Form and Function
Editors note: Some of the common questions we receive relate to the kinds of ministry work that are enabled by the church planters we support. In light of this, we thought it would be good to give you a peek into the world of house churches. We interviewed a few missionaries to tell us more about how house churches function in areas where Christianity is not widely accepted or where Christians are persecuted.
As governments and religious leaders in Central Asia become increasingly hostile toward Christianity, many missionaries have discovered that house churches are often the safest and most convenient places for Christians in the region to assemble.
A house church, as the name implies, is simply a small group of believers who meet together in a nearby home. They are typically led by one or several men, who may or may not have formal Biblical training. The mission workers we interviewed each have their own stories and experiences but generally have found that in regions where the Christian church is persecuted, house churches offer believers refuge, spiritual growth, and close relationships.
For years, missionary Brian Keller and his family have concentrated their efforts on helping form Central Asian believers into healthy house churches. Brian has developed a training regimen to help house-church ministers and elders develop a biblical understanding of preaching, discipleship, and evangelism. Access Partners is currently helping Brian think through a business strategy that will help get him into a new community to once again plant such house churches.
Carrie Campbell, a missionary in Southern Asia, says that house churches are rife for biblical training because they are largely unmonitored by governments in the region. As a result, house-church congregations, as opposed to some Christian churches that meet in a public place, can worship more freely and in a fashion that remains true to Scripture.
Charles Campbell, Carrie’s husband, says the ability to assemble in secret is very important. He says that because Christians in southern Asia are violently oppressed, it’s important that believers “simply stay alive long enough to learn what following Christ means.”
The Campbell family has been especially encouraged by the close-knit fellowship they have experienced in house churches. The smallness of congregations allows for deep personal relationships and provides built-in accountability.
House churches are relatively cheap to operate. “I don’t really think the importance of having near-zero costs can be repeated enough,” Charles says. Because Christians living in Asia often cannot afford the buildings, materials, and staff Christians in the U.S. are used to, planting churches in homes where shelter and food are readily available is of tremendous benefit to congregations.
And yet there are challenges with house churches. Pastors without formal training can sometimes misinterpret Scripture. “These churches are often dependent on lay leaders with heavy daily responsibilities,” Carrie says. “Their time is often divided, and their knowledge can be limited, and yet they have the task of leading a group of mostly new believers as a church.” In some places in the region, churches are mostly made up of men because laws prohibit evangelism and men are afraid of the consequences of sharing the gospel with their wives and family.
Although Brian Keller continues to help house churches in the region face up to these challenges, he is slow to trumpet the success of the house-church model. “Whether you’re planting a church in a house or a factory,” he says, “the important thing is not to exalt the form over the function. The purpose of the church is to preach the gospel and to make disciples, wherever the church meets.”
Please pray:
- For God to strengthen the house churches in Central Asia by raising up leaders who have sound doctrine
- For the safety of those who meet in house churches and for the church planters who support them
* Note: For their safety, the names of the church planters have been changed.