S P Corbett. Cell – A New Way of Being Church?
In conclusion on leadership issues, it is beyond question that the development of cell leadership is a key feature of the model. Before embarking on the Cell Church model, clergy and other pastoral staff should be clear about this, and have a strategy for it.
1.5 TRANSITIONING Obviously, any church moving towards a Cell Church model will need not only to have a strategy for cell leadership, but also a strategy for how to make the change. In Cell Church theory there are two ways of doing this; each will have advantages and disadvantages. I will briefly describe each with an example of a parish which used each method. 1.5.1 “The Big Bang!” This term does not have much finesse about it, but it does adequately describe the approach. As it implies, this is a sudden conversion from whatever went before - be it congregation with a home group programme or whatever - to what lies ahead – an emerging Cell Church. I say “emerging” because, whichever approach is adopted, nothing becomes established overnight. It will take several years before the transition is complete. Precisely how long will be determined by the speed at which the congregation as a whole makes what is often referred to as “the paradigm shift” from a congregational to a small group mentality. Even reasonably forward-looking Christians may struggle here. Ironically, it is a sound observation that it is new converts from largely unchurched backgrounds that take to the cell model most readily. They lack the ecclesiastical baggage that the rest of us need to drop. That is why a number of experiments in Cell Church planting – as distinct from transitioning – are beginning to happen; more of this in the next section. I have already mentioned a little of the story of St John’s, Bowling in Bradford. When they began transitioning in 1993 it was the “Big Bang!” for which they opted. My observation is that this was probably to do with the personality of the Vicar and the nature of the congregation. Therefore, it was the right way forward for them. The process is described in 21 Astin’s book . Briefly, it went like this. From 1992, he and his church leadership were aware of their need for a more effective means to provide pastoral care, and to reach out in mission. Early in 1993, he and a number of his leadership team were able to attend the International Cell Group Churches Conference in Singapore. They returned convinced that this was the way ahead for them. Consultation then followed within the congregation, which led to the disbanding of all existing home groups followed by a period of initial training for cell leaders. In Astin’s words the outcome was as follows: “The groups were finally launched in October 1993. We began with twelve adult groups, two youth groups, three for those aged between five and nine, and one for under fives…It had 22 taken fifteen months to launch St John’s as a cell group church.” As St John’s was possibly the first UK church – and certainly the first Anglican Church – to adopt a cell model, it inevitably took fifteen months. Churches initiating the transition phase now need not take so long, as the model is becoming more widely known. The St John’s story is a fairly typical of the “Big Bang” approach to beginning the transition.
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Howard Astin: “Body and Cell”. Monarch 1998. Chapter 2. Astin: Op Cit. pp 39-40
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