Future Christian

What can today's churches learn from the father of the modern church growth movement?

Dr. Francisco Herrera joins Loren to explore the complicated legacy of Donald McGavran, whose ideas transformed evangelical Christianity but also contributed to racial segregation and exclusion within American churches.

Drawing on his recent article in The Christian Century, Herrera reveals a lesser-known side of McGavran: a Disciples of Christ missionary who advocated for marginalized communities in India and was deeply committed to both evangelism and social justice.

Together, they discuss the origins of the church growth movement, the unintended consequences of McGavran's teachings, and a provocative question for mainline and progressive Christians: Have churches abandoned evangelism in their pursuit of social justice?

Topics include:

• McGavran's Disciples of Christ roots

• The homogeneous unit principle and its consequences

• Evangelism, church growth, and racial justice

• Why mainline churches moved away from evangelism

• Recovering a passion for sharing the Christian faith

Dr. Francisco Herrera is a theologian, musician, and activist whose work explores Lutheran theology, intercultural Christian communities, social justice, and decolonial thought. Originally trained in viola and orchestral conducting, he embraced Christianity and Lutheran theology while studying music in Geneva, Switzerland, where he also developed his multilingual skills and worked across cultures as a teacher and interpreter. Herrera earned his MDiv from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2012 and began doctoral studies at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 2013. An active advocate for justice and inclusion within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), his scholarship focuses on intersectional Christian identity, church culture, postcolonial and decolonial theory, and Christian socialism.

 

Mentioned Resources:

📖 The Article:  "Donald McGavran’s complicated legacy"

🌐 Herrera's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/polyglotevangel

📱 Socials: https://www.facebook.com/polyglotevangel

🎧 Episodes Referenced: Homogenous Unit Principle

 

 Connect with Future Christian:

📱 Future Christian Instagram: futurechristianpod

📱 Martha's Instagram: martha_tatarnic

📱 Loren's Instagram: lorenrichmondjr

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Martha's Book! Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History - Available now!

Loren's New Book: The Church as Community Hub: Sharing Spaces to Help Neighborhoods Thrive - Available now!

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age.

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

 

SEO / Keywords

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