How To Church Plant

Been there done that, EWF. The church planting part even though I've probably thrown my share of rocks over the years. I pastored in a mainline denomination for 13 years and spent a year as an intentional interim with another. We were almost 300 miles away when folks from one of my former churches called asking about planting a new church. My first response was a selfish one - No Way! The nice thing about mainlines is the comfort zone of decent salaries, pensions, medical insurance and housing. Part of my thought process was if I was to walk away from the comfortable trappings this better be God's leading. We started our church plant on our knees.

The core agreed to meet as a group weekly to pray seeking the Lord's direction and all of us made it a matter of priority in our private prayer time. We did this for 6 months without any direct conversation about the logistics of church planting. I had two questions to reconcile in my own mind: First, was the desire to return to the old vineyard driven by being homesick? I spent 10 years with these folks and we had been through everything 10 years of parish life could dish out. The interim position was a difficult situation and there wasn't a whole lot of love going on but that will keep for another day. I know this isn't the case in the rolling New Jersey hills but it was an important part of our situation here.

The second question was to ask if there really was no other Bible-believing, Bible teaching church in the area. There are few big towns in this area but many small communities (500-800 in population) scattered over a large area. It seems as if every place two roads crossed there was a church (usually Methodist) that had 10-12 people unless they were having a church supper or bake sale when the folks would come out of the woodwork. These churches were busy with being busy but from what I could tell short on making disciples.

So that was our first step, EWF. Whose voice are we hearing? Is it ours or is it God? Anyone can go through the logistics of planting a church but without clear direction from above you'll just be starting another organization.

We don't have a "mother church" to support us and no place of our own to meet. What we do have is a like-minded spirit to love one another as God first loved us, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness and to be in mission to the world even if it is but a very small part.

CAUTION: ROCK THROWING PART: Jersey? You're from Jersey? :wavey:

Okay, I'm done.

 

I beleive the authority to administer the affairs of God's kingdom on earth has been given to the local assembly (Mt. 18:17-18). In the book of Acts when Philip went to Samaria and scattered preachers went through Antioch, their evanglical activities were followed up by the congregation where in their membership resided (Acts 8:14; 11:19-20).

In Acts 13:1-3 the Holy Spirit acted through the local congregation in sending out (apostolizing) church planters. At the end of each missionary trip these men returned and gave an account to the congregation that had sent them (Acts 14; 18:22).

I do not believe that any individual Christian has God given authority to plant churches any more than they have to ordain themselves or baptize themselves. The congregation holds the "keys" of the kingdom not any individual. There must be accountability that can be reinforced by discipline if necessary and withdrawal of ordinantion if necessary.

In the Great Commission, Jesus did not authorize just anyone to "go" but only those who formerly had already been discipled in the same gospel, same baptism and same faith and practice and were PRESENTLY members of such a congregation made up of such disciples. Authority to do mission work resides in the congregation rather than in any individual member and never in unchurched persons.

Accountability to the New Testament congregation is necessary as no single man is an island.

 

Are you saying that only established congregations can plant new churches? Are you saying accountability can only happen in a new congregation as long as there is oversight by an established one?

I believe the situation in EWF's case is similar to ours. There was no local church in the area. There were a lot of folks playing church but no Bible-believing - teaching - practicing churches in the area. The RCs were doing what the RCs do, the Methodist were running church dinners and rummage sales on a weekly basis and the only Baptist church in a 40 mile radius was a family chapel where all were welcome as long as you were related or married into the 'founding family".

 

Was there any local congregation near Philippi when Paul established a congregation there? His sending church was at Antioch. I am saying that only missionaries out of established congregations are authorized to constitute new congregations. The Great Commission is not given to individual Christians, or unbaptized Christians or untaught Chrisitans or unchurched Christians. It is given to the congregation who select, ordains and send out church authorized representatives to establish congregations. Apollos found this out when he met Aquilla and Priscilla in Acts 18. He submitted to the congregation there and then left with a letter of commendation when he decided to go to the congregation at Corinth. He did not operate as a free lancer outside the congregations of God from that point forward. Free lancers have no accountability and are the cause of denominationalism, confusion, and division.

 

I agree with The Biblicist. My advice would be to find a church that you can attend even if it is a 2-3 hour drive each Sunday. Surely you can find a church somewhere in that range? Attend the church, serve in the church, speak with Godly men at the church. You are young in the faith and need training and discipleship. If you truly feel called to start a church in your area, the training and discipleship you receive at another local church is going to be invaluable.

 

No, Baptists did not originate that way. If you are speaking of the John Smyth episode there are conflicting stories. The earliest English Baptist Historian (Crosby) and all succeeding English Baptist Historians up to the late 1800's denied that the incident with Symth was the practice or affected other Baptist congregations.

 

Both pieces of advice need to be taken together. I am all for church planting, I just think you need more discipleship before you are ready to plant a church all by yourself. Now, if you have someone that is mature in the faith that is willing to plant the church with you, then you can disregard the advice I gave today .

 

Is this where we scratch autonomy from our distinctives? I am accountable to the leadership (elders) of the local church. As a local congregation, we are accountable to our Head.

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
Colossians 1:18 NAS77

We don't answer to another local congregation.

 

HP: I would like to see a Biblicist establish a notion from the book such a one is bound to. Show us in the Scriptures where the great commission was only given to congregations.

 

The "keys" of the kingdom are placed with the congregation as far as their administration - Mt. 18:17-18. "tell it to the church" is not "tell it to two or three members" (Mt. 18:16) or "tell it to the elders."

Second, it is plural "keys" as there are more than one area of administrative authority under consideration. If you want to know what those areas of administrative authority are just look at their use from the previous administrator from which they were taken and given to the congregation (Mt. 21:42; Mt. 23; Jn.9; Lk. 12; etc.). The Great Commission is one of those administrative areas of the keys.

 

Biblicist, which 'church' in particular might that be? When they were commanded to 'tell it to the church,' or 'tell it to the elders' to which specific 'church' did they belong, and who precisely was to be excluded?

 

HP: Now for the sad reality in the church world in which we live: With the proliferation of translations available, many with multitudes of clear changes and omissions, one never knows for certain if it is going to be the unadulterated Word of God, or the mere results of theological gerrymandering of the text. God help us.

 

Salty, you gave an excellent illustration for us to consider. :thumbsup:

 

The Great Commission is a matter of being sent! God sends preachers does he not (Rom. 10:14-15)?

Concerning your illustration. You have a mixture of people from various denominations divided over everything imaginable. In regard to the gospel some by beleive justification inclusive of works and others without works. In regard to baptism, some may be immersed, others sprinked and still others poured. They could no more be scripturally constituted into a Church as could the membes of a Masonic Lodge. However, even Masonic Lodges will not recognize any other Masonic Lodge that self-organized itself.

These mixed up variety of divisive professing Christians have no more authority to self-constitute as they would to self-baptize or self ordain.

The Great Commission was given to the body of disciples that habitually assembled with Christ as their "head" authorized leader from the baptism of John to his ascension (Acts 1:21-22).

The Great Commission was given to those who already "have" been taught to observe all things Christ commanded sharing a COMMON GOSPEL and a COMMON BAPTISM with a COMMON FAITH AND PRACTICE. It was not given to those identified as "them" in Matthew 28:19-20 or to those identied as "all nations" in Matthew 28:19 but rather to those identified as "ye" formerly identifed as "disciples" as only disciples can disciple others.

You are not Christ's disciple if you embrace ANOTHER GOSPEL than Christ preached (Jn. 3:16).

You are not Christ's disciple of you submit to ANOTHER BAPTISM than Christ administered (Jn. 4:1-2; Luk 7:29-30).

You are not Christ's disciple if you teach and observe ANOTHER FAITH AND ORDER than Christ commanded (1 Tim. 4:1).

A "disciple" is one who observes and believes what the Master teaches it is not one who is INVATIVE and goes making disciples by ANOTHER gospel, ANOTHER baptism and ANOTHER faith and order. Such an invoter is called a heretic not a disciple.