Missions and Church Planting - Is there a difference?

[foxrev]

Folks:

Having been the founding pastor of two churches and pastor of two smaller ministries - all in rural America, I have often seen the side of the
"Bi-vocational pastorate." Surely many of us know that it is not an easy task. Should there be more effort/promotion of Home Missions? Is there a difference between church planting here in the USA than foreign missions?

 

[Squire Robertsson]

For the most part on the fogeign field, a church planter's mission is to work himself out of a job. He gathers and trains locals to take over the work. This may or may not be the mission of a man here in the States.

 

[SaggyWoman]

I don't really think, bottom line, that there is a difference.

 

[foxrev]

Good points. Seeing foreign missions referred to as "Missions" and Pastors here in the US are often treated on a different level. Yet, many of us work full time to keep our heads above water for the blessing to minister to those around us.

I suppose that this same mindset more readily supports foreign missions over that of missions here at home.

I fully agree with you squire.

Should we then support our men here at home in home missions to establish more ministries here -and then in turn providing a larger base for foreign missions?

 

[exscentric]

Since we have churches on every corner in America and few to none in some countries the emphasis might be good in the "some countries" though the methodology is not much different except for cultural differences.

There are groups that allow for other than "bivocational" church planting, they work with support rather than working a job. Raising that support is a tad slow, but many are doing it that way and they can concentrate on ministry a little more.

Village missions, AMF, and some of the IFCA home mission groups plus others I would guess.

 

[foxrev]

Well, we do have a lot of churches in America. Good sound Baptist churches - hmmm. There are many areas in the US that are in great need of churches, some in populous areas, others in rural. We have a lot of work to do here.

Anyone know if the amount of young men entering the ministry is up or down?

 

[koreahog2005]

Hi all. I've been a church planter in South Korea for eight and a half years. I was a pastor in Kentucky for eight years. The International Mission Board of the SBC is now emphasizing house churches led by pastors who do not necessarily have any seminary training. The goal is to see Church Planting Movements (CPMs) where there is rapid reproduction of the mother church to at least the fourth generation. Theoretically, there can be rapid reproduction of such churches because no official church buildings are required and no seminary training is required. Thus, such churches can be started quickly and inexpensively. They work better in some cultures than in other cultures. The missionary serves as a "shadow pastor" who trains the national pastor. South Korea, of course, is famous for large cell group churches, such as the Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest church in the world. Cell groups meeting in homes are somewhat like house churches because both meet in homes and both have leaders who are unpaid and have not received seminary training, but in South Korea there are significant differences. House churches are autonomous; cell groups are not. Lay leaders in the cell groups are under the authority of the senior pastor of the church. Cell churches have a headquarters building where Sunday worship services are held, and the senior pastor is always a seminary graduate who gets a full-time salary from the church. The South Korean Christians consider bi-vocational ministry to be unacceptable. My understanding is that house churches work better in some parts of America than in other parts.

 

[Greg Linscott]

Regarding "home missions" and planting sound baptist churches, I have been pretty impressed with the work that Continental Baptist Missions out of Grand Rapids, Michigan is doing. They are doing a wonderful work helping start churches, while also encouraging other churches not necessarily being planted by "their" missionaries through their missionary builder teams. They even make pews!

Something to consider along this vein, too- at a conference I attended last week, we pastors were challenged to look at the "red-blue states" map- not from a political perspective, but as an indicator of where the mission field truly is in the USA. Christianity (and especially Fundamentalism) has by and large abandoned the cities, and continues to ignore the need there. Pretty convicting to this preacher.

 

[Plain Old Bill]

Well Koreans, Chinese,and churches from the African continent are now sending missionaries to America.It would be time we take the hint.
Look at the disgraceful state we have come to. It seems the more technologically sophisticated we become the more openly sinful we become as a nation.Our light as Christians in America is not shining as brightly as it once did.
Pray for America, Pray for lost souls.
While it is true that we have many church buildings in our country, some of those buildings are empty,and some are just dead. Many others are just so liberal nobody including the members or the clergy know what they beleive because they have given up the Bible as GFod's Holy Word.

 

[Link]

Koreahog,

I am glad to see the attention given to CPM's by the IMB and others. My book on house church planting makes a biblical case for these kinds of churches. It's still with an Indonesian publisher, but I have a draft copy I can email out to people who are interested in reading it.

The early church had pastors who were not seminary trained, met in homes, etc. It is good to see people realize that the Holy Spirit knew what He was doing when he had things set up that way. There were also multiple pastors (elders) in one church community, who had to actually live up to certain lifestyle requirements.

How is HC going in Korea?

 

[koreahog2005]

Link, house churches do not work well in South Korea, at least on the main peninsula. We will continue to try it on one particular island. A CPM did occur here between 1895 and 1910, but it involved official church buildings. A church at that time might start in a home, but there was a steady progression into an official building. There are a lot of official church buildings here now, sort of like the Southeast of the USA, so people wonder why they should attend a house church when there are so many traditional churches. (South Korea is about 19% Protestant.) As I said earlier, the South Koreans view house churches quite differently than they do cell groups. House churches are often suspected of being cults. Because this is a Confucian culture, a lot of emphasis is placed on educational credentials. All "real" churches are expected to have an official building and a seminary-trained pastor who receives a full-time salary from the church. David Garrison wrote the book on CPMs that we use in the IMB. It's called "Church Planting Movements: How God Is Redeeming a Lost World." Check out the web site for the book:
http://www.churchplantingmovements.com

 

[Flyah]

Originally posted by Greg Linscott:
Christianity (and especially Fundamentalism) has by and large abandoned the cities, and continues to ignore the need there. Pretty convicting to this preacher.

Great point Greg. Abandoned is a good word to use about the attitude of Fundamentalist Baptist Churches toward the inner-city. I'm looking for a location to take our church youth group this summer. One of our deacons had the same position as you. What could the answer be? It seems like young men go to Bible College and many times are called back to their 'stomping grounds' - as evidenced in your life. Is the problem that we're not getting enough young men from the inner city to go to Bible College and return to their mission field to plant churches, etc. If so, it seems like a vicious circle.

 

[Greg Linscott]

Could be, could be...

I have a couple of pastor friends, though, in "big city" settings- one in Boston, one in Santa Monica, CA. The going isn't easy. The friend in boston shared the struggle of finding a building once they go self-supporting. The congregation is leaning toward the suburbs because of land price and availability. My friend has said that if/when that happens, he will probably end up back in the same downtown location to plant a new work!

There is a need here in New England, too, though. 'Tisn't easy or glamorous work, but I'm certain its where God would have me be!

 

[Flyah]

For the record...

I wasn't saying that returning to a place where you lived earlier was a negative and I certainly wasn't saying that about you and your ministry in Maine. (sorry about that) My point was that some guys tend to return to what is familiar and maybe there aren't enough inner city guys to do that.

 

[Greg Linscott]

Didn't take it that way, brother. For what it's worth, I am finding that for many of my generation, coming back to Maine is the exception, not the rule.

 

[Pastor J]

Great point Greg about abandoning the cities. Here in CT, there is no Independent Baptist Church in the city of Hartford. There are a number around the city, but none within it's borders. I was recently told that there are approx. 400 Ind. Bapt. Churches in all of New England. Not one of the towns around us has a Baptist church. There is a tremendous need for churches to be started. Unfortunately, not only are we not succeeding in getting new churches going, we are losing good men to discouragement. New England truly is a mission field.

 

[dianetavegia]

Pastor J, we lived in Meriden from 1982 until 1995 and had to attend an American Baptist Church. Oh how we needed a good church!

 

[foxrev]

The Northern United States is in need of good churches. If you go north of I-80 and west of I-79 you have a "Basic" area within those highways of the great need for churches. Southeast PA is filled with them. Indeed we need good, solid, Bible-preaching Baptist churches in the US. This area is a Mission Field!

 

[rufus]

For years, the BMA focused on mission evangelism at home and abroad, but the last dozen years we have focused on Church Planting.

Missions = winning the lost.

Church Planting = winning the lost and discipling the saved.

Rufus

 

[preacherchris]

some of the cities and towns in the us have no churches not even a bad one. in many of these towns if one is to start a church he would have to do it on a missionary basis because there are no local industries. unfornately many southren psators assume that jobs are available and will not lead their church to support a home missionary.