NEW MODELS OF CHURCH

House Churches
Introduction:
House church movement is one of the fastest growing movements in the world today. The
current missiological breakthroughs by means of the house churches in many parts of the world
have startled many a serious researcher. House churches are increasingly picking up amongst
unreached people groups like Buddhists, Muslims, youth, women and the rich. House Church
Movement’s main thrust has been the restoration of the New Testament Church. P. D. Hocken
says, “Among their own memberships, the term “restoration” is most widely used to describe the
goals and character of the movement.”_ House church is a hot issue among the Indian mission
today. This paper is an attempt to study the origin and development of this movement and its
contribution to the Church growth.

Biblical Base For House Churches:

The word ‘oikov’ is a Greek word for household. In Greco-Roman culture it is not only family
in the house, but it included servants, servant’s families, friends and even business associates.
Household in Hebrew had four generations living together, which also included slaves, persons
without citizenship and sojourners or resident foreign workers. God’s promise to Abraham was
“…Through you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” According to a noted biblical
historian Cornell Governor the word ‘families’ does not just refer to the simple family unit,
composed of a man, his wife and their children, but rather describes the extended families, or the
‘oikov’ (Gen 12:3; Dt. 12:7,12; 14:26; Josh 7:14).

History:
Modern house churches have many models in history. The most well known have been the
house churches of the New Testament. Peter’s house was used for a healing meeting (Mt. 8:14-
16). The first communion service was held in a house (Mt. 26:18). Jesus preached to the crowds
assembled in houses (Mk. 2:1,2). Pentecost came to a house church (Acts 2:1,2). They
worshiped in homes (Acts 2:46). Saul went house to house, dragged off men and women and put
them in prison (Acts 8:3). From house to house they never stopped teaching (Acts 5:42). Acts
10:24-27 talk about a house church that opened the gospel to the nations. Acts 16:40 depict the
first house church in Europe. Paul preached in a rented house for two years (Acts 28:30,31). In
New Testament the Church was consistently a house church (Rom. 8:15,16; Gal 4:5-7, 6:10;
Eph. 2:19, 3:14-15, 5:1, 6:23; Rom. 16:3-5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phm. 1:1,2).

When Emperor Constantine got converted to Christianity in AD 312, he made Christianity a state
religion. After that the Church became heavily professionalized: priests were approved and
licensed to conduct weddings and other functions in a more and more professional public
manner. Thus the great divide between clergy and laity emerged._ By the latter part of the 3rd
century, Christians began to construct buildings for worship, patterned after the Roman basilica.
The basilica was a rectangular building with nave and side aisle, used for a variety of purposes.
Due to this change in structure, there was a shift from this congregational style of government to
rule by a solitary bishop who was thought of as standing in the place of Jesus Himself. The
Lord’s Supper became not a fellowship meal, but a rite of the altar._ Throughout the centuries,
renewal movements within Christianity have rediscovered the house churches in the pages of the

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New Testament. Monastic movements often worshipped in small groups and emphasized
discipline and accountability.

The Reformation period:

Martin Luther in the early years of his reformation of the Church longed to revive the house
church as a major pattern of congregational life. What Luther longed for, was put into practice by
the Radical Reformers of the 16th century. They met in homes, caves, and other places of
protection from persecution._ The house church is best illustrated during this period among the
Anabaptists. They had no church buildings but came together in homes for worship and the
development of their spiritual community. They met usually 4 or 5 times a week in their house
church assemblies.

Post-Reformation period:
In the 17th century, Quakers in England and Pietists on the continent returned to the practice of
house meetings. Inspired by the earlier Anabaptists, the Church of the Brethren, which grew out
of the European Pietist Movement, developed a strong pattern of house church worship. The
house church movement then reached its most definitive expression within the Pietist movement.
P. J. Spener and A. H. Francke started the collegio pietatis, house meetings for prayer, Bible
study, and discussion. In 1675 Spener developed his ecclesiology of “little church within the
church. Because the house church best embodied that concept, Spener’s thought is definitive for
the house church movement. On his estate, Zinzendorf, guided by pietist ecclesiology, led in
developing the Moravians into a revolutionary missionary community, which profoundly
influenced such historical notables as John Wesley and William Carey. From the home of
Zinzendorf, the Moravians spread to many parts of the world, carrying their strong personal faith
and gathering converts into house groups. This small-group approach was basic to the Wesleyan
revival that swept England and later made its impact on America. The so-called neighborhood
class meetings, which were held in homes, were the cornerstones of the Wesleyan methodology.

Modern interest in the house church arose from the experiments of an Anglican parish priest,
Ernest Southcott. From there the Department of Laity of the WCC picked up the idea and the
Chairman of that department, Hans-Ruedi Weber, published an article on house churches. Most
modern denominations had their origin in house meetings. This was true of the Baptists,
Disciples, Methodists, and Mennonites. The Holiness revival that swept the United States the
latter part of the 19th century and the modern Pentecostal movement, which began in the early
part of this century, had their genesis in home meetings.

The house church in China, basic Christian communities in Latin America, Jesus Movement
house churches, etc are the best examples of this recent worldwide trend. Today, the spread of
house churches is largely found in countries like China, Vietnam, India, Cuba, Brazil, and
African nations, but they are also seen in small, but growing numbers in the Philippines, Europe,
Germany, Japan, Spain and North America. House churches in Saudi Arabia have experienced
raids by the religious police, often resulting in the arrest of the leaders of the assembly. Howard
A. Snyder says, “The use of small groups of one kind or another seems to be common element in
all significant movements of the Holy Spirit through out the Church history.”

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House Churches Around The World:
According to Rad Zdero, and Dawn Friday Fax, the following are the details of house churches
world wide as of 2004.
Cambodia: 1,000 new house churches in 10 years (1990 to 2000).
Canada: 200 house churches (as of 2001).
China: 80-100 million believers in house churches.
Cuba: 6,000-10,000 house churches since 1992.
Ethiopia: growth from 5,000 to 50,000 believers in house churches during the 1980's.
India: approx. 40,000 to 60,000 house churches (as of 2004).
Sri Lanka: Kithu Sevena church movement started 131 new house churches in 7 months (in
2004).
Vietnam: one church planting team start 550 new house churches in 2 years (1997 to 1999).
U.S.A.: as many as 30,000-house churches.

Now US Center for World Mission reports that in China more than 22,000 Chinese are coming
to Christ everyday. This revival is due to house church movement. Most of the leaders are
young people between the age group 15-19 years. One Burmese church had 1000 regular
members. When the government outlawed their gathering and closed the church building the
members dispersed into private homes. Now they total more than 12,000. Missionary Ralph
Bethea implemented this method in his mission field and as a result of this, the Mombassa
Southern Baptist Church has grown from 400 to 14,000._ More than 1000 house churches have
developed in Pakistan over the past few years, and more than 500 in Germany. One of these
movements is currently developing in North India and has seen thousands of churches planted in
M.P., U.P., Punjab and other States. Some researchers have gone so far to say that today more
churches are being planted in India’s North than in the churched South.

House Church Movement In China:

In China, the house churches are attended by millions of Chinese. No one really knows how
many, but some estimates run more than twenty million. In terms of sheer numbers, these
figures make China the center of the house church movement. China was the center of a large
mission effort until the Communists came to power in 1949. By 1953, almost every foreign
missionary was forced to leave, and the fate of the Chinese church was left in the hands of an
estimated one-to-two and half million Christians. Rather than outlawing Christianity from the
start, the new regime in China chose to gain control of the Church by consolidating all Protestant
denominations and independent Christian groups into a single denomination, the Three-Self
Patriotic Movement (TSPM).

According to one publication, the TSPM functioned in the 1950s as an organ of the Chinese
Communist Party. Its leaders were liberal Christians who freely mixed politics with a nominally
Christian message. Evangelicals were actively persecuted by the TSPM, and many churches
were closed. With the closure of so many churches and the imposition of strict regulation of
Christian activity, many Christians in China went underground and began meeting in their homes
for worship. Thus the house churches began to emerge in 1955 and slowly and quietly spread
across China. The Cultural Revolution in the 1960s produced an even more intense wave of
religious persecution. The party-controlled TSPM and all other formal expressions of religion

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were attacked and destroyed. All church buildings in China were closed, and for thirteen years
house churches were the only organized expression of Christianity in China.

During the Cultural Revolution, house churches survived and grew in spite of persecution.
Rather than withering away as the authorities expected, the movement grew. The form of
worship these house churches followed drew neighbors, friends and families to the gospel of
Christ. Many were won, and the groups grew, divided and continued to grow. The most
important feature of the house church movement is not a theological system, but a common stand
defined by relationship to the TSPM and the Chinese government. However, there are certain
common theological convictions among the house churches. One is obedience to the Word of
God even to the point of risking one’s life, another is the belief in the absolute separation of
church and state, as the movement’s adherents are convinced in the light of Scripture that
government control is not acceptable.

Types Of House Churches:

There are 2 types of house churches: (i) autonomous, and (ii) federated. Autonomous groups are
formally unrelated to other similar-type churches while federated groups form a cooperative
association or community. Federated communities constitute an aggregation of sister
congregations.

Difference Between House Churches And Cell Churches:

There is a distinct difference between the house churches and cell churches. House churches
tend to collect a community of 15 to 25 people who meet together on a weekly basis. Usually
each house church stands alone. While they may be in touch with nearby house churches, they
usually do not recognize any further structure beyond themselves. In contrast, the cell church
recognizes a larger structure for church life. An assembly composed of cells, which have
networked under a common leader and ministry team is the norm. Cell churches are controlled
and organized by a host church. But a house church is not a subunit of a host church – though
groups may be federated or voluntarily associated in other ways.

House Churches As A Mission Strategy:

The evangelical denominations and mission societies use the house church as a mission strategy
to start new churches on the foreign mission field. In many parts of the world, house churches
are had being started by general evangelists, teachers and even medical missionaries. The
technique is being used with great effectiveness in both rural areas where land may be available
for church sites and in large cities where a church building may never be feasible. In the
Philippines, for instance, a Southern Baptist missionary began around 25 house churches in a
previously unreached area.

Rev. Rajabahadur, who trains people for evangelism through planting house churches in India,
describes a house church as a prayer meeting where Christians pray earnestly for the needs of the
neighbors and friends with whom they come in contact during their daily life and work.
According to him, a house church can be effectively used as a means of evangelizing the
neighborhood. He calls this as “prayer evangelism.” He suggests that in the house churches the
spiritually matured men may serve as godfathers and spiritually matured women as godmothers
for the seekers and the new converts to ensure that they do not backslide. He gives enough

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emphasis for starting house church libraries in order to provide good Christian literature for the
participants and thus strengthen the house churches. His vision is to convert every Christian
home into a house church for its neighborhood, to turn every local church into a school of
evangelism where the members are trained for this ministry and to establish 10 million house
churches in India before the turn of this century.

Advantages Of House Churches:

Closer fellowship: In the conventional church, those who are capable of preaching from God’s
Word and giving excellent exhortation never get a chance. It is always the pastor who gets the
chance and the people are silent spectators. Since house churches are small, members have a
much closer fellowship, than in a mega church.

Attraction for the new comers: The present day Church atmosphere, building and structure are
intimidating for many of the non-believers who do not understand most of the language and
liturgy used by the professional clergy. Meeting with familiar people in familiar homes in a
relaxed, participatory atmosphere makes it more attractive for many of the newcomers. They
often eat together and find it easier to share their burdens, concerns, sorrows, and questions and
feel wanted in such a fellowship. There is a greater chance of developing their spiritual skills
and character in such an atmosphere.

Growth in the midst of persecution: House churches can flourish amongst persecution.
Unity: House churches help overcome denominationalism and bring together the unity of
believers.
Easy to start: It is easy to start a house church. Anyone who loves Jesus can be involved in
planting house churches.

Effective in mission: House churches can release millions of ordinary Christians into the
apostolic work of discipline the nations.

Less expensive: House churches do not need property, pulpit, pews, hymnbooks or a piano.
Less need of professional workers: House churches can function without a baptistery, a Sunday
school and a youth pastor.

Good for training pastors and leaders: They facilitate on the job training for pastors and
leaders.
Multiplication: The most important inherent nature of a house church is that they multiply
rapidly like yeast in the dough.

It is flexible: Since the group is small, it can easily change its procedure or functions to meet
changing situations or to accomplish different objectives. It is free to be flexible as to the place,
time, frequency and length of its meetings.

It is mobile: A small group may meet in a home, office, shop or any other place. It is not bound
to any building. It can go where the people are.

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It is inclusive: A small group can demonstrate a winsome openness to people of all kinds. It
holds some hope for overcoming social and racial barriers.

It is personal: In a small group, communication takes place at the personal level. It can grow by
division: It can easily reproduce and multiply into 2, 4, 8 or more depending on the vitality of
each group._
It can be an effective means of evangelism: The small group provides the best environment in
which sinners can hear the convicting, winning voice of the Holy Spirit and come alive
spiritually through faith.

DISADVANTAGES
Lack of sense of permanence: Church building gives stability and permanence to the
Christians. Meeting in houses will not be permanent. “House churches grow like mushrooms
and will disappear like mushrooms,” said one of the senior cross-cultural missionaries of an
indigenous mission.

Unstable nature: One of the more serious disadvantages is the typically unstable nature of
house churches. The house churches come across a lot of organizational problems, whereas
these problems are easily solved in a traditional church with a building.

Theological Drift: Theological drift, or the tendency toward heresy, is another problem house
churches often exhibit. This is common to any independent group, which rejects dominant
cultural patterns. A charismatic leader is often followed with unquestioning loyalty by the
membership. And if such a leader begins to drift toward an odd doctrinal stance or even heresy,
there is no one to check the tendency.

Abuse of authority: The abuse of authority by house church leaders is a problem that raises in
house churches. This problem has 2 dimensions. The first is the tendency of untrained or
wrongly chosen leaders to become leaders of house churches. Without the constraints of a
congregational polity structure, an immature house church leader can become quite autocratic.
The second aspect of the authority is seen in the shepherding concept. While we believe that
under ideal circumstances the idea of hierarchical submission may work in a non-coercive
manner, there remain possibilities for abuse.

Lack of control of meetings: Another problem, which faces all house church ministries, is the
control of meetings. The informal nature of the house church setting lends itself to certain
organizational problems. First, there is the problem of where to meet. Some groups rotate the
meeting site, which may cause communication and scheduling problems. Other problems
include not being able to start on time, continuing too late, and the tendency of informal
meetings to get off track.

Conclusion:
Around the world, house churches are functioning as means of church renewal. Where people
search for Christian community in the context of an impersonal world, they find “family” in
house church. They are finding that they can be the Church wherever ‘two or three are gathers’
in Jesus’ Name. The house church provides a context which can make it easier for us to be the

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Church to worship, to teach and learn, to discipline each other, to share with each other, to be in
mission together and to make decisions together. This new movement may very well become the
most significant development in Church history today and shape the nature of the Church in the
days to come much more than some might think. If we are to recover the beauty and power of the
New Testament Church, we will need to move toward recovering the house church structures,
which contained and nurtured the corporate life of the First Easter people. The recovery has
already begun.

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