Beyond Denominations : The Networked Church 

The Author

John Edmiston is a bible-teacher and careers counsellor who lives in Townsville Australia. He is a member of a local church (Calvary AOG) and is involved in numerous inter-denominational ministries to do with youth and/or missions. For 2 years he was a missionary in Papua New Guinea with APCM and has worked with both Scripture Union and AFES. He now lectures at both Rhema Bible College and the North Queensland College of Ministries and supports himself by working as a careers consultant with his own business Townsville Career Guidance Service.  

His e-mail address is: johnedmiston@jed.org.au You can write to him at:

The Purpose And Intent Of This Book 

The aim of this book is to outline a way of moving from divisive and competing hierarchical denominational structures to local area networks of churches assisted by specialist ministries. I see denominationalism as an inferior way of being Christian and a very inefficient way of doing ministry. As I move around the Christian world I observe two things: (a) Christians are less and less loyal to their denominational structures with only a minority seeing them as important in the ordering of their walk with God. (b) Many of the functions of denominations such as evangelism, schools, hospitals, theological education, ministries of mercy, and missions are being done equally well or better by inter-denominational organisations and Christian networks of local churches. I am proposing that we replace denominations with local area networks of churches (for worship, the sacraments, teaching etc) and task focused Christian organisations for education, missions, evangelism, medical ministry etc. I want to see a glorious, free, loving Church where Christians move in a unity of the Spirit and a multitude of diverse ways of being Christian accomplishing the works that God has called them to do in the world.  

I believe that such a change is both needed, reasonable and possible. I think it can be done sensibly and lovingly without any great waving of banners or the changing of a single Christian doctrine of any significance (except those relating to church structure obviously). In this second edition I have included some material on 2 Corinthians and the networks evident in this epistle and especially the emergence of apostles to govern such networks. I differ from C.Peter Wagner in that I prefer networks to be city-wide first of all before they become international. My fear is that a single city - such as Townsville where I live, may end up with a dozen different competing apostolic networks having churches in it and then we will be back to disunity and little advanced from denominationalism. I have also included a page on an "ideal network" called the Franciscan Apostolic network and some bible studies on the concepts in the first six chapters. I hope that these will all work together to stimulate your thinking about how to move "Beyond Denominations". 

Your brother in Christ, 
 
 

John Edmiston

johnedmiston@jed.org.au