'Dining with the devil': the unique secularization of American evangelical churches.

• Author: Watson, Jr., J.B.

Introduction

It has often been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. When one cultural group begins to imitate the way of life of another, however, they are, to some degree, disavowing their past and assuming a new identity. In the case of many American evangelical churches, the corporate business culture represents an organizational model with an intoxicating appeal. Over the last twenty years, the influence of the church growth movement has accelerated the "McDonaldization" of numerous evangelical churches. Sociologist George Ritzer defines McDonaldization as "the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world." (1) McDonaldization has extended the process of rationalization to the realm of all major social institutions, including religion. In some cases, this process has occurred in a literal fashion; several churches in the southern United States have added McDonald's restaurants and similar retail food establishments to their facilities, complete with drive-through windows. Food courts, bookstores, cafes, boutiques, and even banks have also become part of the worship experience. These developments are best viewed as a by-product of a fundamental paradigm shift in religious organization among evangelicals, that is, churches restructuring themselves according to a corporate business model.

The church growth movement has gained a foothold in modern evangelical religious life. It is making rapid and extensive progress toward its goals with little national attention. Its resources in terms of leadership, organizational networks, and finances are growing rapidly. At the same time, the movement's religious, social, political, and economic goals have become increasingly global in scope. Opponents of this movement claim that it is redefining historic religious and cultural realities. The authors of this study argue that the church growth movement, which is poorly understood, represents a serious challenge to the traditional organizational methods of American evangelical churches. In short, there is a need for a fuller understanding of the church growth movement in light of its recent successes in implementing this new business-based organizational model.

Origins of the Church Growth Movement

Comprehensive treatments of the history of the church growth movement are available elsewhere. (2) An examination of a few dimensions of the history of this movement is important, however, to more fully understand its contemporary success and appeal. While some analysts contend that the techniques advocated by the modern church growth movement predate the 1950s, the impetus for the rise of the movement stems from David McGavran's pioneering writings. (3) In Understanding Church Growth (1990), a pivotal work in church growth movement literature, McGavran, an evangelical missionary and seminary professor, together with fellow missionary C. Peter Wagner, called for maintaining accurate records, setting statistical goals for growth, and the use of insights derived from the social sciences to develop church growth strategies. They also highlighted several case studies reflecting the application of their model of church growth that would influence subsequent evangelical mission work. (4) Later, in The Bridges of God (1995), McGavran introduced the concept of cultural contextualism. He observed that new church buildings constructed by foreign missionaries in Africa were typically designed to reflect the architecture of their home countries, and did not adequately reflect the culture of local residents. For McGavran, such practices presented a serious problem for the advancement of missionary work. He proposed that some measure of local cultural accommodation should become an essential part of the missionary effort in order to better connect with local populations. He also emphasized practicality in church organization, and the development of numerical measures of success such as periodic reports on the number of new converts. The development of standardized indicators of church growth was seen as essential to the long-term success of evangelical mission work. (5)

Contemporary Features of the Church Growth Movement

There are four essential principles that define the church growth movement. First, one finds an emphasis on the use of quantitative measures of success such as worship attendance, increases in cash receipts, and number of new converts. Second, there is a focus on contextualization, that is, a church delivers its message within the context of the culture. This is the hallmark principle of the movement. Third, the application of modern marketing techniques utilizing the latest technology is seen as necessary to achieve success in a competitive religious marketplace. Finally, the value of networking with like-minded churches and church leaders which allows younger church leaders to learn from veterans of the movement. (6)

The markers of the church growth movement are easily observable both inside and outside of evangelical churches. A first-hand description of the implementation of church growth strategies advocated by Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church in suburban Chicago, Rick Warren, pastor of Saddlebrook Community Church in California, and others highlight a few of the organizational features of this movement. The organizational models described in this study are based on observations of two southern evangelical churches during the past decade. While these churches may not be typical of all evangelical churches, they offer examples of changes in organizational structure sometimes implemented by evangelical congregations in response to church growth movement ideas. In one evangelical church, the shift was gradual; in the other, it was radical and traumatic. Interestingly, in both cases, the rank and file congregation members seemed to have little understanding of the proposed changes in organization and focus. In one case, not even the governing board members were involved in the decision to change the church's focus. In both cases, many of the changes appeared to be cosmetic, such as adding a plastic pulpit, an abundance of silk plants, a church logo, trained greeters, a hospitality booth, a coffee bar, and the introduction of PowerPoint in sermons, to name a few. An expansive building program was also initiated. Outside consultants assisted with fundraising strategies. The architecture of the proposed buildings was notably modern. Gone were pews, stained glass, songbooks, and traditional Christian symbols. The new buildings, by contrast, are "mall-like," with a notable focus on the front-stage area through the use of theatrical lighting, video screens, and other performance-oriented elements.

During this period of embracing church growth movement methods, a distinctive rhetoric emerged. Humorously and redundantly, the same phrases were used at both churches. "We must reach a new generation" as well as "the methods must change, but the message never will" were frequently heard mantras. Some of the...