Parachurch organization

Parachurch organizations are Christian faith-based organizations that work outside and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism. Parachurch organizations seek to come alongside the church and specialize in things that individual churches may not be able to specialize in by themselves. They often cross denominational, national, and international boundaries providing specialized services and training.

Definition

These bodies can be businesses, non-profit corporations, or private associations.[1] Most parachurch organizations, at least those normally called parachurch, are Protestant or Evangelical. Some of these organizations cater to a defined spectrum among evangelical beliefs, but most are self-consciously interdenominational and many are ecumenical.[2]

In Protestant and Catholic theology parachurch organizations are termed sodality, as distinct from modality, which is the structure and organization of the local or universal church.

Roles and organizations

Parachurch organizations perform a number of roles, including:[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Michael J. Anthony, Introducing Christian Education: Foundations for the Twenty-first Century, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 283
  2. ↑ Candy Gunther Brown, Mark Silk, The Future of Evangelicalism in America, Columbia University Press, USA, 2016, p. 28
  3. ↑ Alvin Reid, Introduction to Evangelism, B&H Publishing Group, USA, 1998, p. 81
  4. ↑ "About Youth Unlimited". Youth Unlimited. Retrieved 2018-02-20.

Further reading

  • Wesley K. Willmer, J. David Schmidt, Martyn Smith, The Prospering Parachurch: Enlarging the Boundaries of God's Kingdom
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