The ass of Antioch .. thoughts on church planting

The ass of Antioch

Let me tell you about the day I made an ass of myself.

Things were going well in our church at Antioch. The Jerusalem persecution that claimed Stephen’s life had proved a blessing as the scattering evangelists came to Antioch and the church began. A barrier was crossed when the gospel was intentionally preached to Gentiles like myself. As for leaders, Barnabas came from Jerusalem and stayed. What a gentle, encouraging and godly pastor he proved to be. It was no surprise that the church grew and grew. We soon needed a larger meeting place, more chairs, more food and more leaders to help teach and pastor the converts.  So Barnabas went off and recruited Saul from Tarsus. Some of us were a bit worried, given his reputation, but Barnabas reassured us. He was right. Paul had one sharp mind, honed by his rabbinical training but now employed in Jesus’ service. His grasp of the Scriptures was second to none and he was skilled in explaining the faith to believers, evangelising the lost and in defending the gospel against its critics. Some of us who had worked hard in the early days now looked forward to a time of stepping back and taking church life a little easier. Church was good.

Then came the announcement. One Sunday the chairman stepped up with a serious look about him. God had convicted the leaders that Paul and Barnabas should be sent to preach the gospel and plant new churches elsewhere. I was floored by this and was one of the first to stand and protest. “No good can come from this. We can’t afford to give key people away. The work here is at a turning point and will be set back if they go. And besides, what chance is there that the new work will flourish – those pagans out there are as tough as nails, won’t listen and will probably treat our guys like Stephen. Mark my words – this is a dumb move and will fail within the year.” There were a few murmurs of agreement to my words, but the leaders prevailed.

That all happened about ten years ago. At first we didn’t hear much from the mission team. Then the reports started to come in. Indeed there was opposition and some persecution. But there were also converts and new churches started to pop up, survive, grow and plant yet further churches around them. To top it off, there is even at church at Rome! And as I write now I see what an ass I was. Not only are there all these new converts and churches, but we flourished back in Antioch. Numbers are bigger than before and new leaders have stepped up. I was wrong.

Let’s leave the ass of Antioch to his large slice of humble pie and think about church planting.

Church planting is all the go in my circles and is seen as a key way to make disciples for Christ. I belong to a church that was planted with about 30 people a little over 20 years ago and which has now morphed into four congregations with several hundred members. Within my network there are two church plants starting in the next two months, another planned for this September and yet others in recent years. I’m on the interim leadership team for one of these new plants and it’s exciting to see a 2014 dream turn into a 2017 church.

Church planting means gathering people and money. It’s a lot of money! Funds are needed to employ and house a pastor, rent a meeting space and have money for ministry expenses. What about the people? It’s good people! A church plant typically starts with a team of about 30, but these are not slack pew sitters. They need to be people of Christian maturity, good ministry skills, energetic and very committed. It’s the best people who make the best plant teams.

Where do the people and money come from? The money usually comes from a mix of the plant team, church-planting agencies, denominational bodies and partner churches. What of the people? Well, they come from churches like Antioch, where they are already active, useful and integrated to the life of the church. Their departure leaves a hole.

In recent years I have twice been left behind at my Antioch. It’s with mixed feelings that I heard of the looming church plants. I watched with personal sadness as key leaders and friends joined the launch team and left. I noticed the empty seats and heard how finances were a little tighter.

I also notice something else. New leaders step up at our Antioch. The empty seats fill and new ones need to be added. The church that gives is a church that grows.