Planting Ten Churches in the Next Five Years

The greatest way to impact the world is through healthy local indigenous churches. God has allowed us to be involved in sixteen church plants in our ministry. Recently we have initiated a model at East Africa School of Theology which is beginning to gain traction. Our students are beginning to take the church planting model with them to their districts and sections as they graduate.

The traditional model which I call the “Sink or Swim Model” of church planting sends a young pastor out with his wife and baby to plant a church. He is given little or no financial or ministerial support. He is told, “If it is God’s will for you to plant a church it will succeed. If it fails, we will know it was just your idea.” Many churches has been planted by this method, but many young ministers have also been overwhelmed as well. We believe there is a more excellent way.

The Supportive Team Model of church planting is being used with great success. The model encourages churches to cooperate with the new church plant through sending members and workers to assist the pastor for 6 months to a year and finances to help with start up facilities and equipment. The goal of these church plants is a minimum of 100 new members before the church planting stage is completed (1 week to 3 months). This allows the church to be self supporting almost immediately.

The model further encourages the newly planted church to be missional (on mission) from the beginning. Within the first two years the new church is encouraged to become involved in church planting. This becomes a reality through the Supportive Team Model as this new church can cooperate with other churches in the area in planting another church.

Our goal this year is to raise funds for ten strategic church plants in the next five years using this model. These ten will be in new areas where a section may not already exist. In partnership with the local and national church we will seek to train a pastor, purchase a plot, build a tabernacle and purchase equipment for the church plant. The cost of these strategic church plants is $18,000 each. Many of the churches we have presented the need to are expressing interest in bringing a team and finances to partner with us in these church plants.

Any one interested in getting more information concerning this or becoming involved with us in these church plants can contact us at jeff.nelson@agmd.org.