What Should Christians Think About House Churches?

Feb 4, 2014

This weekend I got to be on Moody Radio’s Up For Debate program with Judy Roys. Up For Debate describes itself as “a show that seeks to equip believers to discern these debatable matters by engaging biblically with people holding diverse opinions. Each week, host Julie Roys invites two guests onto the one-hour program to defend opposing views. She also encourages listeners to call in and add their comments and questions.”

I had been contacted by the show’s producer a few weeks ago regarding sharing the cons of house churches, after she read my blog post 5 Things The House Church Movement is Getting Wrong (which itself was a companion piece to the 5 Things The House Church Movement is Getting Right).

The written summary for this week's episode states:

"Ten years ago, fewer than two-thousand house churches existed in the United States. But now, according to Barna Research Group, there are about 30-thousand house churches in America! This Saturday on Up for Debate, Julie Roys explores the pros and cons of this burgeoning movement. Should Christians support and join house churches – or should they be wary of them? Listen and join the discussion this Saturday at 8 a.m. on Up for Debate!"

I was paired with Mark Willis, who along with his wife helped establish the Underground Church Network, a decentralized organic church network in and around Chicago. In the second half we were joined with Dr Kevin Zuber, who is a professor at the Moody Bible Institute."

I’m really grateful for the opportunity the folks at Up For Debate gave me by inviting me to participate in what turned to be more of a discussion than a debate.