What defines an indigenous church?

• A. Indigenous churches are groups that follow Western church models in their local context.
• B. Indigenous churches are groups of believers who live out their life, including their socialized Christian activity, in patterns of the local society, and transformation comes from felt needs under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and Scripture.
• C. Indigenous churches reject any outside guidance.
• D. Indigenous churches rely on a fixed liturgy from another culture.

Answer: (B)

Indigenous churches are defined by living the Christian faith in the rhythms and patterns of the local culture, with life and social activity shaped to fit the community rather than imposed from outside. Transformation comes from addressing real, felt needs within that society, guided by the Holy Spirit and anchored in Scripture. This emphasizes autonomy, contextualized worship and practice, and growth that arises from within the people themselves.

Choosing an option that emphasizes Western church models or outside-imposed structures misses the essence of being indigenous, which is about local adaptation and leadership under Scripture and Spirit. Rejecting outside guidance or adhering to a fixed liturgy from another culture likewise contradicts the idea of contextual, Spirit-led transformation rooted in the local context.