Unite Without Uniformity: Networked Church Growth via Group Tensions

The BoL Global Apostolic Network (BGAN) proposes an intriguing case to investigate how intra-group differences can be managed and negotiated when seeking networked church growth. Studying a transnational Evangelical network originated in Taiwan, the thesis asks, “How are intergroup tensions managed in pursuit of network expansion?”. Theoretically, the paper answers why group unity can be formed despite significant group diversities. Existing literature considers church growth as the result for competing for market niches within religious markets, whereas little literature investigates how interactions shape networked church expansion despite increasing network religious movements being formed. The unique transnational Evangelical network thus provides insights into the networked church expansion mechanisms. First, the intra-group tensions are managed by allowing BGAN branches to seek structural and cultural independence, developing the effective strategies to pursue church expansion in their respective contexts. Moreover, differences between subsystems catalyze the maintaining of network relationships because the hidden conflicting comparisons bond branches to the shared Mission. Applying an interactional aspect, I argue that the intergroup tensions mobilize BGAN expansion and sustain the relationships between branches. Aside from a rational choice assumption of illustrating church growth mechanisms, the paper contributes to the literature by showing that group tensions within network interactions enable the network expansion with a sustained relationship.