This is an idea whose time has come. It is easy, simple, saves money, and I think it seeds the mission of God in N America for generations to come: STOP FUNDING TRADITIONAL CHURCH PLANTS and instead fund missionaries to inhabit contexts all across the new mission fields of N America.
Traditionally denominations have funded church plants. They do this by providing a.) a full time salary plus benefits for three years, and b.) start-up funds for equipment, building rental etc. to a well-assessed church planter (read entrepreneur). The goal is a self-sustaining church in three years paying its own pastor’s salary and assorted sundry costs of running the church’s services. The costs are astounding, perhaps 300-400,000 dollars or more to get a church plant going.
Today, in the changing environments of N American post Christendom, this approach to church planting is insane. For it not only assumes an already Christianized population to draw on , it puts enormous pressure on the church planter to secure already well-heeled Christians as bodies for the seats on Sunday morning. This in itself undercuts the engagement of the hurting, lost peoples God is bringing to Himself in Christ.
Other than the Roman church, this story is commenting on what seems to be reality. Which mainline denomination has the funds to do many traditional satellite churches or plants? Certainly not TEC. Most bishops in TEC would appear to view church plants as “problems we don’t need to be creating”. Look at Anglican 1000 in ACNA. Those are the missional plants the author is talking about. It’s reality, it is happening NOW!
As a prospective missional church planter, I can guarantee no one is assuring me of anything, particularly salary for 3 years.
Funny to think about how it was done in Acts. Paul funded himself, sent money back to Jerusalem, fought interference and risked his life when he went back for a visit. The missional church succeeded beyond the wildest expectations, and the mother church faded.
And it’s succeeding now! Anglican 1000 is proof of that.
It is amusing to read this guy lecturing the church on what will and won’t work, when hundreds of new Anglican congregations KNOW what they are talking about!