The Shepherding movement (sometimes called the discipleship movement) was an influential and controversial movement within some British, Australian and American charismatic churches. The movement was also called the Christian Growth movement. It was set up by Christian leaders as a discipleship network. It was pioneered by five teachers: Charles Simpson, Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Don Basham, and Ern Baxter, based in Christian Growth Ministries, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

These leaders aimed to provide meaning and order through house churches and cell groups to address what they considered the lack of spiritual maturity of the Charismatic believers in the 1970s and early 1980s. The doctrine of the movement emphasized the "one another" passages of the New Testament, and the mentoring relationship described in the Second Epistle to Timothy. The leaders decided to mutually submit to one another and to hold each other accountable, and it was through the magazine New Wine that the teachings of the Shepherding Movement were emphasised and promoted: authority, submission, discipleship, commitment in covenant relationships, loyalty, pastoral care, and spiritual covering. Some feel that the motivation for launching the group was with the right intent, but that the Shepherding Movement quickly deteriorated into a cult-like environment in which people misused the teaching—intended to encourage maturity—into what was considered witchcraft by some. People could not make personal life decisions, including marriage, house moves, and career choices, without their shepherd’s permission.

What began as a Charismatic Bible study that met weekly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the "Fort Lauderdale Five" (Don Basham, Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Charles Simpson and Ern Baxter) evolved into The Holy Spirit Teaching Mission. This interdenominational group was incorporated in 1966 and expanded its scope with teaching conferences in Florida, later sponsoring conferences in other states. In 1969, it launched a magazine, New Wine, and, in 1972, changed its name to Christian Growth Ministries (CGM).

The Shepherding movement arose out of a concern for the weak commitment, shallow sense of community, and the general worldliness characteristic of many American churches. To solve these perceived issues, members in the house church were taught to have life-decisions “covered” by the house-group leader, elder, or pastor. Such decisions included where to live and work, whom to marry, or whether to see a doctor when someone was ill.

At the zenith of the movement, "They had a national network of followers who formed pyramids of sheep and shepherds. Down through the pyramid went the orders, it was alleged, while up the same pyramid went the tithes." The relationships that were formed became known theologically as "covenant relationships." A network of cell groups were formed. Members had to be submitted to a "shepherd", who in turn was submitted to the Five or their subordinates. "... large numbers of charismatic pastors began to be shepherded by the CGM leaders, a development that went uncharted but not unnoticed. It was uncharted because these relationships were personal and not institutional, so there were never any published lists of pastors and congregations being shepherded by CGM leaders ...."

Other movements influenced by the Shepherding doctrine were the Shiloh houses scattered across the U.S. (some of them transitioned into Calvary Chapels when they abandoned the shepherding movement ideas), International Churches of Christ, Maranatha Campus Ministries, the Jesus People USA (in or around 1991 were adopted by the Evangelical Covenant Church), and Great Commission International (today known as Great Commission Ministries/Great Commission Association of Churches).

The Shepherding movement became controversial:

Figures within the charismatic movement (such as Pat Robertson) denounced the Shepherding movement: