David Rogers

This is Part 5 of a 5-part series. The other parts can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. CONCLUSION The lessons learned by many in diverse settings around the world have proven time and time again that racial and social reconciliation, even among those who have experienced the transformative power of the new birth, is hard work. [62] Due to the ubiquitous sinfulness inherent in human nature, the goal of demonstrating the unity of Christ through the structures of the local church will require an intentional effort on the part of its members. According to DeYoung et al., “A … [Read more...] about A Biblical Evaluation of the Homogeneous Unit Principle, Part 5

THE PRACTICE OF UNITY Having established that racial and social unity is the theological ideal that should be manifested in the Church, we are still left with the thorny question of how to most effectively and edifyingly put into practice this ideal in the everyday contexts in which missionary and local church ministry take place. When faced with the reality of the global church, it is tempting to accept homogeneous churches as an inescapable element of the evangelical landscape. As Wagner observes, “There is no question that the vast majority of the world’s Christian churches are … [Read more...] about A Biblical Evaluation of the Homogeneous Unit Principle, Part 4

Other Biblical and Theological Considerations In addition to one’s interpretation of the Great Commission, there are a number of other biblical and theological considerations that have a bearing on the legitimacy of the HUP as a missionary strategy. God’s Plan for Diversity and the Tower of Babel Proponents of the HUP argue that ethnic and cultural diversity has been a part of God’s plan for mankind from the beginning. Wagner maintains that the scattering of humanity into different language groups at Babel should not be understood merely as God’s punishment for building a tower unto … [Read more...] about A Biblical Evaluation of the Homogeneous Unit Principle, Part 3

Editor: This is a continuation of the first post in what promises to be an excellent series. The first post can be found here.  Criticism of McGavran’s Understanding of the Great Commission Various critics, however, have found elements of McGavran’s exegesis of the Great Commission to be seriously flawed. The Meaning of Ethne First of all, while it is undeniable that ethne as an isolated word refers to ethnic groups and not to nation-states, it is not so clear that matheteusate panta ta ethne implies discipling each and every ethnic group on a one-by-one basis. New Testament scholar … [Read more...] about A Biblical Evaluation of the Homogeneous Unit Principle, Part 2

INTRODUCTION In 1955, Donald McGavran, in his groundbreaking book The Bridges of God, laid out many of the fundamental principles of what would later come to be known as the Church Growth Movement. Among these principles, the most controversial is the homogeneous unit principle (HUP).1 Though he articulated and defended the key ideas underlying it in The Bridges of God, the most succinct and well-known summary of the HUP is that found in McGavran’s Understanding Church Growth: “Men like to become Christians without crossing racial, linguistic, or class barriers.”2 As a sociological … [Read more...] about A Biblical Evaluation of the Homogeneous Unit Principle, Part 1