This article is the second of a series on this site that will appear periodically as a leadership resource. The series will include articles and thoughts of interest for BGAV leaders, curated by John Chandler of Uptick (www.uptick.org).

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Movemental Ecclesiology: Recalibrating Church for the Next Frontier (part 2 of 2)

Warrick Farah and Alan Hirsch

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Typical ecclesiology is often the unreflected-upon legacy of Christendom. We do church according to our traditions in the way we assume it has always been done. By contrast, a movemental ecclesiology emerges from our understanding of Jesus who was sent into the world (Jn.20:21). Christ is the head of church (Col. 1:18); his missional life of crossing boundaries serves as our source and exemplar. This rally to a wild Messiah for the sake of the other is not simply a first step, but rather a radical reorientation that permeates all we think, feel, and do.

A pastor-centric ecclesiology typifies Protestant churches, usually resulting in a top-down authority structure. By contrast, a movemental ecclesiology believes that movements of disciples making disciples are initiated by apostles, prophets, and evangelists, and then sustained by shepherds and teachers (Eph. 4:11).Furthermore, it should not be assumed that ministry is only performed by salaried ministers, but that every believer has a role to play in the life of the church who is equipped for ministry in the church and service in the world.

Typically, in evangelical Protestant churches across the globe, the “pulpit” is the focus of the church. As the bulk of the Sunday service centers around a monologue, this usually ensures that the preacher-teacher does most of the learning! In contrast, a movemental ecclesiology prioritizes Bible learning over Bible teaching. The nuance is subtle but profound. Bible learning expresses itself in diverse participatory process where the Scriptures are discussed, experienced, and obeyed in both Christian community and also in the world.

Reflecting some of the best thinking in organizational theory, churches today are typically designed around events and programs. Sunday school, youth group, community action projects, etc., all have the potential to be impactful. However, a movemental ecclesiology does not assume that discipleship is taking place in these events. Instead, an explicit disciple-making orientation lays a foundation and the criteria for all the church does.

Where do you “go to church?” Have you ever thought about that cliché and what it implies? It implies that church is centered around abuilding and a place for the sacred. Indeed, humans universally long for the aesthetic and are inclined to sacralized locations. And yet, God dwells not in special places but among his New Covenant people (2 Cor. 6:16). The Church can be understood as a network of household (in Greek, oikos) churches, especially considering that this mode of church emerged in the first three centuries in a hostile, non-Christian context and proved to be both multiplicative and transformational.

Typical churches tend to resist change (and only do if circumstances demand it). Of course, we have a great faith to preserve and passion (2 Tim. 2:2). But sometimes it is necessary to break institutional tradition in order to accomplish kingdom vision. In this sense, movemental churches are led from the center, not from the top. This “organic” and flat structure empowers ordinary disciples to innovate according to the needs and opportunities of the context. For instance, if you cut off the head of a spider, the organism dies. But if you cut off a piece of a starfish, its decentralized nature produces a whole new starfish (see Alan’s new book, The Starfish and the Spirit).

Furthermore, issues of church economics, i.e., “ecclesionomics” often shape unconscious financial disincentives for multiplication. The standard ecclesionomic model of large pastor-centric churches with full pews has been successful mostly among affluent people. However, this creates an expensive standard that is often impossible to replicate. Additionally, poorer contexts who do try to mimic this attractional church model (which requires a high financial overhead) usually must develop an unhealthy dependency on outside financial resources for survival.

Movemental churches may similarly be vulnerable, but for very different reasons. As each believer sacrificially serves in a dynamic disciple-making movement ethos within a microchurch network, the potential for church multiplication is increased. It usually is an enlightening exercise to discuss this question, what would it look like to make disciples if you have a next-to-zero budget and no dedicated building to use? The irony of this question is that this was the situation of the first-century church (not just something experienced by many churches today because of the pandemic). The Kingdom of God, like yeast, may start out small and seemingly insignificant. But we do already have the latent potential for engaging in risk and thriving in it – “as the Father has sent me, so I send you…”

We have covered a lot of ground in this post, and much is left unsaid. This is intended to stir your apostolic imagination for ways to recalibrate Church back to the centrality and ethos of our Lord and Founder. Let us repent, reimagine, recalibrate, and renew. In a word, let us ReJesus ourselves and our thinking to his Church as a movement.

The world is changing rapidly, and we are never going back to “normal.” But do we really want to? We were redeemed and designed for this challenge, and the world desperately needs the healing of Christ. So, letus rally to Jesus and his movement. Let us continue recalibrating Church for the next frontier.

Warrick Farah teaches missiology at ABTS. He serves with One Collective and is the editor of the forthcoming book, Motus Dei: The Movement of God and the Discipleship of Nations.

Alan Hirsch is the author of The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating Apostolic Movements which is being translated into Arabic by Dar Manhal Al Hayat.

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