Missional Movement Through the Local Church: Applying Movemental Principles in a British Context

Overview

These pages highlight the research, theology and recommendations of a doctorate project (DMin) undertaken in 2023-24 by Revd. Dr. Nick Allan. He is a practicing Baptist Minister in Sheffield UK, and Director of the Centre for Baptist Ministry at St Hild College.

Why is this relevant?

This research is relevant to the whole church in the UK and beyond, since it measured the practices which help or hinder healthy, multiplying local churches of all sizes. It surveyed hundreds of UK churches/leaders about their specific practices as well as offering a robust review of historic and contemporary scholarship. It touches on themes of church planting, micro-church, Disciple Making Movements (DMM), evangelism, leadership and contemporary movements, with both practical examples and with theological, missiological, and sociological reflections. It offers a series of findings and recommendations which the UK evangelical church could embrace.

If you are interested in what to DO in a local church to help it grow, and to foster a culture which reproduces disciples far beyond the walls of the church, this will help you.

Overview

Why is it so hard to achieve multiplying missionary movement through the local church of western Europe? Many churches are healthy and growing, but very few seem capable of creating discipleship cultures which raise and reproduce new disciples beyond the traditional church structures so that the gospel travels through whole neighbourhoods or regions.

In the past 20 years attention has been drawn to the principles and practices of rapidly multiplying church planting movements in the Global South. Their conditions are very different to the post-Christendom urban West, but have they found simple gospel practices which work that the western church is ignoring or could learn from?

The aim of the research was to understand the principles and practices that may catalyse a healthy local church into greater missional effectiveness.

It determined some common factors which help and hinder movements of mission and it identified best practices in transitioning healthy local UK churches towards multiplying missional movement. It took a specific interest in how, and whether, the principles and practices of contemporary Disciple Making Movements (DMM) in the Global South may translate sufficiently into the British church context. 

245 UK churches and leaders (91% evangelical, mix of denominations/streams) were surveyed in winter 2023–24, to assess the common factors facilitating and hindering the widespread multiplication of evangelism and discipleship within local churches of various shapes and sizes including mega-churches and micro-churches.

The findings provide both a stark wake-up call, and encouragement for the future. The project’s recommendations offer good leadership practices for the local and national church to aid the transition of a healthy local inherited-model church towards fostering a missional movement.