Vineyard movement

The Vineyard Movement, now properly represented by the Association of Vineyard Churches, is a Christian organization of over 1600 churches worldwide (approximately 600 in the U.S.). Due to its size it is often considered to be a Christian denomination, however church leaders and most laity do not typically consider it such. Rather it is considered an affiliation of like minded independent churches.

The Vineyard Movement has been seen as part of a Third Wave of the Holy Spirit relating it to the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. However, instead of the Charismatic label, Vineyard leaders and members have preferred the term Empowered Evangelicals -- a term coined by Rich Nathan and Ken Wilson in their book of the same name -- to reflect their roots in traditional Evangelicalism, as opposed to historic Pentecostalism.

Members also sometimes describe themselves as the "radical middle" between Evangelicals and Pentecostals, which is a reference to the book The Quest for the Radical Middle, a historical survey of the Vineyard by Bill Jackson.

John Wimber is often considered the leading founder of the movement, although the first Vineyard churches existed as an association of Calvary Chapel churches before his church in Yorba Linda joined the movement.

Resources

  • Bill Jackson, The Quest For the Radical Middle (Vineyard International Publishing, 1999). ISBN 0620243198.

    • An excellent and surprisingly balanced summary of the Vineyard including insider perspective.

  • Rich Nathan and Ken Wilson, Empowered Evangelicals, Vine Books (September

    1. ISBN 0892839295.
  • Kevin Springer and John Wimber, Riding the Third Wave: What Comes After Renewal? (Harper Collins Publ., 1987). ISBN 0551015489.
  • John Wimber, Power Healing, (Harper San Francisco; Reprint edition, 1991). ISBN 0060695412.

See also

External links