Church Amalgamation: A Theological Rationale and Proposed Model

Abstract

<p> It is a sad reality but there are more churches every year that find it increasingly difficult to maintain the ministry effectiveness that they employed in years gone by. These struggling congregations face the option of closing their doors, partnering with another church or agency, or merging with another church with the hopes of continuing a ministry presence in their community.</p> <p> The merging or amalgamation of churches has been an increasingly popular option that many congregations are exploring but amalgamations are hard work and can be doomed to failure if the congregations involved do not discover the underlying theological reason why their churches failed in the first place. Churches fail when they stop being engaged in the missio Dei. The missio Dei is God's mission in the world to establish his Kingdom "on earth as it is in heaven." The church is a community of people in mission for God.</p> <p> Churches that are interested in amalgamation should consider following a model, like the one presented in this thesis, which focuses on understanding and fulfilling the mission of God within their context.</p>