8 observations on 25 years of church planting

After plowing through mounds of data gathered from the regional conferences and the general church office in Grantham, Bishop Ken Letner has compiled a comprehensive record of 25 years of church planting by the Brethren in Christ Church. In the process, he made a few observations about what’s worked and what hasn’t as we’ve sought to extend the gospel message through new church starts, including:

1. Developing a launch strategy aimed at producing a healthy “birth weight” is crucial to the longevity and eventual ministry success of a start-up church. A core group of at least 40 committed individuals is the minimum with which to start. Sixty to 100 is even better.

2. Churches planting churches seems to fit best with the BIC culture. We have experienced success with stand-alone church plants, but mother-daughter combinations work even better.

3. Although there may be those catalytic church planters who are successful moving from one church plant situation every 3 to 5 years, our experience has not given witness to this working well. (See observation 4)

4. It is tough to keep a church going and growing upon the departure of the founding pastor. Loyalty to the founder is a critical ingredient in building commitment in a new church setting. However, loyalty, especially when it edges over into dependence, sometimes leads to a breakdown in congregational life when the founding pastor leaves.

5. Diminishing support over 3 to 5 years from outside sources seems to work best in identifying viable church starts. If a newly planted church can’t establish itself financially within this period of time, it probably won’t continue for the long term.

6. Churches started without subsidies don’t necessarily fail. Financial support doesn’t guarantee health and life. It is no guarantee that the more money invested in a church plant assures its chances for viability.

7. Church plants that start giving to Cooperative Ministries at a 10 percent rate right from the beginning usually continue on at that rate – or higher. Churches not giving back to CM in their beginning years find it difficult to begin doing so later.

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