Stop Church Planting!

Now that I have your attention, let me explain!

We had a fellow missionary visit recently.  He and his wife are 30 year veterans of ministry in Africa both in Zambia and here in Botswana.

We had good fellowship and as he was leaving he said (referring to missionaries in general):

"We need to stop church planting and focus on making disciples"

To which we say a loud AMEN!

To clarify…...In the current era of missions this might almost seem like heresy.  But we have felt this way for a long time.  Since before we first left Australia to serve in Botswana, we had individuals and churches 'apologise' that they couldn't support us because they only partnered with those doing 'church planting'.

While sounding noble, this actually lacks biblical validity, and narrows the focus significantly.  The term or a command to 'plant churches' is not to be found in Scripture.

Jesus' command was not to "go and plant churches".

We have concerns. As noble as 'church planting' sounds, it isn't actually the Biblical 'Great Commission'.  Jesus did not tell his disciples to go and plant churches.  

He did however tell them to go and make disciples and he told them to make these disciples across all the world.  

Our focus is not be be about  'planting churches', but about making disciples who will by definition as Christ's disciples be Christ's body and thus Christ's church. As those in a common area who become disciples gather together, they then become the local 'church' in that place.  

The 'church' description is not the start of the process but part of the result of the process. In fact though we talk of 'planting' a church, what about the 'watering' of a church or helping in the 'growth' of a church?

We are to make disciples and keep making disciples, not in relation to numbers of churches planted but in relation to loving others so as to win souls that grow to maturity. The 'making' process is life-long and on-going.  

 ….and as an aside, we want to confirm that 'making disciples' does not equate to collecting 'converts'. A profession of faith or 'alter call' response is not the same as the ongoing growth of a disciple - one who turns to follow Christ and keeps following. Again bringing people to the point of faith in Christ is part of the discipleship process but is not the totality of 'making disciples'.

There are consequences of confusing 'church planting' with 'making disciples'.

Sadly, we see several concerning consequences of the view that 'church planting' is the only valid ministry in relation to missions:  

• in some quarters it has become 'less' to be anything other than a 'church planter' if you are a missionary. 
• missionaries who are not specifically 'church planting' are subltly made to feel like they are not as important or 'biblical' in their role by those in their home countries.  It's like an honourable position vs a shameful position.  One 'measures' up to the noble standard and the other does not.  
• Not only does it demean and dishonour God's work being done in whatever doesn't fit the 'church planting' definition, but it also rejects those who God calls to serve in ways that are not directly 'church planting'. 
• It excludes anything, outside a group's definition of 'church planting', as not valid obedience to Christ's commission. 
• It also communicates to the (sending) churches that those who would not be 'church planters' cannot be involved in reaching out to share the gospel and make disciples cross-culturally so should feel no obligation at all to even consider that Jesus' commission could relate to them in a cross-cultural way.
• the emphasis can become the establishing the organisational 'structure' of  a church rather than making healthy growing and maturing disciples
• the focus leans to 'measurable outcomes' (such as number of activities undertaken, increase in numbers of attendees or baptisms etc), rather than immeasurable inner heart transformation.
• the churches 'planted' are often immature in ongoing spiritual growth

Instead, from a biblical perspective, the 'how' one makes disciples can take on various forms depending on the context God has called you to live and work in, the skills He has given you, the people and culture around you, your age and your strengths/limitations physically, etc etc.  No-one is exempt from being part of Jesus' command to go into all the world and make disciples.

While aspects of what we might label as 'church planting' (such as preaching, pastoring and training), are not excluded from ways discipleship can be carried out, it is not the exclusive definition or expression of discipleship. 

While you may think I am overstating the issue, this is not an isolated observation.

 Jackson Wu on his blog, over at Patheos also mentions the issue.

He speaks about the ethics of missions and missionary strategy, and raises three categories to examine to see which one you fit.  We found ourselves very much in his third category and agreeing wholeheartedly with his concluding remarks on that category.  

What does this look like in a ministry context?

Missionaries with this perspective lay stress on discipleship and the church's character. They will be concerned with balance so as not to be one-dimensional and stunt the church's growth. As a result, they might not see rapid visible results but they will more likely see fruit that lasts. Their holistic approach accounts for what is needed for long term growth in the Christian life.

What drives them? The conviction that God is glorified in diverse ways. Professions of faith, planting churches, etc. are just one possible way God can get glory. Faithfulness, healthy families, and service to the needy glorify God as well.

They do not want to compromise by only glorifying God in a single, narrow aspect of ministry.

Lets not confuse a 'means' with the GOAL

God can be glorified in the varied means and steps of making disciples, as long as the means doesn't become the goal to the exclusion of all other means, and the goal is still to make disciples so as to present them mature in Christ.  

There are many churches on mission fields that are 'functioning' with all the 'normal' structure and activities that a westerner might expect, but are full of members who are not born again and do not understand the biblical meaning of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Then there are those who may be saved but are not being discipled to maturity. 

There are young Pastors being trained and then going back to rural churches but have no access to Christian bookshops, internet, conferences or fellowship with other godly pastors nearby or older godly mentors who can give ongoing discipleship. In a 'church planting' definition of the Great Commission, such a context is not considered worthy or eligible for a 'missionary' because the church is already planted and has a pastor….but in reality the Pastor himself still needs ongoing discipleship.  Yet the global church sees it as a 'ticked box', the church is 'planted'….but it remains stunted and the fruit may be more limited than it could be.

Let's ensure that we keep the goal, the biblical one.

We are not called, (whether serving in our own town, cross-culturally, overseas or across the street) to maintain methods and traditions and systems and terminology. 

Rather we are called to Honour the King of the Kingdom we have been re-born into by obeying His commission to all of us and each one of us - to go and make disciples anywhere and everywhere in the world that He calls and places us.