From every corner of the globe the reports are coming in. Only
a few at first, but now more and more frequently, reinforcing
one another with their startling accounts of hundreds, thousands,
even tens of thousands coming to faith in Christ, forming
into churches and spreading their new-found faith.
Southeast Asia
When a strategy coordinator began his assignment in 1993,
there were only three churches and 85 believers among a population
of more than 7 million lost souls. Four years later there were
more than 550 churches and nearly 55,000 believers.
North Africa
In his weekly Friday sermon, an Arab Muslim cleric complained
that more than 10,000 Muslims living in the surrounding
mountains had apostatized from Islam and become Christians.
City in China
Over a four-year period (1993-1997), more than 20,000 people
came to faith in Christ, resulting in more than 500 new churches.
Latin America
Two Baptist unions overcame significant government persecution
to grow from 235 churches in 1990 to more than 3,200 in 1998.
Central Asia
A strategy coordinator reports: “Around the end of 1996, we
called around to the various churches in the area and got their
count on how many had come to faith in that one year. When they
were all added up, it came to 15,000 baptisms in one year. The previous
year we estimated only 200 believers altogether.”
Western Europe
A missionary in Europe reports: “Last year (1998), my wife
and I started 15 new church cell groups. As we left for a six month
stateside assignment last July, we wondered what we’d
find when we returned. It’s wild! We can verify at least 30
churches now, but I believe that it could be two or even three
times that many.”
Ethiopia
A missionary strategist commented, “It took us 30 years to
plant four churches in this country. We’ve started 65 cell churches
in the last nine months.”
Every region of the world now pulsates with some kind of
Church Planting Movement. Sometimes we see only the numbers,
but often they are accompanied by lively descriptions such
as this recently received e-mail message: “All of our cell churches
have lay pastors/leaders because we turn over the work so
fast that the missionary seldom leads as many as two or three
Bible studies before God raises at least one leader. The new
leader seems to be both saved and called to lead at the same time,
so we baptize him and give him a Bible. After the new believers/
leaders are baptized, they are so on fire that we simply cannot
hold them back. They fan out all over the country starting
Bible studies, and a few weeks later we begin to get word back
how many have started. It's the craziest thing we ever saw! We
did not start it, and we couldn't stop it if we tried.”
Beyond the passion and excitement, many missionaries are left
with questions. Most have never seen a Church Planting Movement.
But the allure of an entire people group coming to Christ is
the dream of every missionary. The thought that countless thousands
might be waiting to hear and respond to the gospel is a passion
that fires missionary hearts and minds around the world.
So what is a Church Planting Movement? What is this phenomenon
that has so captivated us? Where are these Church
Planting Movements taking place? Why are they happening now?
Is this something new or have they always been with us? What
causes them? Are they all random events or do they share some
common traits? Is there anything we can do to encourage them?
MORE>>> See Church Planting Movement booklet