Church growth is one of the greatest challenges many pastors and ministries face today. While some churches experience rapid expansion, others struggle to attract and retain members. Dag Heward-Mills has established one of the largest and fastest-growing church networks in the world, United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches (UD-OLGC), with thousands of churches across more than 90 countries.
His teachings and books on church growth, leadership, and discipleship have helped countless pastors build strong and thriving congregations. His ministry is a testament to the fact that church growth is not accidental—it is intentional, strategic, and deeply rooted in biblical principles.
The Power of Evangelism in Church Growth
One of the fundamental secrets to church growth, according to Dag Heward-Mills, is consistent and aggressive evangelism. He teaches that a church cannot grow unless new souls are being won regularly.
Through his Healing Jesus Campaign, millions of people have given their lives to Christ, and many have been integrated into churches. His strategy for evangelism involves:
- Street and door-to-door evangelism to reach people on a personal level.
- Crusades and open-air meetings to draw large crowds and introduce them to the Gospel.
- Personal soul-winning by church members, encouraging every believer to take responsibility for bringing others to Christ.
By making evangelism the foundation of ministry, churches can experience continuous numerical and spiritual growth.
The Importance of Loyalty and Stability in Leadership
One of the most common reasons churches fail to grow is division and leadership conflicts. Dag Heward-Mills emphasizes that loyalty and unity among leaders are critical for a church’s long-term success.
His book “Loyalty and Disloyalty” outlines the importance of:
- Raising leaders who are committed to the vision of the church.
- Identifying and dealing with disloyalty before it causes division.
- Creating a leadership culture where pastors and church workers remain faithful to their calling.
By focusing on loyalty and stability, churches can prevent unnecessary breakaways and internal conflicts that often hinder growth.
Church Planting as a Key to Expansion
Instead of trying to grow one massive church, Dag Heward-Mills believes in multiplication through church planting. His philosophy is that instead of gathering 10,000 people in one building, it is more effective to plant 100 churches with 100 members each.
This approach allows for:
- A wider spread of the Gospel in different regions.
- Easier management of congregations and stronger discipleship.
- More leadership opportunities for trained pastors and church workers.
His church-planting strategy has resulted in thousands of churches being established worldwide, proving that multiplication leads to lasting church growth.
Training and Discipleship: The Engine for Church Growth
Dag Heward-Mills teaches that church growth is not just about numbers—it is about developing strong, mature believers. Without proper discipleship, a large church can become spiritually weak and ineffective.
To address this, he has invested heavily in:
- Bible schools and training centers to develop pastors and church leaders.
- Structured teaching programs that guide new believers into spiritual maturity.
- Books and resources that provide biblical knowledge for members and ministers.
By ensuring that church members grow spiritually, churches can maintain long-term stability and effectiveness.
Conclusion
The church growth secrets of Dag Heward-Mills revolve around evangelism, loyalty, church planting, and leadership development. His strategies have proven that any church, regardless of size or location, can experience significant growth if biblical principles are applied consistently.
His ministry is a blueprint for pastors and church leaders who desire to see not just temporary growth, but sustained expansion that impacts generations.