| · | Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to assess the growth, dynamics and impact of the Target 2000 & Beyond saturation church planting movement on the nation of Zimbabwe and to suggest an integrated Target 2010 national strategy to facilitate the ongoing discipling of the whole nation.
The paper contains four major sections. The first section highlights church planting movements in the global expansion of Christianity and traces the emergence of saturation church planting strategy in modern missiological thought and praxis. It explores a theological framework for church planting and examines New Testament perspectives and practices.
The second section provides an overview of the history, demography and critical issues facing the nation of Zimbabwe. Within this context, the study traces the development of the Target 2000 & Beyond Movement as a catalyst for saturation church planting and discusses key components of the strategy.
The third section evaluates whether the Target 2000 goal of ten thousand new churches was achieved in the years from 1992 to 2000. It attempts to assess the impact of saturation church planting upon society and sheds light on the reach of the movement beyond the borders of Zimbabwe. The contours of the movement are examined in search of insights relating to the dynamics of church planting movements, indigenization issues, partnership considerations, leadership multiplication and healthy church growth.
The fourth section analyzes the movement in light of change dynamics and suggests an action plan for revitalization. It proposes a multi‐faceted strategy through which a renewed Target 2010 movement could effectively influence the transformation of the nation and contribute to the global mission of the Zimbabwean Church.
It has been my privilege to be integrally involved in this national movement since 1989 as the field director of OC International’s Southern Africa Regional Team. My goal is to reflectively distill lessons from Target 2000 & Beyond that will prove beneficial, not only to the ongoing process of discipling Zimbabwe, but to emerging saturation church planting movements in Africa and around the world.
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