

The charismatically anointed leader can cast the vision, but it is the follower’s
choice as to whether they catch the vision3 or reject it.4 It is noteworthy to
mention that rejection of the leader’s vision does not refute his or her anointing,
or as Weber (1994: 33) puts it, “No prophet has ever considered his qualification
dependent upon the opinion of the masses...”.

Those entering Mt. Zion for the first time may have arrived through various
means and measures. Perhaps a loss of a family member, job, or simply they
were invited. Whatever the case, it is evident that the perceived ‘charismatic’
power and authority of Mt. Zion’s Pastor draws the individual into the call of
conversion. O’Dea (1966:23) summed up the extraordinary aspects of the

charismatically anointed leader in the church growth process:

Charismatic phenomena, though associated with actual persons, convey to the
beholder who is sensitive to their appeal, supraempirical aspects and
implications. Charisma issues a call, and those who for whatever reasons can
hear this call respond with conviction. These followers feel that “it is the duty of
those who have been called to a charismatic mission to recognize its quality and
to act accordingly.” Charismatic leadership is specifically outside their realm of
everyday routine and the profane sphere.

“There is little doubt that leadership in general and pastoral leadership in
particular is a major factor in the church growth process” (Rainer 1993: 185). If
the vision conveyed through the anointing of the leader is interpreted as ‘God
ordained,’ members in turn recognize it as their duty to respond accordingly.
Church growth starts with a clear mission and vision initially cast through
the leader. Proverbs 29:18 states, “[wjithout vision, the people perish.” Vision is

the ability to see growth beyond the present situation. It is an awareness of what

 

3 This will be further elaborated on in principle number two, “Catching the Vision.”
4 Weber (1963) furthers elaborates on this subject in “The Religious Congregation, Preaching and
Pastoral Care.”

19

can and is to become, seeing the possible through the impossible. The vision is
designed to give members a goal and objective and motivate them to strive to
reach that objective. Casting the vision to the member is done by the leader with
the recognition by the followers that it is of divine origin. If members do not
recognize the anointing, leaders will have a difficult time growing their church.
Mt. Zion’ members recognize the charismatic influential power of their pastor is
not from or for him alone, but for them. This leadership is recognized and
acknowledged through anointing, and influences members to desire to see
church growth come to pass and act in a manner to ensure its success.
CATCHING THE VISION: Growth is a Learned Behavior

New members at Mt. Zion who are willing to accept or catch the vision
immediately enter into a process of socialization. Socialization, in general, is the
process by which people learn the characteristics of their group. This includes
the attitudes, values, and actions considered appropriate by the group. Earlier
research (Davis 1940, 1947; Elkin and Handel 1972) demonstrated that the
process of socialization begins early in human development and takes into
account that an individual’s social environment influences the way an individual
views the world.

Biblical evidence to the importance of early childhood socialization is
clearly stated in Proverbs 22:6. This scripture gives significant direction into this
process by stating, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he
will not turn from it.” While this scripture is often used in youth development, it

can and should be applied to those new members unfamiliar with church doctrine

2O

and etiquette. Like any parent with a new child, Mt. Zion5 quickly enters into and
commits to the nurturing and development of its new members. If a church is to
grow its members qualitatively, which in turn will grow the church quantitavely, a
church must look beyond itself simply as a place of worship and fully embrace
and commit to the parental nurturing of its members.

One of the key components of socialization is the teaching of boundaries.
Mt. Zion recognizes, like any parent, its purpose is to shape and teach, according
to biblical scripture, what is deemed acceptable behavior while simultaneously
teaching what is considered deviant or unacceptable behavior to the members
operating within the group. The bible as an instructional manual for everyday
living is replete with examples of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and the
consequences and rewards of that behavior.

The difficulty of leaming these lessons can be found in conversations with
students struggling with their Christian faith when entering academics. In cases
where I have casually asked others, how do they feel about your conversion to
Christianity, the tension becomes thick and utterly resentful. I will admit this was
my own thinking of Christianity and sociology at one point primarily because
conversion, in the nonacademic sense, tends to be affiliated with cults. However,
when I asked, “how do you feel about acceptance and maturing in your Christian
beliefs," the reaction was ovenrvhelmingly positive. For the sociologist,

conversion is a personal reorganization and realignment process brought about

 

5 Ephesians 3:10 states, “His [God's] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold
wisdom of God should be made known..."

21

by the need to identify with the new group and its values (O’Dea 1966; Stark and

Fink 2000). Durkheim (1995: 36 - 37) explains the conversion process as:

The sacred [in the case of Christianity, that deemed holy] and the profane [that
deemed secular, carnal and of the world] are always and everywhere...as two
worlds with nothing in common...This is not to say that a being can never pass
from one of these worlds to the other. But when this passage occurs, the
manner in which it occurs demonstrates the fundamental duality of the two
realms. For it implies a true metamorphosis. This change of status is conceived
not as a mere development of preexisting seeds but as a transformation totius
substantiae (of the whole essence). At that moment, the young man is said to
die, and the existence of the particular person he was, to cease-instantaneously
to be replaced by another. He is born again in a new form.

Conversion is a process of changing from one function, purpose and position into
another.‘5 In doing so, the old or former ways of thinking are eradicated and a
new or different way of thinking emerges or as 2 Corinthians 5:17 puts it,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new
has come!”

For a church to grow it must take on a parental characteristic and the
conversion process must be aggressively embraced, as a central part of its
Christian culture, fully understood and put into order. This proves crucial if a
church is to continuously reproduce itself understanding that the primary
obstacles in the conversion process are social, (McGavran 1990: 156) or
institutional (Hoge and Roozen 1979: 328) not theological or spiritual.

Social Institutions in the Reproductive Process,

It is assumed by most theologians, clergy, and scholars that man is a

social being. As social creations, we need to subsist in culture if we are to

survive, develop properly and fulfill our potential and purpose. This was

 

6 Similarly, Romans 12:2 urges the church, “not [to] conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

22

recognized very early in scripture in Genesis chapter two as God set into play the
desire of humanity to be in the presence of others. “T he Lord God said, “It is not
good for the man to be alone.” Scripture goes on to say, “I will make a helper
suitable for him.” This statement proves instrumental in understanding the first
ordained social institution as it is through social institutions that groups meet the
basic needs, of its members. While this research recognizes that we are both
spiritual and social creatures, it also recognizes and acknowledges the fact that
religious behavior occurs through patterns of Ieamed behavior (Finney 1978: 19-
35; Chattant and LeBeff 1991) formulated through such institutions.

Biblical doctrine also recognizes the influence social institutions have on
shaping, directing and redirecting human behavior throughout the text. Jeremiah
10:2 asserts, “This is what the Lord says: do not learn the ways of the
nations. . .for the customs of people are worthless; they cut a tree out of the
forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel” [italics added]. In other words,
the ways of the organization shapes the overall thinking, of the group. The
thinking of the-group formulates a group dynamic that now shapes the overall
behavior of that group. The accepted behavior of the group becomes its
recognized culture.

The foundation of Mt. Zion’s socialization process is channeled through
the teachings of its Christian Education Program. As McGavran stated earlier, a
lack of such programs is a social impediment to the growth of the church. Mt.
Zion defines this program as, “the process and programs designed to assist in

the assimilation, nurturing, teaching and equipping of its members to become

23

fully devoted and mature Disciples of Christ." This program, divided into two
specific categories, Adults and Youth, consists of, but is not limited to:

o Mentoring: New members desiring to unite as members with Mt. Zion are
immediately assigned a mentor to counsel, teach, and guide them in the rules
and expectations of the church. Mentors also befriend, inspire and motivate new
members in all aspects of their new Christian walk.

0 New Member Class: Held every Tuesday, this eight week course is designed to
discuss church doctrine and fundamental Christian beliefs as well as answer any
foundational questions governing salvation, Christianity, baptism, tithing, etc.
Because this class has proven imperative to the initial understanding and
essential elements of Christianity, on most occasions the pastor teaches it
himself. Furthermore, this allows members personal access to the pastor and
proves crucial to the relationship building process. As | sat in on one particular
class, the pastor announced that because of a four day holiday, the next week's
class would not be held. The new members begged him to come in on his off
day to teach the class (for which he agreed).

0 Fulfillment Hour: Often called Sunday school at many churches, Fulfillment
Hour has a different connotation at Mt. Zion. Designed to complement the
preaching or other teachings occurring within the educational framework of the
church. If the preaching is considered the ‘main course,’ Fulfillment Hour would
be considered the ‘salad.’ This course is designed to fuifill, complete or
complement the rest of the church’s curriculum by providing small group
dynamics that promotes and encourages discussion within the group which
further aids the socialization process. Mt. Zion’s Fulfillment Hour lessons are so
strong and vibrant, on any given Sunday the church regulariy averages between
650 — 700 individuals in approximately 32 classes; this is a phenomenal
attendance for a church of any size.

0 Evangelical Training Association7 (ETA): The primary calling of ETA is to
provide programs, materials, and services which assist churches in equipping lay
leaders for ministry within the local church. ETA classes offered through Mt. Zion
have been readily used to not only equip its members and leaders, but the
surrounding community as well. Dozens of churches and denominations have
taken advantage of the courses offered at Mt. Zion.

0 Youth Education Programs: A specific youth church for grades 1-6, a teen
church catering to grades 7 - 12, an after school program at no cost to members
or nonmembers that assist in homework and childcare, a summer academic
program, a summer vacation bible study that regularly averages over 900
individuals, Powerhouse Bible Study, and over 20 youth oriented ministries
designed to meet the inreach/outreach needs of the members and surrounding
communities.

Recent literature (Hardy 1999: 91-92; Mcintosh 2003: 109; Wilkins 2005: 59)

further demonstrates and validates the importance of a solid Christian education

 

7 <www.etaworld.org>

24

program similar to the one established at Mt. Zion which places biblical doctrine
and teachings at the heart of the growth program and is crucial in the
socialization progression of its members.

Ephesians 3:10 recognizes the importance of church as a social institution
and the role of that institution in the nurturing of its members. Catching the vision
at Mt. Zion is an aggressive process of socializing its members to accept growth
as a part of their collective identity and proves crucial to the very definition of
what it means to be a Christian. The reformation process requires reshaping
oneself to be like Christ and the role of Mt. Zion, as a spiritual, religious and
social institution, is to assure that “the manifold wisdom of God [be] made known”
to all those needing assistance in their Christian development and identity.

How ‘Playing Church’ Hinders the Growth Process

While not necessarily ‘Absolutism’ (Kelley 1972: 78-79),8 the success of
Mt. Zion’s 5 “C” Principles lies in its ability to formulate a Christian cultural
atmosphere strong enough to transcend ‘playing-church.’ The term “playing-
church” describes those individuals that choose to ‘act’ a certain way when
attending church and church functions while acting another way in the presence
of nonmembers or nonchristians. This ‘role’ switching often causes an individual
to abandon, struggle with or suppress the teachings, values and attitude that
defines them as a part of the dominant Christian culture.

It is not my intention to provide an in-depth analysis of ‘playing-church,’

however it should be mentioned that this can best be understood through a

 

8 Kelley argues that in ‘absolutism,’ “One would think that knowledge began with them, that all
other attempts to explain life are sadly in error and hardly worthy of notice, let alone respect or
credence.“ He goes on to explain, “it is a closed system.”

25

dramaturgical theoretical framework. Dramaturgy suggests that a person’s
identity is not stable and independent, but is constantly remade as the person
interacts with others. Erving Goffman’s (1959) The Presentation of Self in
Everyday Life describes social life as viewed like a play or drama. Individuals
move from stage (social settings and environments) to stage and adjust their
“acting” or roles to confirm, conform or present a certain image of themselves or
to provoke a certain response from others. Some individuals are often seen as a
subculture to the dominant Christian culture as they often follow the appropriate
scripts within the church, but act outside these conventions when in other
settings. To state it simply, they talk-the-talk in church (knowing exactly where
that ‘Amen’ and ‘Hallelujah’ should be placed during the sermon), but walk a
different walk outside of the church. Members playing-church may be Christians
by biblical definition (Roman 10:9) despite not adhering totally to Christian
doctrine. The need to act one way with one audience and another way with
others is often reflective of the immaturity in their beliefs and position as
Christians.

This further points to the need to approach culture as non-monolithic. A
church's culture can provide a set of scripts for members to shape and reshape
their world and perhaps more importantly, the world around them. Recent
sociological debate on power revolves around the issue of the ability to constrain
or enable the actions of others. For this paper, power is the ability to place ones
will over another. It then is a special form of influence with change as the

intended effect (Dye 1993). Power, in its Christian cultural sense, is the ability to

26

create and establish a social atmosphere designed to produce an effect, change
a given situation, or alter the behavior of another person (e.g., an immature or
non-Christian) to align themselves with the dominant Christian culture and
ultimately biblical doctrine. This is based on culture’s ability to bring together a
collective consciousness with .a single purpose making it difficult for those
‘playing-church’ to continue seeking personal ambitions and desires.

It must be noted that Christianity and consequently Christian culture, in
and of itself, is explicitly a human creation and a human choice for which some
members adhere fully and some do not. However, a Christian playing-church by
not acting in a way that is reflective of the Christian culture reduces the influential
power of that culture especially to those outside the Christian faith. Influential
power is power only so long as the non-Christian recognizes it as such. Because
playing-church means not adhering, portraying or demonstrating the Christian
cultural characteristics, particularly outside the church realm, it in turn reduces
the influential power that lies in the Christian culture to reproduce and grow itself
through conversion of the nonbeliever.

Because social interaction are the actions and responses that transpire
and transfers between individuals or groups, these actions and responses,
overtime, formulate behavior that becomes the cultural norms for the group
(Zuckerman 2003: 17). For example, originally the church was a center for
Ieaming and studying biblical scripture and doctrine long before Christianity as a
religious movement was recognized and established. Acts 11:26 (Amplified

Version) explains, “For a whole year they assembled together with and were

27

guests of the church and instructed a large number of people; and in Antioch the

disciples were first called Christians.” Whereby the audience interprets or define

the acting or actions of others and brand those actions symbolically through the

use of names or labels (Bloomer 1962), the name “Christian” is then given as a

symbolic representation based on the actions they were demonstrating.
COMMIT THE VISION: To Entrust a Pledge of Faith

As Meredith McGuire (1997: 7) observed, “What is relevant to the religious
believer may be irrelelavant or inadmissible evidence to the sociologist [however]
the sociological perspective, by definition, lacks a key religious quality-faith."
Often quoted as the quintessential faith scripture, Hebrews 11:1 states that, “faith
is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.“ Many
Christians recognize this scripture as the definitive theological foundation of their
Christian beliefs. It is used to commit to all that God has ordained of man
through Biblical scriptures. If the foundation of Christianity is faith, it would seem
that the foundation of Christian church growth must also start with the same
premise, faith.

While faith proves essential in Mt. Zion’s growth, this study will prove faith,
in and of itself, is not enough to grow a church. Robin Gill (1980: 115) argued,
“T here can be no concern for theologicalvalidity at all.” Metaphysical beliefs
amongst the social scientists and academic elites have long been replaced with
methods of empirical observations, data collection, formulation theories, and so I
forth. This becomes the central dilemma and problem with meshing biblical

study and sociological principals particularly for the young Christian sociologist.

28

If faith is an unquestionable belief founded upon what cannot be seen
(2 Corinthians 4:18a), how then does the social scientist attempt to study or
validate it empirically? This question has proven difficult for many Christians to
grasp primarily because faith is ethereal whereas social science is a systematic
way of discovering, and understanding, how social realities arise, operate, and
impact on individuals (Berg 2001: 10). How then is faith, particularly in relations
to church growth, evaluated and verified scientifically? One approach is to argue
that faith based beliefs produce human behavior and human behavior can be
studied and validated. Moreover, as religious beliefs formulate religious behavior
and religious behavior is human behavior, what can be studied are human beings
as they behave in regards to the faith they proclaim (Vernon 1962).

While evaluating religious beliefs through human behavior is solid
scientific methodology, the question that plagues many Christians is can or
should it be applied to understanding church growth particularly through faith? In
doing so, do Christians in fact present themselves as a ‘watered down’ social
scientist? The answer lies in the fact that while faith is the intangible belief in the
unseen, Mt. Zion’s growth is the empirical results of that faith.

Should the Christian attempt to measure and validate God’s Word and His
commission to grow his kingdom? The answer, to an extent, is yes. Remember
the social scientist is concerned with observing the empirical actions or results of
a metaphysical belief, not the metaphysical belief itself. This paper demonstrates
that the ‘scientific’ analysis of Church growth principles for which the sociologist

embraces often have solid biblical principles. For example, Biblical doctrine

29

balances faith (arguably the foundation of Christianity) and empirical validation
(arguably the foundation of social sciences) in the book of James chapter 2

verses 14 - 26:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?

Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily

food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," .
but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way,

faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say,

"You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will

show you my faith by what I do.

Upon reading this, it appears then that Biblical doctrine, like the sociologist, is
interested in an outward and empirical validation of faith. I have heard it
mentioned that it is the heart that matters. While the ‘heart’ does matter,9 this is
not a construct that can be measured by scientist, nor is it solely the measure
used in Biblical doctrine to validate the Christians commitment to the faith they
profess.

For the social scientist, validity in faith is the manifestation of the ‘unseen'
to the observable, whereas, for the Christian, it is the observable through the
‘unseen.’ Regardless, it is the ‘behavior’ for both the sociologist and the
Christian that determines the validity of a member's faith and true commitment to
the growth principles promoted through the leader’s vision. Initially, a
commitment to hear and obey the message was limited or nonexistent for many
of the members but as they committed to hearing, they also matured in her faith;
this resulted in a deeper desire to do what they had been hearing.

Berger (1967) explained that society is a product of collective human

activity thus what one does, or does not do, will be real as elements of social

 

9 15’ Samuel 16:7 - The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

30

reality only to the extent that s/he participates. With over 80 active ministries,
faith put to works is demonstrated as Mt. Zion provides a forum that allows each
member to work or participate in an area that will nurture their own faith and
ultimately, their growth.

Faith as the Foundation of Language

Another of Mt. Zion’s cliches is ‘if you ain’t talking bible, you ain’t talking’
and this is the primary reason I chose to include extensive Biblical doctrine in this
sociological church growth analysis. If Christian culture consists of the norms,
values, and beliefs that determine and dictates behavior as members of Mt. Zion,
biblical language then proves the foundation of that culture (Goodenough 1981:
24—32) and is the motivator for its extraordinary growth. Many of Mt. Zion
members wholeheartedly believe and respond to the language, doctrine and
words of the Bible when encouraged to grow God’s Kingdom.

Durkheim (1982) defined sociology as the scientific study of social facts
which could be defined as the social norms accepted within the collective
conscience or group which are often internalized as morals. More importantly,
adhering to these morals inevitably constrains, controls and dictates behavior.
Simplified, social facts are described as social phenomena or circumstances
which attribute or produce a specific behavior in the individual. Mt. Zion
recognizes that the language of Biblical doctrine is the underpinning of all
Christian behavior which is the essence of its Christian culture. If individuals are
to communicate meaningfully with each other, they have no choice but to use the

grammar and vocabulary of a recognized language.

31

The Bible becomes that language thus representative as the primary force
that holds and strengthens Mt. Zion together as a collective unit (Fraser and
Campola 1992: 111-2). Durkheim (1982: 52) wrote, “it is indisputable today that
most of our ideas and tendencies are not developed by ourselves, but come to
us from outside [of us].” In addition, he argued that, “[w]hat constitutes social
facts are the beliefs, tendencies and practices of the group taken collectively“
(1982: 54). Social facts are extremely coercive in that individuals are seemingly
obliged to act on them. If this is the case, faith then becomes a social fact.

Romans 10:17 explains that, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the
message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Thus faith is a
social action originating from external processes. Acts16z30 - 32 specifically
addresses the issue of listening as the initial requirement of obtaining faith and
brings into the relevance of evangelism. A jailer asked Peter and Silas, disciples
of Jesus, “What must I do to be saved?” They replied, ““Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household.” Then they spoke the
word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.” Prior to joining Mt.
Zion, I believed in some infantile aspect of God. However my level of faith grew
tremendously as I committed to consistently hearing the messages through the
pastor and institutions of the church.

Faith is intangible, but clearly established, formulated and strengthened
through the social discourse of language. What has become profoundly evident
through my own self-examination as well as my observations of the members of

Mt. Zion is that consistently hearing the Biblical message appears directly

32

correlated with the level of faith obtained. In its simplistic sense, the more one
hears, the more one believes; the more one believes, the more one attends; the
more one attends, the more one hears, so on and so forth.

Although faith in Christ is the end goal for Mt. Zion, listening sets it into
motion. Attendance in church schools (social institutions), submission to pastoral
teachings (leadership), and fellowshipping (socialization) with other Christians
proves imperative for the manifestation of faith as the language’and doctrine of
the Bible is reinforced in conscious and spirit. Mt. Zion’s mission statement is,
“Growing God’s Kingdom according to His Word.” This ‘word’ is the words of the
Bible and is the heart of all Mt. Zion’s direction and growth. Mt. Zion contributes
its growth to the pragmatic deliverance and teaching of biblical doctrine, not the
production of faith itself.

CARRY AND COMPLETE THE VISION: To Make Whole by Taking from One
Place to Another

Mathew 9:37 states, "T hen [Jesus] said to His disciples, “The harvest truly
is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to
send out laborers into His harvest.” Mt. Zion’s Mission Statement is “Growing
God’s Kingdom according to His Word” is a two-part process involving both
internal and external processes. Casting, catching and committing to the vision
of growth is an internal process primarily involving the cultivating and maturation
of the individual’s Christian faith. This portion of the 5 “C” ministries is mainly
within the confines of the Church walls as members “learn their roles” (Hare
1988: 4). Carrying and completing the vision, however, takes on a totally

different connotation. Carrying the Vision is taking the message of Christianity

33

outside the walls of Mt. Zion through evangelism whereas the vision is only
‘Completed’ with the unbelievers acceptance of Christ or recommitment to a
local church.

As previously mentioned, Dramaturgical theory suggests, like actors in a
play, we interact and operate in various stages and adjust our roles as we move
between these stages. Specifically, front- stage is the primary area our
character, role or identity is displayed in front of a targeted audience; backstage,
on the other hand, is the ‘behind the curtain’ area where the individual actor
prepares for or leams his or her role (Hare 1988). Figures 2 and 3 demonstrate
that whether a church grows or declines is a matter of determining where the
front or back-stage resides.

Similar to Luke chapter 10, Figure 2 demonstrates that if a church is to
grow, it must take what it has Ieamed in the church to those outside the church.
Luke 10:1 explains that, “[T]he Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them
two by two ahead of him to every town and place.” For a church to grow, it is
essential that the front-stage area be a specified audience of family, friends,
neighbors and others. While evangelism consists of the methods and efforts
used to disseminate the Gospel to others, I prefer to expound the terminology
through the expression front stage evangelism. Front-stage evangelism

prescribes those arenas or areas outside the church setting.

34

 

Figure 2. Dramaturgical Model of a Growing Church

 

 

A GROWING CHURCH
Targeted
Audience:
Front-Stage Family
(Carry - Complete)
Friends
Neighbors

.................................. , ...... . Other
- @W °

................................................. ; @W@R@[Ffl

Back-Stage
(Cast — Catch -— Commit)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Figure 2 also shows is that the stronger the social relationship the member
has to the targeted audience, the more effective and stronger the evangelism
effort will be.

The back-stage area in Figure 2 and 3 represents the training areas each
member of the church receives through the many social institutions mentioned in
previously section Social Institutions in the Reproductive Process. Although
some evangelistic efforts can occur back stage (i.e., the hospitality shown to
visitors or guest), Figure 3 shows that, unfortunately for many churches in
decline, the church institution itself has become the targeted audience for our

Christian role with little Christianity reaching the unbeliever and unchurched.

35

 

Figure 3. Dramaturgical Model of a Declining Church

 

A DECLINING CHURCH
Family

Back-Stage

Friends
Neighbor

Local
Area

 

 

. A .................. @mIEafiQG)

@Efl@R§@EF[l

Front-Stage

Targeted
Audience

 

 

In a declining church, Christians ‘act’ Christian impressing fellow
Christians with the precision of'any academy award winning actor or actress.
Because this is the case of many declining churches, our family, job, home,
school, etc. then becomes the backstage setting allowing us to ‘take off’ our
Christian identity and putting on the new role or character to impress the new
audience. Instead of going out to the ‘harvest’ as figure 2 shows, growth is
confined and limited because members fail to recognize that Ephesians 3:10
teaches that Church is a training ground, not (for lack of better words) a social

club.

36

If The Great Commission is a Biblical mandate to grow the church, what
makes Mt. Zion exemplary is it teaches Mathew 5:1610 as the primary script I
demanding that front-stage audiences be all those outside Christianity, and the
Christian church. Carrying the vision is to take and make the social settings
outside the church the primary front-stage audience that observes the Christian

”1 be the first social

Characteristics letting the example ‘of our daily lives
interaction shared by a non-believer (Brissett 1990: 18; Caine 2007). Figure 2
demonstrates that being an example is to act in a Christian mannerism that
convinces the unbelieving front-stage audience that the Christian’s identity is
genuine, pure and real. This is not to suggest that Christian culture is something
the believer can or should put on or take off, it is simply to grasp the magnitude
and importance of front-stage witnessing to a non believing audience if a church
is to grow. Back stage setting of the church is where members are taught that
Casting, Catching and Committing proves irrelevant if they are unwilling to move
Christianity to its true front-stage carrying the Gospel to those outside the church
stage.

The vision finally and only becomes complete when a new member is
added to the church membership roster, becomes active in church ministries,
socializes and fellowships with church members. In doing so, the cultural

persona of Mt. Zion gradually changes; thus, as with all cultures, Christian culture

is fluid. Saunders (1988: 2) elaborated that the process is crucial to not only the

 

1° “[Ljet your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in

heaven.”
’1 Titus 227-8

37

personal transformation of the individual, but the transformation of the cultural

persona for which he or she will be transformed into:

Christianity is of interest as a cultural system-that is, as a system of shared
ideas, beliefs and values expressed in public symbols and ritual...Although the
religion retains some constant features as it is transmitted from people to people
or as it evolve within a single society, it is never a fixed, isolated or neatly bonded
system. It is always open to modification and transformation.

What Saunders shows us is that changes in one aspect of culture bring changes
in another. Mt. Zion recognizes that new blood [members] keeps the church
fresh, updated and flourishing. Emphasis must be mentioned that he, like Marvin
Mayers (1974: 218), was not addressing transformation of the biblical doctrine of
Christianity, but moreover, the cultural atmosphere of the institution to meet the
needs of its members. I

This individual contact is elaborated as Saunders (1988: 2) addresses four
types of transformations, contending that people become Christians through,
“[t]he modification of individual personality characteristics, cognitive style or
interpersonal behavior through contact with Christians” (Mead 1934: 152-164).
Carrying the vision and message through evangelism initiates the ‘contact’
whereas his ‘induction’ analysis completes the vision. Saunder’s fourth type of
transformation completes the cultural reproductive and growth process by adding

another individual into the foal.

38

CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION

Mt. Zion Baptist Church 5 “C“ principles are biblically based upon the
premise that Christian churches are mandated from God to grow. Ephesians
4:11-13 sums up the entire 5 “C” process as demonstrated in figure 1. It states,
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers [Cast the Vision], to prepare
God's people [Catching the Vision] for works of service [Commitment to the
Vision], so that the body of Christ may be built up [Carry the Vision] until we all
reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ [Completing the
Vision].

Through my observations of this church, this research has attempted to
present a more comprehensible and holistic study for clergy, evangelists,
theologians, and social scientists interested in the dynamics of church growth.
This paper has shown that it is absolutely essential that a culture of growth is
cast from leadership. The charismatic anointing of leadership not only envisions
growth as the goal, it influences the members to do so as well. Pastor Moore
teaches, “The leader's goal of casting the vision is to get the people to go where
they wouldn’t normally go on their own because if they could go on their own,
they probably wouldn’t need a leader.”

While casting the vision is a catalyst for a church to grow, no amount of

charisma has relevance if the members are not willing to fully catch and embrace

39

ADE-2".

 

a vision to grow. Until I found myself under the teachings of Mt. Zion, church
growth was always construed as a missionary journey for a select few. In my
observations, however, in order for a church to grow, it must understand and
embrace growth as a central part of Christianity and establish Ieaming institutions
to educate and train its members. In addition, this requires a willingness of
members to stop ‘playing-church’ and agree to the conversion process of
Ieaming what “thus sayeth the Lord” means with respect to growing His church.

Learning growth doctrine is one thing, committing to do it is altogether
different. This is an act of faith based on the belief that what is written in the
Bible and is passed on through leadership, is in fact from God Himself. If, as
this research has shown, language is the foundation of culture, the Bible (God’s
written words) must act as the foundation to any aspect of Christianity, which
includes grOwth. Once done, faith transpires from an ethereal entity, to a socially
empirical fact that influences the actions of its members; thus growth is
understood as the cultural norm of the institution, not the exception. Members
put their faith into works by carrying the teachings of Christ to those outside the
church. Figure 2 illustrates that by making family, friends and all those outside
the church a priority, front-stage evangelism can occur with the desired outcome
completed as the extrinsic (e.g., those outside the faith) becomes intrinsic (active
members).

Future analysis and follow up to this writing is needed. Case in point,
during this research, I found it extremely interesting that small social groups,

I.

such as ‘cliques,’ develop within the church association and moreover, l was

40

struck by how these ‘cliques’ augment or deter church growth by embracing or
rejecting possible new or potential members. A particular clique may have
gossip as the social norm in one arena whereas for another staging area, gossip
is eschewed and rejected. Gossip, as biblically hypocritical behavior, is observed
by the new member, who then must decide whether adhere or reject the
behavior. If they adhere to the behavior they are accepted by the clique,
however, if they reject this group norm, they are ostracized from the group
possibly leading to leaving church altogether. More on this is required in future
research.

As it stands, one of the primary purposes of this study in church growth
dynamics was designed to combine Biblical scriptures and doctrines with
sociological theories to form a deeper, richer understanding of how a church can
and should grow. Getting to this conclusion has been a long, personal, spiritual
and academic journey for me both as a minister of the Gospel and student of
sociology. This research, however, demonstrated that Christian biblical scripture
and sociological theories can be studied side by side without antagonizing either
the Christian’s faith or refuting sociology as the premier scientific field in social

human interaction.

41

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an-

I."

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