Missional House Churches in America-Part 1

At least three major U.S. newspapers ran stories this past week on house churches.  You can read them HERE, HERE, and HERE.  While I was planning to write on another topic today, I revised my schedule to address this matter from my experience and research. 

There is clearly a growing interest among people regarding this expression of the Body of Christ.  On a regular basis, people approach me wanting to talk about this matter.  For example, I have already been in such conversations this week, one with a leader of large church interested in planting a network of house churches.  A couple of months ago, I was asked by Thomas Nelson to write a book related to growing trends and expressions in evangelical circles, including information on house churches.   Just a few weeks ago, I was approached by a leader in my denomination asking me to write a chapter on house churches for his forthcoming book. 

Researchers are starting to take interest in this topic.  Barna recently addressed this matter.  Stetzer has blogged about his research on the topic, and included a chapter on house churches in his recent book, Viral Churches (co-authored with Warren Bird).  I could go on and on regarding other books, conferences, and blogs addressing house churches. 

While some people are interested in this topic because of the novelty of the matter, others take interest because of deep theological and missiological convictions.  Some look upon house churches with great suspicion, others with great delight.  Some believe such expressions are unhealthy by default, others believe they are the panacea to the problems facing the Church in America.          

In 2008, I published Missional House Churches: Reaching Our Communities with the Gospel.  Knowing that not all churches (including house churches) are the same, I decided to focus on those expressions that were both reaching people with the gospel and planting churches. 

Other scholars had been conducting similar church growth research for years, but with mainstream (conventional) churches as their subjects.  No one at the time had produced such a work examining house churches. 

While several books exist on house churches, to my knowledge, mine was the first empirical attempt to understand what is taking place in a select group of such churches. 

While my study was based on survey research, followed by interviews, the sampling process was more akin to a snowball methodology.  Therefore, I cannot say that the thirty-three churches in the book are representative of all house churches.  In fact, I would say they are the exceptions to what you find in a North American context. 

While I do not claim the churches in my study were perfect--I note my theological and methodological concerns throughout the book--they do provide us with an example of conservative evangelicals who have a high view of the Bible, are keeping church life simple, and are manifesting characteristics of worship, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and evangelism. 

More and better research is needed when it comes to house churches.  Little research exists on the topic.  Until then, here is a glimpse of the findings from my book.  Today, I'll begin with introducing you to the churches in the study:

How Were the Churches Selected:

• Each church had to have baptized at least one person in the previous year

• Each church had to have planted at least one church in the past three years

•255 churches participated in Phase I (Web Survey), with  91 churches meeting both research criteria (minimal number of baptisms and church plants)

•We were able to contact 33 of the 91 churches for a phone interview (Phase II)

 Meet the Churches:

• They were scattered across 17 states:

HI, 2         WA, 2             OR, 1              ID, 1

CA, 7        CO, 2              KS, 1               OK, 1

TX, 7        MN, 1              WI, 1               MO, 1 

IN, 1          OH, 2              CT, 1               DE, 1

FL, 1 

• Their locations were not limited to population density.  They were found in both rural and urban contexts.
• They were predominately Anglo, but had much ethnic diversity (less than 1/3 were 100% Anglo)

Mostly New Churches

• 80% had been meeting for less than 10 years.
• 21% were 10 years or older.
• 46% had been together 1-3 years
• Five churches had been meeting for 13 years or more
• Comprised of a wide range of generations (infants to senior adults)
• Average church size ranged: 14-17 people
• One church consisted of more than thirty-four members

In my next post, I plan to provide you with a glimpse into the results of their missional endeavors.