Great Commission Churches

History

History Overview | Detailed Chronology | Accountability Process

The Great Commission church movement began in 1970 with a focus on planting and building churches that are devoted to Jesus Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age," (Matthew 28:19, 20). This grass-roots movement began when a group of approximately thirty college-age Christians embarked on a summer-long evangelistic outreach to several university campuses in the southwestern United States. From this initial outreach several campus fellowships were formed, growing to over thirty by the end of the 1970's.

In the early 1980's, several of the pastors of these fellowships recognized the need to have a more formal association of churches on a national level. In 1983, Great Commission International was formed to provide services such as conferences and publishing for the developing association.

During the 1980's churches in Great Commission were planted in U.S. communities. In 1989, Great Commission International changed its name to the Great Commission Association of Churches and today is referred to simply as Great Commission Churches. Great Commission Churches is part of a movement of churches throughout the world.