Rev. Dr. Dennis R. Edwards, revdrdre@yahoo.com
Pastor, Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC
Dennis Edwards is the pastor of Franconia Conference “Partner In Mission” Peace Fellowship. He is an experienced church planter and has served with congregations in New York City and Washington, DC. He is currently in the credentialing process with Franconia Conference.
The “Dog” Years
You know how dogs age more rapidly than humans, so that one year is like seven to a dog? Well church planting (especially in urban and rural contexts) can sometimes multiply the aging process for planters in terms of experience. That is to say that in a few years of church planting, the planter can learn many lessons that the leaders of established churches might take longer to learn, simply because the planter has to wear many different hats and make do with very few resources. I think church planters should be respected for that experience even if their churches are relatively small even after several years of labor.
One Man’s Trash…
They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In the first church I planted, a well-meaning established church gave us their very old hymnals with the name of that congregation embossed on the cover. It was clear that we had secondhand hymnals. Now, we weren’t too proud to take free stuff, but it was hard to explain that in being a new church we wanted to communicate “newness” to our visitors and that is hard to do with someone else’s old stuff. I think it is great when established churches offer practical resources, like tables, chairs, projectors, etc. I just want them to understand and not feel slighted if the new church says “no thank you” to some things.
Money Matters
In the early days of church planting the planter is likely not drawing much of a salary from the congregation and will possibly be bi-vocational. Some churches are willing to put the planter on their budget, which is great, but they will likely want that planter to come and minister at their church to justify their financial decision. I faced this problem. I felt beholden to take speaking engagements so that churches could help finance our work, but I was exhausted, being bi-vocational, trying to help a church to grow while working a “secular” job. It might be a fantasy, but it would be nice if churches were willing to give money to get a church planter salaried sooner, without tying up too much of the planter’s time at the established church.
New Wineskins
New church plants have proven to be more effective and deliberate in evangelism, generally speaking, than many established churches. Those congregations should not feel threatened, therefore, when new churches creatively test new ideas and do things in non-traditional ways. In fact, I would argue that many church planters have a strong appreciation for established churches and want to build churches that are also strong and effective in ministry, even if they don’t copy the methods of those established churches.
It’s Not About Stealing Sheep!
New churches want to help develop new believers, not “recycled” ones (i.e., those coming from other churches). But new churches need people! For a new church to “take off,” there needs to be a critical mass of people who understand the raison d’être (reason for being) of the new church, trusts the leadership and are willing to put their gifts to work. Many times those people will come from the same established church, possibly having a relationship with the church planter already. Established churches need to be willing to let some of the most energetic people go, like the church in Antioch (see Acts 13:2-3). Can you imagine letting your Pauls and Barnabases leave? But when the Lord moves those people to a new ministry, he will provide others to take their places. Or perhaps the established church can “loan” some people to a new church plant to help build a solid foundation.
We Need Each Other
Having been a student of church planting for a few years, I’ve seen new churches thumb their noses, so to speak, at established churches. They seem smug, or self-righteous in being new. I’ve also seen established churches, even within the same denomination, appear to be angry over the presence of a new church.
The new churches and the older churches need each other. Established churches can be stimulated and motivated to try new ideas when they see younger congregations trying new things. And younger churches still have things to learn from more established congregations and do well to hear how they dealt with issues along the way. Church planters have much to learn from established pastors, even with regard to pastoral duties, budgeting, planning, etc.
Some people seeking a church home will not be drawn to the newness that many church plants exhibit, so new churches should feel good about referring those people to certain established churches. Similarly, established churches should feel good about referring people to new churches in the area. There is certainly enough of a harvest field to accommodate all workers!
(click) to view photo album of Peace Fellowship
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.