The Black Church and Disciplemaking Movements
By Juan Price, Disciplemakers for Life (D4L), Navigators Church Ministries, Oklahoma City
juan.price@navigators.org
The Black Church has long played a vital role in shaping spiritual and societal progress. However, in the face of modern challenges such as declining church attendance, generational shifts, and societal pressures, the church must return to one of its core mandates: disciplemaking.
AFAM Network friends Rich Berry, Noel Owuor,and Juan Price enjoy time together at the 2023 National Staff Gathering.
Historically, the Black Church has thrived on the principles of discipleship. However, as churches grew in structure and institutionalism, the emphasis on relational discipleship often shifted to programmatic church models, where formal teaching replaced organic mentoring. Disciplemaking movements are essential to the longevity and effectiveness of the Black Church, because they foster spiritual growth, empower leadership, and sustain the church’s role as a transformative agent in the community.
A disciplemaking movement is a biblical approach to church growth and spiritual formation that prioritizes multiplication over mere addition. Disciplemaking movements restore the original mission of the church—to make disciples who make disciples. This focus moves the church beyond traditional Sunday services and into everyday life, where faith is lived out where people live, work, play, and worship.
Disciplemaking movements create an environment of accountability where believers grow through intentional relationships. Life-to-Life® and small-group discipleship fosters deeper spiritual maturity, encouraging believers to live according to biblical principles rather than cultural trends. In a world filled with distractions, political division, and moral challenges, discipleship strengthens believers to remain steadfast in their faith.
Therefore, it is essential for the Black Church to prioritize biblical disciplemaking over church programs that focus solely on attendance and events. The church cannot afford to be a spectator-driven institution. Churches need to create structured opportunities for intergenerational discipleship—older believers intentionally mentoring younger generations, passing down wisdom, faith, and leadership skills.
Black churches must also reignite their evangelistic efforts, equipping believers to share their faith in their communities, fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV).
By reclaiming its mission, the Black Church can continue to be a transformative force in the lives of individuals and communities for generations to come. Navigators Church Ministries is positioned to partner with and equip Black churches for greater influence in fulfilling 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (NKJV).
Please continue to pray with us for patient, passionate workers in the harvest, as well as more open doors to equip and ignite disciplemaking movements within the Black Church.