WHO CAN START A CHURCH?

There are various ideas about who has the authority and responsibility to start New Testament churches. What does the Bible teach with regard to who can plant churches?

• Church planting is implied in the Great Commission. Everything mentioned in Matthew 28:19-20, including discipleship, teaching, baptism, and evangelism, are all responsibilities of the New Testament church. No churches were established at the time of the Lord's giving of the Great Commission, so churches had to be planted to carry out these responsibilities.

• God plants and builds his church. Jesus made it clear that he would build his church in Matthew 16:18. He, through his Spirit, plants churches. All church planting is a result of the missional heart of God. God does not need man, but has chosen to involve him in this significant work. His work is accomplished by his Spirit through God called Christians and the Lord's church.

• Churches plant churches. Ed Stetzer, in his book Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age, states that it is not a requirement that new churches be planted by existing churches, (Stetzer 2003, 75). This method is probably the preferred method, but it is not the only method. Dr. Daniel Sanchez, in his book Starting Reproducing Congregations, says there is no evidence that the Jerusalem church in the first century took action as a sponsoring church to send planters to start a mission or a daughter congregation, (Sanchez 2001, 33-34). Churches should be deliberate about starting new congregations as a method of church growth.

• Agencies, Denominations, and Associations plant churches. The Bible shows no opposition to individuals or churches collectively organizing to fulfill the Great Commission and to start new congregations. The International Mission Board is a good example of an agency of the Southern Baptist Convention starting churches. IMB missionaries abroad start churches on a daily basis, and many of these have no specific sponsoring or partnering churches. God-called missionaries from Agencies, Denominations, and Associations start churches.

• Individuals and Teams start churches. Phillip went to Samaria, and there is no evidence of anyone but the Holy Spirit sending him. He started a church with no help from a partner church. It is frequently noted in the New Testament that teams worked together to plant churches. This was an approach implemented by Paul, and yes, he was commissioned as a missionary by the church at Antioch, but this church was not a sponsoring church which deliberately planted daughter congregations as a missions strategy.

Who can start a church? God uses churches, associations, individuals, agencies, and teams to start churches. He can use you to help plant a church.

Submitted by Gary D. Fulton, Church Planter Strategist on the Missions Ministries Team of the ABSC.