While researching his soon to be published book 'Apostolic
Genius', Alan Hirsch, author of 'The Shaping of Things to Come'
"stumbled upon some extremely notable, even astonishing,
discoveries by important observers of the global Christian scene."
Already in 2001, Professor David B. Barrett and Todd M.
Johnson mentioned that there were already 111 million Christians
without a traditional local church. Barrett highlights particularly
the development of the so-called 'Neo-Apostolic' networks and
movements, of which there are already over 20,000 around the world,
numbering around 394 million Christians. According to Barrett,
these Christians reject historical denominationalism and all
restrictive central authority, and attempt to lead a life of
following Jesus, seeking a more effective missionary lifestyle.
They are the fastest-growing Christian movements in the world.
Barrett estimates that by the year 2025, these movements will have
around 581 million members, 120 million more than all Protestant
movements together. Hirsh, who has invited all of Australia's
missionary movements to a conference in Victoria (Forge National
Summit, 1-3 July 2005), confirms the trend from his own experience,
and believes that these new Christian movements "are simply under
the radar of traditional Christianity", at least as long as it
holds on to the classical Constantine church structure
(pastor + building + programme = church).
Source: Alan Hirsch, www.forge.org.au
