Megachurches in Asia and the Dissenting Movement

This study examines whether Asian megachurches hold any theological and conceptual dissenting elements, historically shaped in Europe. The Yoido Full Gospel Church is used as a case study due to its mega size and the deep impact of its experience of church growth on wider global Christianity. Placing the life of the church and its founder David Yonggi Cho in their social context of Korea, the study identifies key motivations for the theological and practical processes and the outcome of church growth. Based on this assessment, it then probes whether the megachurch movement in Asia expresses any social and theological aspect of the dissenting movement. Even if there is no direct historical connection, there are important theological and social motivations that are found both in the megachurch movement and the dissenting traditions.