One of the premier missiologists of the twentieth century, a man of verve and vision, and father of the Church Movement, Donald A. McGavran has worked tirelessly for decade to advance the church's world wide mission. McGavran's Understanding Church Growth, first published in 1970 and revised in 1980, has become a missionary classic: no other book has so penetrating analyzed the mechanisms of the spread of the gospel. McGavran skillfully combines theological convictions, empirical research, sociological principles, and spiritual insight to mold a paradigm for effective evangelism strategy both at home and abroad.