I guess it has a lot to do with what we mean by starting 'new churches'.
A new church would definitely be an assembly of born-again, baptized believers of at least 2 or 3 in agreement to carry out the Great Commission. But this question certainly implies that we are looking for a development of beginning absolutely new works in a given year in order that we may call them 'new churches'. So, let it be 'new churches'.
Now, lest we get sidetracked, this is about planting churches. If we (ABA) planted 100 new churches in a given year, it would probably be an historical event, because I don't believe it has ever happened. But it could easily happen if just 10% of ABA churches decided to take this seriously.
Here's how the churches of the ABA could start 100 New Churches:
1. Empower the President, VP's, Secretary Treasurer, to set church planting goals so that the churches of the ABA would be encouraged in a greater way to start new churches.
2. Elect a church planting committee for the sole purpose of evaluating, encouraging, researching, and recommending to the churches of the ABA how and where to effectively establish new churches in order to achieve increased church planting. (give them the means to do this if at all possible).
3. Encourage each local church to either plant a new church or assist in meaningful partnership with a church that is starting a new church in order to facilitate church planting.
4. Ensure that each new church start is indigenous as possible from the very beginning.
5. Establish internship programs in healthy local churches for the purpose of developing new church planters.
6. Enlist churches and church planters specifically for this purpose.
For a single church to start a new church here are some simple suggestions:
1. Tithe your membership (100 members? take 10 and start a new church. 50 members? tithe off 5 and start a small group. Don't let your size or age determine whether you will start a new church.) Let's start churches 'on purpose' instead of by the 'split' process.
2. Start a small group in a neighborhood where a church member lives for the specific purpose of starting a new church.
3. Coordinate several churches in a given locale and each tithe off its membership to start a new church. (churches that give up members will find that God replaces those given up.)
4. Release leaders in the church and send them out to start a small group which could become a church.
5. Raise up spiritual leaders from within the local church and don't wait for an 'ordained preacher' to begin the new church.
6. Start a new church by faith and don't wait for the resources to begin it. Rely on God.
Well, those are simple suggestions to what seems to be an overwhelming task for some. The solution lies within the desire of the heart. Is it in your heart to get involved? Would you like to be a part of the solution to starting new churches? Then let's begin.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
As understand it, this type of thing lies at the heart of how the ABA was formed. When the ABA broke from the SBC it was in large part do to the SBC's move toward missionary committees, and giving power to the president, etc. This is saddening to me, but we do like our divisions.
Michael,
I don't think that this is the same thing? I think that this is asking for leadership not dictatorship. Setting goals is not the same as making policy.
Just an historical fact.....I believe that the General Baptists which you now refer to as SBC had mission boards long before the ABA left them. It was not the boards that Bogard had a problem with but that the churches over time were no longer individually sponsoring missionaries.
A Research and Educational Committee for Missions is actually a great idea as long as the churches retain all sending authority. In effect that is what the standing missionary committee did when they did extensive research....(two years) on salaries of foreign missionaries. All their recommendations were turned down. What does the bible say in Proverbs about not listening to knowledge, instruction...espescially by men of God appointed for their mission knowledge and who studied for two years on the exact subject they were asked to by the ABA. That was a slap in the face to those men but they did it willingly with a servants heart!!!
Post a Comment