Church growth, historically understood and properly defined, is simply evangelism that results in the growth of the church. Yet the perception today seems to be that church growth is concerned about the absolute size of the church regardless of the type of growth. We who identify ourselves with church growth should recognize that the movement is in an identity crisis because of lack of clarity in our purpose.

Our critics are not at fault when they misunderstand us, mislabel us, and misapply our principles. So much takes place under the guise of church growth that it shouldn't surprise us when our purpose is misunderstood. Let's learn from our critics. If they do not understand us, let us have greater and more specific clarity in our purpose.

And let's begin our purpose statement with the role of evangelism. How can we best recover our purpose and communicate that purpose to eager listeners? As a starting point, let me make six suggestions.

1. Rethink the centrality of the Great Commission to our purpose. The Great Commission is first about evangelism. We should communicate that message without hesitation. Disciples must first be Christians. And New Testament disciples were known by their fruit in the context of a local body of believers.

2. Write church growth theologies that build upon theologies of evangelism. Many of us have been pleading for years for more foundational theological works in church growth. But in reality most of the work has already been done. Numerous theologies of evangelism have been written by able scholars. But most of these theologies of evangelism are incomplete in that they fail to include an ecclesiological component. We should write theologies of church growth that begin with a theology of evangelism and conclude with ecclesiology. In other words, we will advocate that the work of effective evangelism ("Understanding Church Growth" author Donald McGavran's term) is not complete until a person becomes a fruit-bearing disciple in a local church.

3. Eliminate biological and transfer growth from the meaning of church growth. McGavran's church growth was conversion growth. Other types of numerical growth confuse our purpose and open us to legitimate criticism.

4. "Reward" effective conversion growth churches in our conferences and writing. Many of our church growth books and conferences applaud rapidly growing churches with little regard to their growth through evangelism. I recently chaired a Ph.D. oral defense committee during which the student spoke about a well-known church that most church leaders would recognize. All of us on the committee were shocked to discover that the church had averaged only 25 baptisms each of the past 10 years. Yet, this megachurch has been held as a model for others.

5. Bring the disciplines closer together in academia. We need to train the next generation of church growth leaders with the knowledge that evangelism and church growth have a symbiotic relationship. In fact, let us train them with the knowledge that the Great Commission influences all that we do.

6. Practice personal evangelism. Pastors must lead by example in evangelism. One passionate leader in personal evangelism can, in God's power, change the world. Indeed, that is how this movement will, in Church Growth Network Gary McIntosh's definition, "impact the social environment."

The heart of the church growth movement is evangelism that results in fruit-bearing church members. I think that is what Jesus had in mind when he commanded us to make disciples. We should present the gospel clearly, pray that those who hear will follow the Savior, and present them to a local church for growth and maturity. That's what the Great Commission is all about. That's also what the church growth movement should be about.