Missing in Action: Theological Reflection on the Absence of the Aged, Poor, and Disenfranchised in Contemporary Church Planting Movements

Abstract

Contemporary church planting in the major cities of the West has been on the ascendancy over the last decade. Numerous homogenous-based expressions of Christian faith have appeared, with many having numeric success. This article seeks to address a blind spot in the world of church planting by providing theological reflection on the shortcomings of the homogenous-based approach to ministry, particularly as it relates to the isolation and oversight of the aged, the poor, and the disenfranchised in the body of Christ. The author seeks to overview the Biblical theology of caring for the marginalized, a critique of contemporary church planting movements' neglect of these people, and some pastoral exhortations on the place of the aged, the poor, and the disenfranchised in contemporary church planting.