Are Missouri Baptists planting or transplanting churches?

The leadership of a large, suburban church in a major Missouri city has decided to plant a new church. Their plans include asking a group of their own members to consider joining one of their pastors, and with their blessing will leave to start a new church on the other side of town. No church member has moved anything but their memberships.

Everyone is happy and believes that they are participating in church planting, or are they? This story is all too common. As indicated in “State of Church Planting USA” (a recent 2007 Leadership Network/LifeWay Research study), there is an increased desire among Christians to participate in church planting, which is a good thing! But, are they really ‘church planting’ or is it nothing more than a glorified church split? I’m afraid the latter is true.

There are two ways churches reproduce: 1) Planting (generation) and 2) Transplanting (division). In Biblical church planting, the Gospel “seed” (Mark 4:31) is planted in the hearts of indigenousness people, who could be across town or around the world, through the work of Gospel planters/evangelists/missionaries (1 Cor. 3:6). After the Holy Spirit calls and regenerates new believers, the individuals are organized into local, unique, autonomous assemblies (i.e. churches) that will continue the work of the Gospel. Evangelism and regeneration of the lost are essential requirements.

However, church transplanting is much different. In transplanting, the larger body of believers sections off a group, usually volunteers, who will leave and begin a new church. These new churches can begin without a single soul saved. Evangelism and regeneration of the lost need not occur. In all honesty, this is a church split, not caused out of anger, but a split all the same.

Then why are so many attracted to this strategy? Because church planting according to the biblical model, like the one employed by our International Mission Board and North American Mission Board, involves ground-level evangelism, long-term discipleship, and in short, is hard work. Alternatively, transplanting is easier and quicker because it takes a group of already regenerate believers who know how a church is to operate and sends them down the road to start a new church.

Jesus did not tell us to divide but to multiply (Matt. 28:19-20). The Apostle Paul said, “And thus I aspired to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, “They who had no news of him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand,” Rom. 15:20-21 (NASB). Church planting is the effect of evangelism and missions, not the affect. Jesus told us to make disciples, not start churches, but churches will naturally be started when people come to Christ around the world. If we will focus our efforts into church planting through evangelism, missions, and discipleship and not on transplanting members, we as Christians and a convention will not only see new churches start, but more importantly, we will also see an increased number of salvations and baptisms. (Jensen Petersen is pastor, Forest Grove Baptist Church, Pleasant Hill, and a trustee, Hannibal-LaGrange College, Hannibal.)