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Santa Paula Citrus Fruit Association

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Three Arches Brand

McMahan, Alan

English

Great Commission Research Journal Vol 8 iss 2

Chen, Joey

260 Book Reviews
and foreign into their corporate worship and small group practice. Read-
ers, both lay and clergy, predisposed to Elliott’s argument will find the work 
a helpful resource for encouragement, small groups, and practical insights, 
while those open to the argument will be presented with new evidence and 
avenues of thought.
Payne, J.D. Apostolic Church Planting: Birthing New Churches from New Believers. Downers 
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015. 128 pp. $15.00.
Reviewed by Joey Chen. Joey has a passion for what God is doing in cities and is currently lead pas-
tor at Sunset Church in San Francisco, California. He is also currently working on a DMin at Talbot 
School of Theology. He earned his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a BA from 
Cedarville University.
At a recent church planting conference, I listened to speakers stress the 
importance of cultural relevance and discuss how to handle setup and 
teardown challenges for multisite locations. There were talks about staff-
ing challenges and what kind of staff positions to fill when starting a new 
church. While I appreciated the content and practical guidance, I felt 
that something was missing. J.D. Payne’s book, Apostolic Church Planting, 
addresses a talking point that is often neglected or assumed in the present 
church planting conversation. Payne was pressed to write this book when 
he discovered that church planters were unfamiliar with basic biblical 
foundations at church planting conferences! The urgency is great because 
“when the church is shocked at a biblical model, it reveals just how far 
away from the Scriptures we have moved in our missionary practices” (14). 
Payne’s work seeks to provide biblical paradigms and practices of church 
planting. 
The heart of Payne’s church planting paradigm is that it should be “evan-
gelism that results in new churches” (13). Throughout the book, Payne gives 
definitions, biblical foundations, and best practices that help the church 
planter to stay grounded in Scripture. In the first chapter, Payne deals with 
the question, “what is church planting,” and why assuming the answer to 
this question is not wise. He points out that “nowhere in the Bible is the 
church commanded to plant churches” (17). We have a commission to go 
make disciples, and he notes that “we read the birth of churches—after dis-
ciples are made” (17). He is concerned that much of modern church plant-
ing focuses on the secondary, not the primary, matters. 
Important to the discussion of church planting is ecclesiology. Payne 
criticizes the common desire of planters to focus on the secondary matters 
of the church, such as trendy people, locations, and aesthetics. By focus-
ing on these matters first, he believes that church planting starts off on the 
wrong foot because this leads church plants to prioritize existing Christians. 
261gReat commission ReseaRch jouRnal
In chapters three to eight, Payne focuses on practical matters of the 
church planting team, the stages of planting, shifting roles and responsibili-
ties, and methods. Especially helpful is his analysis of the start of New Testa-
ment churches. From this analysis, he identifies that the pathway to planting 
is fourfold: the gospel is shared, disciples are made, churches are planted, 
and elders are appointed (51). In the chapter on methods, Payne does not 
give a how-to-guide, but he gives guidelines that methods must be biblical, 
reproducible, ethical, non-paternalistic, and Christ sustainable. 
In the remainder of the book, Payne turns his attention to implementa-
tion. He addresses common concerns of where to start and how to develop 
elders, strategy, and ethical guidelines. Similar to the guidelines for the 
methods, Payne gives principles of strategy instead of specifics. He suggests 
that strategy should be “a prayerfully discerned, Spirit-guided process of 
preparation development, implementation, and evaluation of the necessary 
steps” (110). Payne ends with ethical guidelines that are helpful consider-
ations prior to planting a church. 
Threaded throughout the book is Payne’s conviction that churches 
should be started from the evangelism of new disciples, and that transfer 
growth or growth from “longtime believers ought to be the exception to 
the rule” (23). This point shows up in almost every chapter of the book and 
is foundational to his paradigm. What is convincing about this conclusion 
is the Scripture he uses to support his thesis. He writes that “nowhere in 
the Bible is the church commanded to plant churches. No such reference 
exists” (17). He states that the regulative paradigm in the “weight of bibli-
cal evidence is that churches should be birthed from harvest fields” (24). 
However, probably due to space, he does not show all the places where this 
occurs in Scripture. A biblical theology of church plants in the New Testa-
ment would have been helpful to proving his point, because without it, the 
reader must take his word for it.
Overall, Payne is persuasive in his biblical argument, but there are some 
weaknesses in his application of it for the church. Payne does admit that 
there is a place for church planting that starts with longtime Christians, and 
that is his primary personal experience (23). However, if his thesis is based 
on the observation that churches should start with new converts, he does 
not show how churches that start with longtime believers are failing. At the 
same time, Payne is right in criticizing expectations of church planters want-
ing to work primarily with fully mature believers. If church planters work 
only with mature Christians, they will never make new disciples. This is one 
area that could use more research if a majority of church plants start with 
mature believers.
Payne applies his thesis consistently when he considers pastoral devel-
opment. Not only should new churches come from new believers, but also 
new pastors should come from new, local believers. Answering a common 
question of whether or not it would be better to send mature pastors to new 
262 Book Reviews
churches, he answers, “No. . . . While this is biblically permissible for pas-
tors to come from outside the newly planted churches, this should be the 
exception in church planting, not the expectation” (107). This satisfies the 
biblical observation in the New Testament since Paul did not send elders 
from Jerusalem or Antioch to pastor the new churches. However, I believe 
Payne neglects to deal with the sending of Timothy and Titus to Ephesus 
and Crete to establish elders. While they may be identifying local pastors, 
they are outsiders that are helping to establish local pastors. This may not be 
so simple as Payne wants to suggest.
The emphasis on church planting as a team effort is an important cor-
rective that many church planters should heed. Since many church plant-
ers lean towards a “Type A” personality and have entrepreneurial skills, one 
of the weaknesses of many church planters may be working alone. Payne 
addresses this issue with his ethical guideline six that states, “Since a team 
approach is a biblical model for church planting, and many liabilities come 
when working as a solo church planter, it’s best to develop your team before 
the work begins” (118). Especially helpful is what Payne calls, “Barnabas 
factors,” which are eight characteristics of a church-planting team. Keeping 
consistent with his belief that church planting should start with conversion, 
Payne notes that one of the eight characteristics that mark a team member 
must be someone who “shares the gospel regularly” (34). In chapter six, 
Payne is wise in recognizing the future role changes for a church planting 
team. This is a good reminder that a healthy team and healthy leader antici-
pate change and prepare for it. He is right to recognize that a “long-term 
discipleship strategy is also a must” (67).
It is sometimes difficult to tell if Payne is speaking of church planting in 
an international context or church planting in the North American context. 
While this may lead to some confusion, it is a good reminder that missions 
and church planting ought to have much in common. While addressing the 
question of where to begin, Payne uses the principle of receptivity to help 
guide a planter to a starting point. This shows how much overlap there is 
between missions, the Church Growth Movement, and modern church 
planting efforts. However, for all the similarities, Payne does give priority 
to the global need when he says, “Since the global need for the gospel is 
so great, your team should begin its ministry among people with the great-
est need and with a high level of receptivity to the gospel unless God reveals 
otherwise” (115). Many church planters should consider this question since 
there seems to be a tendency to go to trendy cities rather than church plant-
ing among unreached peoples of the world. We need church plants both in 
the cities of the U.S. and in unreached places of the world, but I agree that 
there needs to be a greater consideration and priority on unreached peoples.
Payne’s dual role as pastor and professor can be felt throughout the book 
in his language and the structure of his book. One helpful part of every 
263gReat commission ReseaRch jouRnal
chapter is his ability to anticipate common questions and give answers at 
the end of many of his chapters. In addition, he gives a helpful summary at 
the end of each chapter. His communication style and approach make this 
an approachable book for a challenging topic.
One attractive feature of this book is its succinctness. This is because this 
book is not an update but a complement to his earlier and more comprehen-
sive resource, Discovering Church Planting, published in 2009. This means 
that many topics do not receive an in-depth treatment, but its brevity may 
play favorably for a church planter wanting to pass this book out as a primer 
for team members who are not lovers of books. 
Payne’s book is easy to recommend for church planters, church planting 
team members, or leaders considering church planting. One caveat is that 
the title may need some explanation since apostolic may be misleading, but 
it does not take away from its biblical substance and practical helpfulness. 
Payne skillfully presents church planting as a work that is filled with both 
hope and difficulties that must be overcome. The stakes are high because at 
least four billion people in the world do not know Christ, and like Payne, 
I hope there will be many more church planters who heed God’s call and 
respond with their lives for the glory of God among all peoples of the earth.
Ott, Craig, Ed. The Mission of the Church: Five Views in Conversation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker 
Academic, 2106. 181 pp. 
A review by Dustin Slaton, Campus Pastor of the South Campus of Green Acres Baptist Church of 
Tyler, TX and a PhD student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In The Mission of the Church: Five Views in Conversation, Craig Ott, professor 
of mission and intercultural studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 
presents a conversation between five different perspectives on the nature of 
the church’s mission. The book presents five chapters in which the authors 
make a case for their particular view, then follows up with five chapters 
where each author has an opportunity to respond to the other authors and 
to offer clarification. This review is written by a pastor with a western evan-
gelical worldview, and will raise concerns from an evangelical viewpoint.
Steven B. Bevans’s chapter presents the mission of the Church as the task 
of prophetic dialogue. The goal of prophetic dialogue is to engage the lost 
world in their context, using their own life and religious experience as the 
foundation for a conversation (4). Bevans is a Roman Catholic priest and 
missionary, who has written extensively on mission. Prophetic dialogue 
seeks to help people discover the validity of their own religious experience 
and discover the deeper truth within their experience. These deeper truths 


Book Review: Apostolic Church Planting: Birthing New Churches From New Believers by J.D. Payne

McIntosh, Gary

274 Dissertation anD theses notices
Vol . 8 • No. 2 • W i N t er 2 017 • 274 –279 
Dissertation anD theses notices
Compiled by Gary L. McIntosh, D.Min., Ph.D.
Issues of the Great Commission Research Journal have featured 
recent dissertations and theses of interest to our readers. Par-
ticular attention is given to publications that present research on 
evangelism, church growth, church planting & multiplication, 
missional church, emerging/emergent church, communication 
theory, leadership theory and other topics related to effective 
fulfillment of the Great Commission. Directors of doctoral pro-
grams, as well as graduating students, are encouraged to send 
notice of recent dissertations to Gary L. McIntosh, Dissertation 
Editor, at gary.mcintosh@biola.edu. Due to space limitations, 
and the large number of dissertations published each year, only 
a few dissertations are featured. 
In particular this issue of the Great Commission Research 
Journal features recent dissertations that focus on some aspect 
related to church revitalization.
275great commission research journal
“Church revitalization: A case study of Bayview Church of Guam”
Author: Elwell, Kevin W., D.Min., Talbot School of Theology, 2016. 136 pages.
Abstract
The purpose of this case study was to discover the answer to the question: 
Is there a workable strategy for revitalization for Bayview Church of Guam? 
For nearly a decade Bayview has experienced a plateau or decline. This case 
study examined factors such as the history of the church and the island cul-
ture of Guam that affect growth. 
A study of Scripture was also undertaken to identify biblical principles 
regarding revitalization that could be applied to a turn-around strategy. Lit-
erature covering three main schools of thought for church revitalization—
the Church Growth Movement, church health, and missional church—was 
also incorporated into the study. 
A plan for reinvigorating vitality was presented including necessary steps 
and goals for a period of five years. Each year of this plan prioritized what 
is important for each consecutive year so that in the following years of the 
plan growth can be built upon better support for greater growth. 
“Equipping a select group of leaders of Holly Grove Baptist Church, Spring Hope, 
North Carolina, to pray in preparation for church revitalization.”
Author: Lee, Sean Allen, D.Min., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016. 111 
pages.
Abstract
Christians face a primarily spiritual battle, not a physical one. The prepara-
tion needed for spiritual warfare has escaped a vast number of leaders, and 
Satan seeks to disarm followers of Christ who seek to make an impact on 
eternity. In short, too few church leaders pray well, and too few congrega-
tions pray well. The local church needs proactive prayer to help in attacking 
the enemy, Satan, especially in church revitalization.
A plethora of literature exists pertaining to the individual’s petitioning 
God, but rare are the books that promote prayer as the driving emphasis for 
the support of church revitalization. The project director values the impor-
tance of prayer and conceptual framework of team ministry, and he sought 
to equip leaders of his church to pray in preparation for church revitaliza-
tion. Holly Grove Baptist Church has a desire to rise above the mediocrity 
present in a myriad of churches, and prayer would be the first step in that 
direction.
276 Dissertation anD theses notices
The project director prayed for God to direct him toward six Spirit-led 
congregants to form the group he would train in prayer. The group of seven 
individuals (project director included) represented approximately 10 per-
cent of the church. The prayer group met over an eight-week period to study 
prayer, to consider the health of the church, and to petition God to use them 
as a catalyst for church revitalization.
“Assessing congregational culture for effective leadership.”
Author: Mattingly, Chad, D.Min., Asbury Theological Seminary, 2016. 142 pages.
Abstract
A great puzzle faces many churches of various denominations around the 
world. Once strong and influential congregations are now stagnant and 
declining, and many pastors seem unequipped to lead their people into a 
new season of ministry and mission. The downward trends paint a bleak 
picture and many pastors are starting to ask these important questions. 
First, is there hope for revitalization in these established congregations? 
The Scriptures offer an emphatic “Yes!” Hope exists because the Christian 
God is one with a reputation for resurrecting things, tirelessly working to 
bring new life and wholeness to all Creation. Second, what are the causes 
of the sustained decline of so many local churches and how can pastors 
lead in this monumental revitalization task ahead? This project asserts 
that successful revitalization efforts require understanding church culture 
and practicing contextual leadership. It is imperative to know that effective 
leadership varies from congregation to congregation because each church 
possesses a distinct culture and functions uniquely. This distinctive culture 
is made up of unique beliefs, behaviors, attitudes and postures stemming 
from the collective experience of the church. In Culture Shift, Transforming 
Your Church from Inside Out, Robert Lewis, Wayne Cordeiro and Warren 
Bird suggest that “culture is the most important reality in your church” (3). 
The pastor seeking to lead effectively in the local church must be aware of 
these unique dynamics and modify leadership philosophies and practices 
accordingly.
The purpose of this study was to identify and utilize a church culture 
assessment tool to help the Kingwood Christian Church (Disciples of 
Christ) pastoral staff and lay leadership understand the unique culture of 
the congregation in order that they might modify leadership philosophies 
and practices to promote congregational revitalization. Upon completion, 
the assessment process revealed that cultural education and evaluation in 
Kingwood Christian Church provided a revelatory, hopeful and reliable 
277great commission research journal
groundwork for congregational understanding. The assessment provided 
a foundation for truly contextual leadership strategies and practices, thus 
enabling Spirit-empowered efforts for resurrection and revitalization.
“Developing a training module for church revitalization utilizing church planting 
methodologies with a select group of members of Fontaine Baptist Church in 
Martinsville, Virginia.”
Author: Shanks, Andrew P., Ph.D., The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016. 
156 pages. 
Abstract
Fontaine Baptist Church rests near the southern border of one of the south-
ernmost counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Henry County, with 
the city of Martinsville at its heart, once boasted a booming economy, due to 
the bustling textile and furniture factories operating there. Fontaine thrived 
along with the local economy. Founded in 1919, Fontaine reached her zenith 
in the three decades between 1960 and 1990, a fitting microcosm of the local 
community. As the fortunes of the surrounding community declined, how-
ever, so did the vibrancy of the church. Fontaine slid slowly from an active 
membership of over 300 in 1985 to only 65 at the present time.
While the decline of the local economy and the depression of the sur-
rounding community serve as a convenient excuse for Fontaine’s decline, 
other factors play a part as well. Most notably, members of Fontaine failed to 
see themselves as a missionaries within their community, failed to share the 
gospel with their community, and as a result, failed to witness any significant 
growth.
The project director designed the project to catalyze revitalization at Fon-
taine by re-orienting the church around a missionary mindset. To accomplish 
this, the project director attempted to cultivate a church plant mindset among 
a select group of members of Fontaine through the implementation of a six-
week training module. The project director designed the training module to 
imitate the kind of training church planters employ with their launch teams. 
By utilizing church plant methodologies, the project director hoped to culti-
vate the vibrancy and passion that often characterize new church plants.
As a result of the ministry project, the project director grew in his under-
standing of church revitalizations in general, and of the specific challenges 
facing churches in Martinsville and Henry County in particular. The train-
ing module itself yielded mixed results from its participants. The project 
director hopes that with some adjustments, the training module will prove 
useful for implementation with future groups.
278 Dissertation anD theses notices
“Revitalizing Wesley United Methodist Church by reclaiming a biblical under-
standing of the role of pastor.”
Author: Vanden Langenberg, Tim J., D.Min., Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, 
2016. 238 pages.
Abstract
This project sought to address the need for revitalization and restoration of 
church health at Wesley United Methodist Church in Wausau, Wisconsin, 
following a decade of high turnover of pastors. The results of this high turn-
over included conflict within the congregation, mistrust of denominational 
leaders, and mixed and often contradictory expectations of the pastors.
To address these issues and to seek a remedy, the project examined the 
role of the shepherd-pastor through biblical and theological literature and 
in a general review of contemporary literature on the subject. Next, the proj-
ect presented a six-session class for the church members to share informa-
tion about how a biblical understanding of the role of pastors is critical to 
church health. A six-part sermon series, utilizing the class material, was also 
part of the project. Interviews with key congregational and denominational 
leaders contributed rich insight into the issues involved and the need for the 
revitalization which the project hopes to achieve.
Few church members and leaders chose to participate in the class. Lack 
of participation did not render the effects of the project as null, however, 
but revealed the depth of the issues ingrained at Wesley United Methodist 
Church, which the scope of the project was unable to fully address.
Revitalization through this project as applied in future ministry con-
texts can offer hope of church health and even growth, using God’s plan of 
leadership.
“The anthropological pastor: Navigating the culture of an established church by 
implementing anthropological tools and resources.”
Author: Turpin, Christopher Eric, D.Min., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016. 
311 pages.
Abstract
This dissertation explores anthropological tools and resources and their 
potential usefulness in navigating the culture of an established church. The 
application of the principles contained herein can be used for church revi-
talization, pastor transitions, and established church leadership. These prin-
ciples can also be applied to business and organizational cultures. Chapter 
279great commission research journal
1 presents the research question that serves as the investigative guide for 
the dissertation. This dissertation argues that the pastor(s)/elders, and/or 
potential pastor(s)/elders, of established local churches, should know and 
implement many of the tools and resources of cultural anthropology within 
their ministry context in order to enhance understanding and communica-
tion between the pastor and his congregation, resulting in healthier pastor-
congregation relations, healthier churches, and greater Kingdom effective-
ness. Further, this chapter proposes an amalgamation of the research from 
the fields of anthropology/missiology, relevant organizational culture liter-
ature, and church leadership materials. Chapter 2 serves as a survey of much 
of the relevant literature surrounding the study of anthropology/missiol-
ogy, church leadership, and relevant organizational culture literature. This 
literature review traces an overview of the development of anthropological 
thought and the value of anthropological tools and resources. The review 
then demonstrates how anthropology is being discussed in church lead-
ership materials, but without significant interaction with anthropological 
resources. Due to the scope of this research, the author narrows his interac-
tion with church leadership material to materials that include sections that 
seem to recognize that each established churches exhibit culture. Chapter 3 
presents the author’s findings from anthropological research most relevant 
to the work of a local church pastor. Paul Hiebert’s book Anthropological 
Insights for Missionaries serves as a blueprint for the outline of the chap-
ter. The chapter continues to look at available anthropological tools and 
resources, the ways they are understood and implemented by others, and 
potential applications toward established churches. Chapter 4 examines 
church leadership literature resources that consider established churches to 
exhibit culture. Aubrey Malphurs’ book, Look Before You Lead, serves as a 
blueprint for the outline of the chapter. The primary objective of this chap-
ter is to demonstrate the fact that church leadership authors interact very 
little with the writings, research, paradigms, and tools of anthropologists or 
missiologists. Chapter 5 presents the author’s findings and conclusions. The 
focus is on developing the field of congregational cultural anthropology for 
the purpose of equipping pastors to understand and work through estab-
lished church cultures. The author introduces a rapid assessment process 
(RAP) for understanding and navigating congregational culture. He con-
cludes with an adaptation of Paul Hiebert’s method for engaging in criti-
cal contextualization, but for the purpose of transforming congregational 
culture. He also proposes the development of a field handbook for rapid 
assessment processes among established churches and an expansion of the 
field of congregational cultural anthropology. 


Dissertations and Theses Notices

Alan, Alan

127great commission research journal
GREAT COMMISSION RESEARCH NETWORK OFFICERS 
(formerly: The American Society for Church Growth)
President:
Dr. James Cho
Board Director
ByGrace Trust
Fullerton, California
(714) 686-8468
E-mail: james.cho@bygracetrust.org
First Vice-President
Dr. Gordon Penfold
Pastor, and Director of Fresh Start Ministries
P.O. Box 178
Eaton, Colorado 80615
(970) 631-6740 (cell)
gordonpnfld@gmail.com
www.startingfresh.net
Second Vice President:
Dr. W. Jay Moon
Professor, Evangelism and Church Planting
E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism
Asbury Theological Seminary
204 N. Lexington Ave. 
Wilmore, KY 40390
(859) 858-3581
jay.moon@asburyseminary.edu
128 great commission research journal
GREAT COMMISSION RESEARCH NETWORK 
GREATCOMMISSIONRESEARCH.NET  
(Formerly: The American Society for Church Growth)
What is the Great Commission Research Network or 
GreatCommissionResearch.net?
The Great Commission Research Network is a worldwide and professional 
association of Christian leaders whose ministry activities are based on the 
basic and key principles of church growth as originally developed by the late 
Donald McGavran. Founded by renowned missiologists George G. Hunter III 
and C. Peter Wagner, the GreatCommissionResearch.net (formally the Amer-
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leaders who share research, examine case studies, dialogue with cutting-edge 
leaders, and network with fellow church professionals who are committed to 
helping local churches expand the kingdom through disciple-making
Who Can Join the GCRN?
GCRN membership is open to all who wish a professional affiliation with 
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executives, parachurch leaders, church planters, researchers, missions lead-
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tural church growth, while others are cross-culturally oriented.
Why Join the GCRN?
The GCRN provides a forum for maximum interaction among leaders, min-
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129great commission research journal
The Annual Conference of the Great Commission Research Network 
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research updates information on new resources and developments, as well 
as fellowship and encouragement from colleagues in the field of church 
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How Do I Join the GCRN?
For further information on membership, the annual meeting and registra-
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Membership Benefits
•	 Network affiliation with leading writers, consultants, denominational 
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130 great commission research journal
The Donald A. McGavran Award
Once a year, the Great Commission Research Network (formerly the American Society for 
Church Growth) presents the Donald A. McGavran Award to an individual who has made a 
significant contribution to the Church Growth Movement in the United States. 
The award recipients to date are:
Win Arn 1989 John Ellas 2003
C. Peter Wagner 1990 Rick Warren 2004
Carl F. George 1991 Charles Arn 2005
Wilbert S. McKinnley 1992 John Vaughan 2006
Robert Logan 1993 Waldo Werning 2006
Bill Sullivan 1994 Bob Whitesel 2007
Elmer Towns 1994 Bill Easum 2009
Flavil R. Yeakley, Jr. 1995 Thom S. Rainer 2010
George G. Hunter, III 1996 Ed Stetzer 2012
Eddie Gibbs 1997 Nelson Searcy 2013
Gary L. McIntosh 1998 J.D. Payne 2014
Kent R. Hunter 1999 Alan McMahan 2015
R. Daniel Reeves 2000 Steve Wilkes 2016
Ray Ellis 2002 Art McPhee 2016
The Win Arn Lifetime Achievement Award
Eddie Gibbs 2011 John Vaughan 2014
Elmer Towns 2012 Gary McIntosh 2015
George G. Hunter III 2013
ASCG/GCRN Past Presidents
C. Peter Wagner 1986 R. Daniel Reeves 1997–1998
George Hunter III 1987 Ray W. Ellis 1999–2000
Kent R. Hunter 1988 Charles Van Engen 2001–2002
Elmer Towns 1989 Charles Arn 2003–2004
Eddie Gibbs 1990 Alan McMahan 2005–2006
Bill Sullivan 1991 Eric Baumgartner 2007–2008
Carl F. George 1992 Bob Whitesel 2009–2012
Flavil Yeakley, Jr. 1993 Steve Wilkes 2013–2014
John Vaughan 1994 Mike Morris 2015–2016
Gary L. McIntosh 1995–1996
131great commission research journal
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Information on the Great Commission Research Network

The church in North America is in decline. Research indicates that many churches are not growing or even considered “healthy.” More and more churches are addressing their declining attendance through hiring consultants to identify areas of growth and improvement. The key is finding the right consultant or consulting firm for the needs of the local church. This article seeks to help the local church ask the right questions when selecting a consultant or consulting firm

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