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The Great Commission Association (GCA) is an international movement of evangelical Christian churches, begun in the early 1970s at Southern Colorado University. By 1973, leaders from the local college church had moved to other cities home to large public universities, resulting in 15 loosely affiliated churches. Further relocation of church leaders, combined with students graduating from colleges near a GCA church, resulted in a rapid spread of churches that continues today. Currently, approximately 180 churches are affiliated with the GCA. Most are in the United States. Others are in Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
The movement shares a number of common goals and values. Principally, the mission of fulfilling Jesus' Great Commission, to, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20, New International Version). One practice of the local church is to give a tenth of its budget to the association, primarily to support missionary and church-planting work.
Otherwise, local churches are autonomous and led by locally ordained pastors, supported in ministry by locally nominated deacons. The GCA places great emphasis on local leadership development, and encourages maturing men to consider missional church-planting. Though autonomous, local churches are accountable to the Great Commission Association of Churches (GCAC) for doctrine, ministry and ethics.
GCAC publishes the periodical "Daylights" for use by its members, and other doctrinal papers written principally by pastors within the movement. Faithwalkers, held in Missouri each December, is attended by members throughout the country. Regional conferences and special events are also regularly scheduled.
The GCA is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Additional information is available at .
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