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Chapter 6: Description of the Case Study ChurchesThis chapter presents a description and discussion of five Latin American churches which were chosen for their cell-based ministry (Appendix B discusses selection of these case study churches and methodology employed). I will also be using the abbreviations listed in Table 8 throughout the following chapters. TABLE 8: LATIN AMERICAN CASE STUDY CHURCHES
La Misión Carismática InternacionalLocated in Bogota, Colombia, La Misión Carismática Internacional ( MCI) is a dynamic, indigenous church which came into being apart from the help of any denomination or missionary agency. It is one of Latin America’s grass roots churches. ContextTo understand this church better, it is important to understand something about Colombia. Colombia’s history has been characterized by periods of widespread, violent conflict. The War of a Thousand Days (1899-1902) cost an estimated 100,000 lives, and during the 1940s and 1950s up to 300,000 people perished during the period called “La Violencia.” In July 1957, the National Front (a compromise between the Conservative and Liberal government) ended “La Violencia.” Since that time, subsequent governments have included opposition parties. Administrations in Colombia are forced to contend with both guerrillas and narcotic traffickers who freely operated within the country. Patrick Johnstone writes,
The 1996 State Department report states,
With such continual upheaval confronting the inhabitants of Colombia, there seems to be a new spiritual openness among the people. Ninety-five percent of the country is Roman Catholic, whereas Evangelicals comprise only 3.1 percent (Protestant 3.8%). However, Johnstone notes that seventy percent of the Roman Catholics never attend mass and that the Evangelical presence is growing (1993:174). History of the Church ( MCI )In 1983, after struggling as a pastor for nine years and at the point of giving up, the Lord gave Pastor César Castellanos a vision that changed his life. The Lord spoke to him that the number of his converts would be more than the stars of the sky and the sand by the seashore. Within months of that vision, his new church, the Misión Carismática Internacional, had grown to over 200 people. FIGURE 1 Growth of the Church ( MCI )Pastor Castellanos has led this church from eight members in his home thirteen years ago to the present 35,000 (Guell 1996:42). The yearly statistical breakdown of celebration attendance and number of cell groups was very difficult to obtain (note 1). I basically had to do my own calculation based on a multitude of interviews (note 2). After arriving at the following figures, I then checked them with various long standing leaders at MCI to determine their accuracy. Figure 1 depicts the historical growth at MCI and includes the eleven satellites, while Table 9 includes only the statistics from the mother church. These statistics are accurate as of March 1997. TABLE 9: MCI: STATISTICS AT THE MOTHER CHURCH
It is very difficult to discern what proportion of the youth on Saturday night attend a Sunday service at MCI. Since the expectation is for all youth to attend a Sunday worship service, I have chosen only to include 4,000 of the estimated 8,000 in the total worship attendance at the mother church (note 4) Between 1991 and 1992 MCI established eighteen satellite churches (later reduced to eleven) around Bogota which are connected to the mother church (note 5). These churches were established upon the cell groups that already existed in those outlying zones, thus maintaining the cell-based focus. After talking to several leaders and attending one of the satellite churches, I believe that it is correct to say that the church has approximately 11,000 attending the eleven satellite churches and 24,000 in the mother church for a total of 35,000. Table 10 is a breakdown of cell group distribution between the young people, the mother church, and the daughter churches. TABLE 10
It was very hard to determine what percentage of the congregation attends a cell group during the week. I arrived at an estimate of some sixty-five percent (note 7) Nor were there exact figures concerning the average cell attendance. From the statistics that I did obtain, my visitation in the cell groups, and many interviews, I believe that there are approximately five to six people per group. General CharacteristicsThese are various aspects of the church that are neither strong points or weak points. They simply help to describe the church better. Church GovernmentAs in many post-denominational churches, there is very little church government at MCI. Rather, Pastor Castellanos, the founder of the church is the unchallenged leader. Leadership under Pastor Castellanos is based on the concept of Christ and His disciples. Originally, Pastor Castellanos picked twelve disciples who were in charge of the various zones around Bogota. Although, he still meets with his twelve senior pastors weekly, because of the growth of the church, the pastoral/leadership staff has now expanded to seventy. These leaders are in charge of the satellite churches, the various departments, leadership training, and administrative functions (note 8). I also noticed that at least half of the leadership staff are women (note 9). Diversity of MinistriesThere are a number of ministries at this ever-expanding church. The radio and television ministries are expanding quickly (note 10). Others include Spiritual Warfare, Men’s ministry, Women’s ministry, and Counseling. DoctrineThe doctrine of the church is evangelical, with a strong Pentecostal persuasion. There are many messages about dreams and visions. The new Christians participate in a spiritual retreat called Encounter. It is at these retreats that the new ones are baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues (note 11). At the same time, I did not see the need to speak in tongues clearly spelled out in their literature (Varón 1995:62). Continuous MinistryChurch never stops at MCI. From the early prayer meeting at 5:15 a.m. to late into the evening, services continue in the main sanctuary. There was rarely a moment when one of the pastors or lay people was not preaching the Word of God, worshipping, or praying. Areas of Strength in the ChurchThere are several key elements of this church that stand out. I have chosen these characteristics based on numerous interviews with leaders and members, as well what I personally observed. Cell GroupsCell groups form the very base of this church. Tessie Guell writes, “. . . the Castellanos attribute the church’s growth to their emphasis on home cell-groups--a focus they believe the Lord gave them after they visited David Yonggi Cho’s Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea . . .” (1996:44). It was in 1986 that Pastor Catellanos visited Korea; yet even before that time, the group ministry had begun. However, this church has taken cell groups one step beyond most cell-based churches. They are not content with slow, natural multiplication of individual cell groups. Rather, each cell leader is constantly looking for potential cell leaders among the cell members. For this reason, new cell groups are constantly springing up. Leadership TrainingEvery day of the week there are an average of fifteen cell leadership training courses taking place with some 3,000 potential leaders in preparation. From the pulpit, the pastor calls the people to join one of the leadership training courses, and then gives an altar call to confirm their decision. It’s possible to get this type of rhythm to occur in Latin America. Young PeopleOut of all the departments (ministries) of the church, the young people’s is the most successful. The Saturday night services for the youth now reach some 8,000 in attendance due to the 3,600 youth cell groups. Pastor Fajardo has his twelve disciples; those disciples have twelve more and the process continues down to the new young people who enter each week. The key to the growth is that each disciple must also lead a cell group. When I was present, some 500 young people went forward to receive Christ. Each name is written down and delivered to specifically chosen cell groups who rotate on a monthly basis (note 12). Another crowning event is the weekly spiritual retreat which is called an Encuentro (Encounter). This event lasts an entire weekend and serves to draw people to salvation as well as sanctification (note 13). The vision of the young people is contagious. Their goal is to reach 100,000 young people by the year 2000. PrayerEvery morning from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., there is prayer in the church. A different pastor or leader is in charge of each hourly segment. Some 300-500 people are present in the four sessions every morning. Every Friday night, the church has an all-night prayer meeting. On special occasions (as conditions in the country worsen due to drug trafficking and guerrilla warfare), the church dedicates one twenty-four hour, non-stop period to pray for the country (note 14). WorshipOne of the members at MCI told me, “The worship in our church is explosive.” I believe this is a good way to describe the worship at MCI. The first time I attended a Saturday night worship at MCI, I jotted down the following words,
There is an entire department dedicated to this ministry. A full band, complete with precision dancing, livens the sanctuary. VisionPastor Castellanos considers himself an apostle with an apostolic vision. He has been very successful in passing down his vision to his top leadership. Several of his key leaders believe that their vision and success comes from the visionary leadership of César Castellanos. Pastor Castellanos is known for his time spent in prayer and communion with the Holy Spirit. In those times, he receives his world-wide vision for the church. He is also a firm believer in goal setting--both short and long term. When I first visited MCI in October 1996 there were 5,600 cell groups. The clearly stated cell group goal was 10,000 cell groups by December 31, 1996. At that time I wrote,
Yet, by January, 1997 the church had reached the goal of 10,000 cell groups! From now on I will be more careful to criticize the goals at MCI. One of the church’s future goals is to build their own coliseum that will minister each weekend to 100,000 people. In 1997, they hope to launch out on faith and rent a 20,000 seat coliseum every Sunday. Another goal is to construct their own university to train young people in theology, missions, and other disciplines (note 15). Christian Community Agua VivaChristian Community Agua Viva (AGV) is located in the heart of downtown Miraflores, a suburb of Lima, Perú. It is a church that has great plans for the future. ContextDuring the 1980s, rural terrorism by the Sendero Luminoso and the Tupac Amaru killed 26,000 people and inflicted ten billion dollars in damage to the country (Johnstone 1993:444). In 1992, President Fujimori suspended the constitution and took control of the country. His radical moves, along with the capture of the key leader of the Sendero Luminoso, has greatly reduced terrorism. Perú is once again prospering economically and the approval of Fujimori could be seen by his overwhelming presidential reelection in 1995. Eighty-nine percent of the country is Roman Catholic, but they are only growing at a rate of 1.5 percent. Johnstone writes, “The Catholic church is in a crisis. Over 80% of its clergy are foreign. It is polarized between the traditionalists and those who espouse Liberation Theology” (“Perú” 1994). On the other hand, Evangelicals have been growing and are now a significant source of leadership. As of 1993, 5.7 percent of the population Evangelical with an annual growth rate of 7.7 percent (Johnstone 1993:445). History of the ChurchIn 1980 as a university student and committed atheist, Juan Capuro was miraculously converted while reading the gospel of John. The Full Gospel Businessmen Association played an important role in Capuro’s conversion and early Christian growth. Five years after his conversion, Capuro started AGV with twenty people. He continued working as general director of a computer company until 1987 when the church was able to fully support him financially. Growth of the ChurchAGV is a grass roots, independent Peruvian church with no official connections to the United States or any other outside body. Perhaps this has contributed to its effectiveness. Figure 2 explains the history of growth at AGV.
FIGURE 2: AGV: CELEBRATION ATTENDANCE AND NUMBER OF CELLS Table 11 gives a breakdown of attendance at AGV. These statistics are accurate as of October, 1996. TABLE 11: AGV: STATISTICS AT THE MOTHER CHURCH
The church can seat about 1,000 people, but there are often people standing. In order to be seated at AGV one must arrive early. It is normal to see huge lines forming outside and around the church building (a converted theater) waiting for the next service. Presently, the church is constructing a sanctuary that will seat 2,500 people. This piece of property is located on one of the main streets in Lima and is now the present site of AGV’s administrative offices. Until the sanctuary is completed, AGV will continue to meet in the three rented theaters around the city (note 17). At the mother church there are about 5,000 people attending, yet another 1,000 in the two satellite churches in northern and southern Lima. These two satellite churches are intimately connected with the mother church. However, there are also between seven hundred and eight hundred more attending the five independent AGV churches that have their services in various provinces throughout Perú. General CharacteristicsTo better describe AGV, other key characteristics should be taken into account. There were at least three descriptive aspects that stood out. DoctrineThe church is very conscious of the need for correct doctrine. Bible teaching through systematic classroom instruction is a high priority in this church. The doctrine is clearly Biblical with a Pentecostal slant. It appears that the early influence of Lince Alliance Church, and the general system of Bible training in Perú has had a strong impact on Pastor Capuro and the church (note 18). Church GovernmentPastor Juan Capuro and his wife Alicia are the unchallenged leaders. Like many independent charismatic churches, the people submit to and obey them. There is no elected board. Pastor Capuro meets with five elders who formed part of the initial church. At times, before he is about to make an important decision, Pastor Capuro will meet with the elders and the zone pastors to talk about the future direction of the church. A key aspect here is unchallenged! Relationship with Other ChurchesAlthough the church is an independent charismatic church, it is part of a larger fellowship of charismatic churches in the city. One of the training manuals says,
Key Areas of Strength in the ChurchPastor Capuro told me that God had led the church to emphasis six major areas. They are: training, worship, cell groups, communication (radio, TV), prayer, and social action. From my observation and analysis, some seemed to be more prominent than others, namely cell groups, training, and worship. Cell GroupsIn 1997 Perú will celebrate one hundred years of Protestantism. The Evangelical Fraternity in Perú is planning special celebrations for this important event. Juan Capuro was asked to address the conference on the topic of reaching out through cell ministry. AGV’s commitment to cell ministry can be seen by the huge forty foot by thirty foot sign that hangs down next to the platform saying, “Family Cell Communities: The Strategy that God has given us to evangelize Perú. Join one.” Phone numbers are then given. It is well known throughout Perú that AGV is a cell-based church. There is a certain healthiness about the cell ministry at AGV. More than sixty-five percent of those who attend AGV also attend a cell group (note 19). Great emphasis is placed on cell leader preparation. Juan Capuro confessed to me that at times they have had to slow down the cell growth due to the lack of quality leadership. Leadership TrainingI use the term “leadership training” loosely here because the Bible training at AGV is for everyone. There is a clear four year plan of Bible training at AGV that could enable a brand new Christian to become a pastor or missionary. For most future leaders, the Bible training prepares them to become cell leaders. At any one time there are some 1,000 people studying at the four different levels. Spiritual VitalityThere is a certain spiritual vitality that one notes immediately at AGV. The worship is dynamic with at least thirteen musicians on stage playing various instruments. All of them are immaculately dressed with matching clothes, and they sway in unity to the beat. The worship is truly Peruvian without any North American restrictions. The source of this vitality comes from their commitment to prayer and fasting. During the holidays, the entire church spends a day in fasting and prayer together (note 20). I was told that 1,000 people gather for these events. Three days during the week, various women gather in the administrative building to pray and fast. I was also told that most cell groups have their own prayer chains. Lord, fill us with spirituality. Give us Your power. La Misión Cristiana ElimLa Misión Cristiana Elim (MCE) is the most recognized cell church in Latin America. Hundreds of people each year flock to this church in San Salvador, El Salvador to learn about their powerful cell ministry. Several churches have followed the MCE model and now have large, dynamic cell churches (note 21). ContextEl Salvador has the reputation of being the smallest and most densely populated mainland Spanish-speaking state in the Americas (Johnstone 1993:207). Of the six million inhabitants in El Salvador, less than six percent would be considered indigenous. Mestizos make up niney-two percent of the population with Whites (pure Spanish blood) comprising 1.7 percent of the population. The mother church is located in San Salvador, El Salvador, which has a population of approximately two million inhabitants (note 22). One cannot understand the present situation in El Salvador without being aware of the civil war that has only recently come to an end. Patrick Johnstone writes, “A long series of corrupt dictatorships and gross inequalities between the rich and poor provoked armed leftist insurrection in 1981. Over 75,000 were killed in fighting, cross-fire or through right-wing death squads” (1993:207). Although a peace accord was signed in 1992, many wounds and bitter feelings still exist among the people. The healing process will take a long time. Evangelicals now comprise 19.8 percent of the population (Johnstone 1993:207). The bitter civil war has brought new openness and harvest (in 1960 Evangelicals comprised only 2.3 percent of the population). Growth among the Pentecostal groups has been especially dramatic. Although the official Roman Catholic figure for El Salvador is 88.4 percent of the population, Johnstone notes that in reality only 75.1 percent of the population would be considered Roman Catholic (1993:207). History of the ChurchSergio Solórzano, born in Guatemala, came to El Salvador to start an Elim Church, a grass roots Evangelical denomination which started in Guatemala (note 23). Solórzano started the church in 1977 in a rented house with nine persons. The church grew rapidly and by 1981 there were 3,000 people attending the mother church. By 1985, the church had planted some seventy daughter churches around the country, but the attendance at the mother church had stagnated. Due to this stagnation, in 1985 Pastor Solórzano visited David Yonggi Cho’s church in Korea. He came back convinced that cell group ministry would revolutionize MCE. He called together the pastors of the twenty-five daughter churches around San Salvador and asked them to close down their churches and join with him to form one huge cell church in San Salvador. By 1991, six years later, the cell group attendance had grown to 57,000 with a large proportion attending the Sunday celebration services (note 24).
FIGURE 3: MCE: CELEBRATION ATTENDANCE AND NUMBER OF CELLS Growth of the ChurchFigure 3 describes the historical growth of MCE until October 1996. The mother church attendance statistics (Table 12) since 1986 are estimates (note 25). In 1996 there were thirty MCE churches in El Salvador and some fifty-one MCE churches around the world (note 26). These churches are under the covering of the mother church in San Salvador, but they operate independently (note 27). As of October 1996 MCE was considering the possibility of either moving the church to a larger piece of land or adding on to the present sanctuary. In the present building MCE can hold 45,000 people in six consecutive services (note 28). At this time, they plan to continue to add new services. Each of the eight districts attend a designated service on Sunday morning. TABLE 12: MCE: STATISTICS AT THE MOTHER CHURCH
Table 12 describes the statistical activity at the mother church as of October 1996. Table 13 demonstrates the high level of attendance in the cell ministry at MCE. Less than one-third of the total number of people who attend the cell groups also attend the Sunday morning worship. Some of the reasons given were: distance of mother church, Sunday jobs, and the fact that each service is broadcast on live radio. TABLE 13:
MCE: CELL GROUP STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
General CharacteristicsMCE is a very unique church. Unlike any other church that I have experienced, MCE maintains a distinct church culture. Church CultureOne senses a distinct flavor at MCE by the commonly used expressions of MCE members (note 30), the fact that everyone preaches in the same loud style as Sergio Solórzano (note 31), the distinctive dress of the members (note 32), and the strict emphasis on order (note 33). Literal Interpretation of ScriptureLike most evangelical churches, MCE believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The major difference with MCE is their interpretation of Scripture (note 34). This can be seen in several areas. First, MCE takes the Bible literally when it says that women should remain silent (1 Co. 14:34). Women are not permitted to speak in the services (note 35). Second, Paul required that the Corinthian women wear a head covering as a sign of their submission and protection (1 Co. 11:1-14). This advice is literally followed at MCE. Third, Paul’s advice to Timothy about Christian women (1 Ti. 2:9) find concrete expression at MCE (note 36). Again, based on Paul’s advice to Timothy (1 Ti. 2:12), women are not allowed to teach men at MCE (note 37). Doctrinal EmphasisThe church strongly emphasizes the importance of pure doctrine. It was the first church that handed me a doctrinal statement, complete with all of the major Christian doctrines. The primary distinction is that MCE holds very closely to a Calvinistic interpretation of Scripture (note 38) Interestingly enough, MCE is a Calvinistic, Pentecostal church. They believe that only those who speak in tongues have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They will not allow an assistant cell leader become the main cell leader without the evidence of speaking in tongues. The OrganizationThe church is in the process of changing its name to MCE International, because there are now over eighty MCE churches around the world. At the pinnacle of authority over all of these churches is a board of six members who are elected at the annual assembly. At the church level, the head pastor and his elders have the ultimate authority (note 39). Areas of Strength in the ChurchAlthough there are many strong points in this church, I selected those which seemed to be the most evident. These points have attracted many leaders from around the world to visit MCE. The Cell SystemThe cell group ministry at MCE is the key to their success. Since starting the cell ministry in 1986, they have added nearly 30,000 people to their Sunday morning worship service (note 40). The current statistic of 116,500 represents the impact and penetration that this church is having in practically every neighborhood in San Salvador. Jorge Galindo told me that he does not just view the cells as an instrument of the church but rather as the church itself. Cell members need the church to round out their Christian faith, but those who only attend a cell group are still considered part of the MCE church. A Well-Run OrganizationThis is a highly organized church. Although Latin Americans are normally portrayed as lacking organizational abilities, this is certainly not true of MCE (note 41). The church uses statistics, graphics, and percentages to determine exactly where they stand at any given moment. Goals are made and followed on every level. Through the organization of the cell system every single person is touched. Each district coordinator, zone pastor, supervisor, and cell leader knows exactly what to do to make the system work effectively. El Centro Cristiano de GuayaquilEl Centro Cristiano (CCG) is located in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It is a cell-based church which is known throughout Ecuador, and is making an important contribution to cell ministry in Latin America as a whole. ContextThis church is located in the heart of Guayaquil, which boasts a population of two million. It is the largest coastal city in Ecuador, a country which continues to be one of the most underdeveloped nations in South America ( Ecuador in Pictures 1987:5). According to 1993 statistics, the average yearly income per household is $1,040.00 US dollars (4.9 percent of United States income). Roman Catholics comprise ninety-four percent of the population, while Protestants make up 3.8 percent (Johnstone 1993:201). Johnstone informs us, Ecuador had Latin America’s smallest percentage of evangelicals in 1960. Praise God for major breakthroughs and people movements that have brought rapid church growth since then, notably among: Spanish speaking urbanites. . . . Quichuas in Chimborazo Province (1993:202). It appears that Ecuador is entering a time of harvest. The hard, often fruitless labor of former missionaries is now paying rich dividends. History of the ChurchIn 1984, the Wilkes, an Assembly of God missionary couple, started a church in Guayaquil, Ecuador. With 150 people attending in 1985, the Wilkes suddenly had to leave. Along comes Jerry Smith, a North American missionary, who not only filled vacated pastoral position but began to instill into this small flock of believers a vision for something far greater. With a large donation from the Jimmy Swaggart foundation property was purchased provided space for both a church as well as a Christian school (first through twelfth grade). Growth of the ChurchThe initial growth of the church came primarily from the Christian school as well as a campaign ministry. Although there were a few small groups operating in the church, they were only another program until 1992 when Smith decided to transform CCG into a cell church. The growth that has taken place since the implementation of cell groups in 1992 is significant. As of October 1997 approximately seventy percent of those who attend the church also attend a cell group, although some three times as many people attend a weekly cell group than attend the weekly Sunday celebration service (note 42). Figure 4 provides estimates of the historical annual church attendance. As of October 1996, the total attendance figure for CCG was about 3,800. This figure includes the three satellite congregations (500 total). Because their cell system extends so far and wide, they have extension congregations in such areas as Milagro (seventy miles away), Babahoyo (forty miles away), and Durán (fifteen miles away). The figure of 3,800 also includes the Saturday night attendance which is mandatory for those parents whose children go to the CCG school in the afternoon (43). The sanctuary at CCG can comfortably fit about 750 people. FIGURE 4: CCG: CELEBRATION ATTENDANCE AND NUMBER OF CELLS Table 14 describes the statistics in the mother church. Table 15 provides a breakdown of cell groups and cell group attendance. TABLE 14:
CCG: STATISTICS AT THE MOTHER CHURCH
TABLE 15:
CCG: CELL GROUP STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
With almost 1,600 cell groups and 11,000 people attending, the cell system has been very successful (note 45). At the same time, the total number of people attending the mother church was merely one-third of those attending the cell groups (note 46). I was given several reasons for this situation: the church is reaching out to the non-Christians, non-Christians attending the cell groups are in the process of being discipled and will eventually attend the church, many of the cell groups are very far away and cannot attend Sunday morning worship, Catholics will attend mid-week Bible studies but will not make the commitment to attend an Evangelical church, and the sanctuary is very small and is already at eighty percent capacity. Denominational AffiliationThis church forms part of the Assemblies of God denomination (note 47). The doctrine of the church is very evangelical. Although Assembly of God teaching states that the evidence of being filled with the Spirit of God is the gift of tongues, CCG does not require that all its leaders speak in tongues (note 48). Areas of Strength in the ChurchI have chosen to highlight several key elements of the church. These characteristics stood out in the numerous interviews with leaders and members, as well as in my personal observations. Cell GroupsCCG is a cell-based church. There is no doubt concerning this most vital and important ministry in the church. A large sign next to the pulpit reads: “A Church Solidified and Edified By Cell Groups.” Everything is run by and through the cells. For example, the pastoral staff is organized by districts and zones, cell districts rotate to provide pastoral attention and counseling, cell districts rotate to provide the ushering and other basic services, cell districts rotate to run the all-night prayer meetings, and cell districts rotate each month to baptize members from their cell groups (note 49). There are no weekly youth services at CCG. The adolescents have their cell groups and those over eighteen years operate within the adult cell groups. However, every three months the young people do meet together for congregational worship. Goal OrientationCCG is a church with eyes on the future. Its goals are posted everywhere. Each district pastor, zone pastor, and secretary receives a plaque listing the goals for the upcoming year. Normally these goals hang on the wall next to his or her desk. Table 16 is a replica of the huge ten by five- foot wall hanging that everyone sees when they walk into the sanctuary. Beyond the yearly goals, Jerry Smith believes that CCG will eventually become a church of 100,000. With this in mind, one of the important long term goals for the church is to find property large enough to fulfill this future vision. The hope is to buy a piece of property large enough to construct a sanctuary for 25,000, a Christian high school and university, and various sport facilities (note 50) In order to fulfill these dreams, the church presently saves twenty-five percent of all income (note 51). TABLE 16: GOAL ORIENTATION AT CCG
Diligent planning precedes goal setting at CCG. At the beginning of each year, the pastoral staff sets aside five days for fasting and praying. Immediately following is the yearly congress in which the staff sets goals for the upcoming year. Again in May, the pastors go on a retreat for several days where they refine detailed annual plans. Very little takes this church by surprise. AdministrationIt is well known that Pastor Smith is a gifted administrator. Largely due to his gifts and talents, the church runs like a well-oiled machine. Christian SchoolPerhaps CCG is best known for its Christian school. The school serves some 3,500 children from first grade to twelfth grade. The school grants scholarships to poorer students who cannot pay their own way. The funds generated in the morning sessions are sufficient to grant scholarships to almost all of the students who come in the afternoon. El Amor VivienteEl Amor Viviente (AMV) is one of God’s sovereign works. Located in the relatively “unknown” country of Honduras, this church in Tegulcigalpa has become a model for all of Latin America. Thus far, it is the most viable model of cell ministry that I have seen. ContextHonduras is a small, mountainous land located in Central America. There are six million inhabitants with the largest concentration residing in Tegucigalpa (800,000). Since independence in 1821, Honduras has been plagued with nearly 300 internal rebellions, civil wars, and changes of government, more than half occurring during this century. The country traditionally lacked both an economic infrastructure and social and political integration, and thus is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. Johnstone writes, “The broken terrain and unequal distribution of land and wealth have hindered development. Insensitive exploitation by multinationals and corruption of politicians have helped to keep Honduras poor” (1993:263). Evangelicals comprise 10.4 percent of the population, and the annual Evangelical growth rate is six percent. Response to the gospel over the past twenty years has been dramatic. Johnstone believes that a large part of the receptivity is due to the country’s economic upheaval (1993:264). Roman Catholics make up 85.5 percent of the population, but they have been declining because eighty percent of the leadership is foreign and there is widespread nominalism, pagan practices, and immorality (Johnstone 1993:264). History of the ChurchAMV started in 1974 when Edward King, a missionary with the Mennonite denomination, received a vision to reach Honduran young people. King received special permission to do a “new thing” in Honduras, and thus AMV has never been officially connected with the Mennonite denomination. A large number of young people were delivered from drugs and alcohol (including the present head pastor, René Peñalba) and began to proclaim their new found freedom to their friends and relatives (Urbina 1996:8-9). Edward King called certain ones to enter an in-depth discipleship relationship with him. The newly formed church was soon divided into small groups and King’s disciples were each assigned to one of them (note 52) Although King left Honduras in 1982, the fruit of his labor continues today through his disciples. Growth of the ChurchHonduras as a country might lack a national identity, but this certainly is not true in AMV. The mother church in Tegucigalpa owns some seven and one half acres of property, and has now become a “mini-denomination.” This present study will be limited to the mother church in Tegucigalpa. Figure 5 gives a history of the attendance and cell group growth in the mother church as of November 1996. Including children, I estimated that some 6,500 people attend the six services at the mother church in Tegucigalpa each weekend (note 53). The main sanctuary seats about 1,400 people, but it is already too small. Therefore, the church has made bold plans to begin building an 8,000 seat sanctuary in January 1997. Since the church is divided into four cell districts, each district occupies one of the four services. After each celebration service, the cell team leadership (leader, intern, treasurer, and two members at large) meet with their supervisors and zone leaders to plan the following week’s activity. I was impressed to know that eighty-nine percent of those who attend a cell group also attend the weekend celebration service. Table 18 attempts to describe the cell situation. FIGURE 5: AMV: CELEBRATION ATTENDANCE AND NUMBER OF CELLS TABLE 17:
AMV: STATISTICS AT THE MOTHER CHURCH IN TEGUCIGALPA
Table 17 describes the statistics of the mother church are accurate as of November 1996. TABLE 18: AMV: CELL GROUP STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
General CharacteristicsTo better understand AMV, it is helpful to understand its structure and philosophy. I noticed at least two descriptive characteristics that are worth noting. The OrganizationThe AMV movement began in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, but now there are twenty-five different AMV churches throughout Latin America and the United States. There is an annual AMV assembly in which delegates attend from each church (number of delegates is determined by size of congregation) (note 55). It is at the assembly that an eight-member junta is elected (comprised only of AMV pastors). This junta has the ultimate authority over every AMV church, although within each congregation, the head pastor has the final authority. DoctrineThe doctrine at AMV is very evangelical. It is not officially affiliated with the Mennonite denomination and would best be characterized as “independent charismatic.” Actually, I was refreshed by the balanced Biblical teaching that I encountered at AMV (note 56). Areas of Strength in the ChurchAMV has many strengths. I believe it is one of Latin American’s “hidden treasures.” However, here I will only mention three characteristics. Cell GroupsThe cell groups make up the heart of this church. Among the five case study churches AMV has the highest ratio of attendance between cell and celebration attendance. This is largely due to the accountability structure that AMV has perfected. The mother-daughter multiplication process at AMV was healthiest among the case study churches. Cells not only multiply rapidly, but they maintain a high quality. I also noticed a high degree of creativity in the cell ministry at AMV. While they are not opposed to gleaning from others, they have pragmatically perfected a cell system which works best for them. AMV has been honing their own system for the past twenty years. I was amazed at the practicality of many of their ideas. DiscipleshipAlthough Edward King has not been in the church for fourteen years, he left the church with a strong discipleship emphasis. The church has developed a creative discipleship training structure that prepares people socially, spiritually, and intellectually. Discipleship training at AMV is not Sunday School, although it meets during the normal Sunday School hour. It is not a classroom lecture although discipleship takes place in the classroom. Rather, it includes a close relationship between mentor and disciple that lasts for one to three years (note 57). Helping MinistriesAlthough AMV is a cell church, it does not exclusively focused on cell ministry. Rather, the cells have created new opportunities for a variety of ministries. For example, special counseling needs arise in the cell groups that the average cell leader is not equipped to handle. For this reason, AMV developed a full time counseling center is located on the church property (note 58). Other important ministries at AMV include an AM and FM radio station, children’s department, and a worship ministry. All of these have their own director and function as separate ministries in the church. The common thread that binds all of them together is the fact that each worker is required to participate in a weekly Wednesday cell group. Thus, the ministries do not detract but rather add strength to the cell focus. Summary of the Five ChurchesI discovered patterns of similarities and differences among the five case study churches. In this chapter I will highlight general descriptive features of these churches, while in later chapters I will analyze more specific areas. General Patterns among the Case Study ChurchesThe following list represents some of the descriptive patterns that I found in the case study churches:
The Influence of ChoI noticed the widespread influence of David Yonggi Cho and the cell model exemplified at the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea. Three of the churches had sent delegations to Cho’s church in Korea before starting their own cell group ministry. All of them attribute their present cell structure in some way to David Yonggi Cho (note 59). New Apostolic FlavorThese churches behave like New Apostolic networks (note 60). Four of the churches had grown into “mini-denominations” while only CCG formed part of an established denomination (Assemblies of God). MCI, MCE, and AMV are planting cell churches all over the world. God has given each one of these churches a vision for something greater than themselves, and the cell philosophy has been the chosen method to fulfill that vision. Although César Castellanos was the only one identified as “apostle,” all of these leaders functioned in an apostolic, authoritative role. Supernatural occurrences in these churches were a natural part of church life. Leadership as well as membership received direct guidance from the Spirit of God. Prophecies, tongues, interpretation, words of knowledge and miracles were expected as a normal part of church life. Lord, deliver us from denominationalism. City ChurchesAll of these churches ministered in urban, and their goal was to reach the entire city for Jesus Christ. None of them planned to start independent daughter churches within the same city. Their mandate from God was to reach the entire city through the cell ministry, and their cells extended to the farthest corners. MCI and AGV eventually created satellite churches to more effectively reap the harvest. In reality, I don’t know about rural cell churches. Congregation Comprised of Working ClassAll of these churches were primarily reaching the working class (lower-middle class). My statistical analysis of the cell leaders confirmed this fact (note 61). Emphasis on Charismatic ExperienceAll of the churches were Pentecostal/Charismatic in flavor. Three of the five churches required that each cell leader and assistant speak in tongues, as the evidence of being baptized in the Spirit. Strong Prayer EmphasisAll of these churches were deeply committed to prayer. Prayer was not just talked about but regularly practiced. Each church held regular all-night prayer meetings. The two largest churches ( MCI and MCE) held weekly all-night prayer meetings. AGV utilized national holidays to gather the church for fasting and prayer. I sensed a total dependence on God in each of these churches. Lively WorshipWithout exception, these churches engaged in lively charismatic worship. At MCI, the worship was explosive with well-planned body motions by those directing the worship. At AGV the worship team resembled a top notch orchestra with some thirteen instruments and uniformly dressed worship leaders (note 62). General Differences among the Case Study ChurchesThere were also some distinct differences among the case study churches that deserve special attention:
Cell Emphasis Versus Celebration EmphasisThis difference was dramatic among the case study churches (note 63). MCE and CCG made a great effort to be “cell churches.” However, in both of these churches, there were three times as many people (including children) attending their weekly cell groups than their celebration service. There was a tendency to count church attendance in terms of how many people were in their weekly cell groups (note 64). Because cell group goals are easier to make and measure, the cell group attendance was closely monitored while celebration attendance seemed less important. At times in these two churches it seemed that the cell ministry was an end in itself. And I learned from these churches to view cells above celebration, to judge success by how many people being won through the cell structure. On the other hand, MCI and AGV had impressive, well attended worship services, but it seemed that other variables strongly contributed to the high attendance (e.g., dynamic leadership, lively worship). AMV maintained the highest percentage of both cell and celebration attendance (those who attended the cell also attended the celebration services), and thus seemed to be the most balanced cell church in this important category. Traditional Cell Structures Versus New ModelsThere was a great deal of difference between the churches which followed the Pure cell model and those who had initiated new, creative structures (note 65). At one end of the spectrum, MCE and CCG could be described as Pure cell churches. On the other hand, MCI and AGV were in the process of creating new models and adapting their cell system to meet their own needs. Again, AMV seemed to strike a healthy balance between the traditional cell structure and its own creativity (note 66). Participation of Women Verses Domination of
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