Individuals Plant Churches
When Philip went to Samaria (Acts 8:1–40), there is no indication that he was sent by anyone other than the Holy Spirit. As he won converts, the apostles sent Peter and John there, but Philip had already been baptizing converts and planting the new church.
Although an individual planting a church is the most common method today, it is the least common in the New Testament. This does not imply that it did not happen. Early church history reflects that several of the apostles set out in different directions to plant churches. This should remind us of the importance of bringing a team to plant—or developing one soon upon arrival.
Agencies and Denominations Help Plant Churches
Many people feel strongly that agencies and denominations should not plant churches. In one sense, they want to be careful about agency or denominational support for a new church. In my faith tradition, we believe in the autonomy of the local church, and we are very skeptical of outside ecclesiastical control. In most cases, however, agency/denominational church starting is not about control; it is about start-up.
[The Bible does not speak against] the idea of people collectively gathering and sending out people to do the work of the gospel. Paul was not supported solely by the Jerusalem church, from which he went out of on his missionary journeys. Paul traveled and was supported by many different people and churches (ex., Philippians 4:16) that he might do the work that God had for him, and even had to support himself at times (Acts 18:3). Christians gathering resources and sending out workers into the harvest is what God has called His people to do, and while local church government seems to be restrictive, the work of the Gospel is not. God has worked in many different ways throughout history, and to place restrictions on God concerning this matter could cause many to miss out on the blessing of planting a new church.5
Churches Plant Churches
Although there is no requirement for “churches planting churches” in the New Testament, this method remains the preferred one today. In the New Testament, churches did commission people to plant churches, and some of their people did move from community to community in the process. But we cannot say that this is the only method of church planting described in the New Testament. “The real agent in the planting of the [church in] Antioch was the Holy Spirit. We see no evidence that the Jerusalem church as the ‘mother church’ or ‘sponsoring church’ took official action to send church planters to start a ‘mission’ or ‘daughter congregation’ at Antioch.”6
But churches can and do plant churches. The best church planting occurs when a sponsor/mother church is actively involved in the planting of new churches. This has historically been called church extension—where a mother church “extends” itself into another location. Today, we prefer to call that church multiplication.
Mother churches tend to be involved at different levels. When new churches have a mother church sending out core members to help start the new church, it is obviously very involved. When it sends new members, the difference can be seen in the chart below. Each year the attendance of a new church with an involved mother church is higher than those without the participation of a sponsoring/mother church.7
Beyond the attendance numbers, church planters can be encouraged and nurtured in the environment of a new church. On countless occasions, I have sat with church planters who were discouraged because they did not have the support and encouragement of a sponsor or mother church. On the other hand, I have visited with many church planters who had the support of a mother church—and they have shared a sense of enthusiasm and excitement. Having a supportive sponsor or mother church makes a big difference, and it is the best way to plant a daughter church.
So Who Can Plant?
Ultimately, God calls church planters and blesses new churches. God can use teams, individuals, agencies, and other churches. But without the Holy Spirit’s work we are not planting churches; we are starting religious clubs. Women and Men can plant a church. (Joel 2:28
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:)
The ability to plant is not based on gender as some confused bible scholars might suggest, God calls church planters!
Ephesians 4:10-12 (King James Version)
10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:)
The critical ingredient to church planting is the anointing and calling of God ! Yet, the right question for us should not be “what human means did God use to plant this church?” Instead, like Barnabas, we should look for the presence of the Holy Spirit and rejoice over “the evidence of the grace of God.”
An adapted excerpt from Ed Stetzer, Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age, Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2003.
Additional commentary by Evangelist Melody L. Baker
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