Principles from the Largest Cell Churches

  World Pulse magazine (1999)

As part of his Ph.D. research at Fuller School of World Mission, Joel Comiskey spent an average of eight days in eight prominent "cell churches," which place evangelistic small groups or "cells" at the cores of their ministries.  Cell church advocates such as Comiskey say that in these cell churches, small group ministry is not just another program, but is the very heart of the church.  Below, Comiskey, who is a missionary with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Quito, Ecuador, presents his findings.  

"One of the constant variables that I noticed among the case study churches was the positive influence of David Yonggi Cho and the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea.  In fact, the International Charismatic Mission and The Elim Church initiated their cell ministry after visiting Cho’s church in the mid-1980s.  Yet far from simply imitating or copying other cell-based models, these churches have effectively contextualized the cell mode.  I discovered new, creative patterns emerging from these cell-based churches.  

Although I observed more than 17 similarities between these churches, four clearly stood out.  First, cell ministry is primarily an evangelistic tool.  These churches were convinced that the best way to reach the lost for Christ was through cell outreach. The cells were expected to multiply over and over utilizing ever-expanding webs of relationships.  From my questionnaire survey of 700-plus cell leaders, I discovered that over 60 percent had multiplied their group at least once. The cells in these churches function like nets that spread out over the entire city. Buses haul the 'catch' to the celebration service for worship and preparation.   These churches did not hesitate to set quantifiable goals for their cell ministry.  In fact, some of them even promoted 'healthy competition' among  leadership. Again, passion for the lost was the motivation that kept everything in perspective.   

Second, they were not just adding cell ministry as another program. Rather, cells were the very life of the church. These churches organized pastoral staff, specific programs, membership, baptisms, offerings, and celebration services around cell ministry.  Cell attendance was expected from everyone in the church.  For example, the Love Alive Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, said that 90 percent of the 7,500 weekend worshipers also participated in a weekly cell group.  

Third, these cell churches carefully linked cell ministry to the celebration service.  In other words, precaution was taken to guarantee that individual cells shared the same vision and philosophy as the mother church.  To assure this continuity, the cell lessons were based on the senior pastorÕs weekly message. For example, at the Living Water Church in Lima, Peru, a talented leader took diligent notes of the pastorÕs message in order to weave his thought into the weekly cell lesson. At the Christian Center in Guayaquil, Ecuador, the senior pastor himself prepares the weekly cell lesson. Although each church used a different method, the senior pastorÕs message was always the launching point for the cell group topic.  

Fourth, cell leadership training was given top priority.  Although the length and type of training varied from church to church,  all were compelled to find, train, and release new leadership as quickly and efficiently as possible. For example, the declared goal of the International Charismatic Mission is to transform every new convert into a dynamic cell leader. In this church, leadership training involves a two-day spiritual retreat and a core three-month cell leader training course. When I was present in October, 1996, 3,000 potential cell leaders were attending the three-month courses."