1980년대 많은 교회 성장학자들이 교회 성장주의를 지향할 때 윌리엄 아브라함(William Abraham)은 다른 목소리를 내었다. 이는 빌리 그래함(Billy Graham)이 대형 전도 집회에 집중할 때 전도와 제자 양육을 위해 소그룹에 집중한 로버트 콜만(Robert Coleman)과 같은 유사성을 보여주고 있다. 21세기 한국 교회는 과연 어느 쪽을 지향하고 있는가? 한국 교회의 주류의 방향이 교회 성장주의 일 것인지, 아니면 교회 갱신을 통해 성서적 전도와 제자 양육을 회복할 것인지에 대한 방향에 대한 점검할 필요할 시점에 와있다. 따라서 이 논문은 윌리엄 아브라함의 북미 교회 성장주의 비판을 아래와 같이 전도학적인 관점에서 해석 하였다. 첫째, 맥가브란의 교회 성장론에 대한 일반적인 시각에 대해 다루었다. 이 과정에서 북미 교회 성장 주의가 어떻게 현장 목회자들에게 또한 현대 교회에 영향을 끼쳤는지를 다루었다. 둘째, 아브라함의 북미 교회 성장주의 정의에 대한 비판을 전도학적 시각으로 재조명 하였다. 즉, 북미 교회 성장주의의 전도와 교회 성장 관계의 오용에 대한 아브라함의 비판에 대해 전도학적인 전도의 정의와 교회 성장을 제시함으로써 아브라함의 비판을 뒷받침 하였다. 셋째, 아브라함의 교회 성장학에 대한 비판에 대해 전도학적인 관점에서 초대교회의 전도와 교회 성장을 제시함으로써 현대 교회가 지양할 점과 지향할 점을 제시하였다. 넷째, 성서적인 전도와 교회 성장 회복을 위해서 양적 성장이 아닌 질적 성장이 이끄는 양적 성장을 논하였다. 이 논문의 목적은 전도와 교회 성장의 성서적, 전도학적 개념의 재정립 과 확산을 통해 21세기 한국 교회 성장 방향점에 대한 단서를 제공하고 자 함이다.

The church growth movement, which is one of the most influential school of mission theology in the 20th century, was born in the postcolonial turmoil which traditional Western churches began to experience stagnation and decline on the home front in North America as well as Europe. In this climate of uncertainty, the research of Donald A. McGavran who had been influenced by the research project of J. Wascon Pickett for the church growth in India, questioned the status quo in missions. This produced The Bridges of God (1955) which suggests new ways to envision the missionary task of the churches. Later on McGaveran’s church growth theories based on research continually challenged the traditional mission strategies and suggested more effective and culturally sensitive ways to win people to Christ. Under his influence, church growth, together with his strong recommendation to adopt research for the church growth, became an indispensable and essential] condition of missions. It is because effective mission strategy based on research for church growth is an indicator of faithfulness to God's command to him. Whereas early church growth movement was mainly concerned with the twothird world church, in 1970s it had been applied into the North American church. Later on many institutes of church growth and church growth scholars have influenced missiology through the different research models. However, it is notable that, while social scientists focus on the contextual factors over which the church have no control, McGavran’s research paradigm usually emphasizes on institutional factors over which the church has control. Nevertheless, it does not discard its contextual factors. By accepting the methodologies of social sciences, the church growth movement has continually developed the effective manuals for research to standardize the research procedures. Although research is not a perfect tool for church growth, strategic research for church growth may well be the most important legacy of church growth movement.

This study is to investigate the relation between the revival and the growth of churches. This is, however, not to verify but to examine the historical process of it. I will show how the revival and the growth of churches have been related historically. For this, two kinds of data will be used. The first, in relation to a revival, is the novel A Revival by Giyoung Lee(1895-1984). the writer of North Korea, which satirized revivals of Korean churches from a critical perspective. Through this novel, I discriminate the difference and similarity between the present revivals of church and the early revivals of 80 years ago. And I approach the features of revivals and then the essence of revival movements. Secondly, concerning church growth, I discuss the relation between church growth and its revival movement which is based on McGavran’s Understanding Church Growth. I approach the relation by McGavran’s point of view. Finally I consider the situation of today’s Korean churches and presented their revival movement as a challenging subject.

Church growth movement began with Donald A. McGavran’ s book The Bridges of God. The book shows that people movements are effective means wbereby people can become a Christian in tbe form of mass conversion. In the same vein, McGavran claimed that “ Men like to become Christians without crossing social, linguistic, or class barriers." He founded the Institute of Church Growth through which be propelled cburch growth movement although he struggled in its early stage. He published the Church Growth Bulletin periodically which was read among missionaries and pastors all over the world. He became the Dean of School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary. There he taught mission courses with Alan Tippett, Ralph Winter, Artbur Glasser, and Charles Kraft. He published a classic textbook Understanding Church Growth in which he explained whatever he wanted to express concerning church growth in the world. He authored with Arthur Glasser Contemporary Theologies of Mission to defend evangelical theologies of mission against ecumenical theologies of mission. He is called “ the father of the church growth movement." C. Peter Wagner was impressed by McGavran’s teaching about church growth and his book The Bridges of God. He was invited by McGavran to teach church growth courses at Fuller Theological Seminary. He experienced divine healing when he attended a revival meeting in his mission field of Latin Arnerica. He published lots of books concerning church growth, spiritual gifts, and spiritual battles. He became the best disciple of Donald McGavran and revised Understanding Church Growth although he missed a crucial chapter regarding discipling urban populations. He maintained the evangelical theologies of mission and stressed making disciples of all nations based On the Great Commission. He authored the Third Wave of the Holy Spirit. Among his books, Church Growth and the Whole Gospel and Strategies for Church Growth are more theological than others. These two books deal with theological foundations for church growth. He stressed intercessory prayer through which Kingdom of God is extended. He taught the course “ The Ministry of Healing and World Evangelization" (MC 510) with John Wimber who left Fuller Theological Seminary to lead Vineyard movement. In addition to these two men, George Hunter, Eddie Gibs, Win Arn, Kent Hunt, Elmer Towns, Charles Chaney, Lyle Schaller, Delos Miles, Ralph Winter, William Easum, and Thom Rainer have studied church growth and taught it. Church growth was criticized by many but it became a science in theological circles. The church growth movement today tends to be evangelical while accepting a holistic position. As McGavran pointed out, the 19th century was the great century in terms of mission, but the 20th century became the century of church growth. The key of church growth movement is discipling all nations of the world. In doing so, all Christians are called to reach many groups of people who are yet to be Christians aIl over the world. The church growth movement is essential to reach them.