Recently there was a series of articles published in the Christian Chronicle on church planting within Churches of Christ. (here here and here) Since I have roots that go pretty deep within that heritage, I read each of them, and was really encouraged to see that while church planting is becoming more recognized in the fellowship - even if its far from being a renewal…Churches of Christ are still way behind the population’s growth curve - seen in the figure below.
Still - there is cause for hope. Churches of Christ (and across denominational lines) are beginning to add “church planting” to their vocabulary - and all sorts of things are beginning to happen. For a denomination that grew out of a heritage that pushed “the priesthood of all believers” and strong evangelistic impulse, (to speak nothing of the church planting movement in the 1830-60’s that the Churches of Christ, Christian Church and Disciples of Christ were born from), church planting is certainly in our DNA.
What remains fascinating to me is the multiplicity of expressions of what church planting looks like for Church of Christ related church planters. When “order of worship” was what split the growing Stone-Campbell Movement in 1860’s and again in 1906 (of which Churches of Christ were born), it amazes me that church planters are so willing to break out of the mold. And I mean MOLD.
The past week at ACU’s Lectureship has been really encouraging to me. I spent a good portion of the sessions with church planters, listening to presentations and sharing stories. Networking and conversation filled the room as we heard the dreams of those who had traveled across the country to Abilene, TX in order to tell them. Passion and excitement were in their eyes. Could they really be that excited about planting more churches of Christ? (little “c”)
The fact is - this is DNA from our heritage’s past that has become reactivated as we boldly move into a new understanding of church. Simple worship, lay leadership, evangelistic impulse, and autonomous governance have always been core factors to a movement that had its beginnings in the backwoods of Kentucky and spread like wildfire across the US. Now that the Stone-Campbell dynamic “movement” has become a rigid “monument”, it is refreshing for many of its adherents to hear stories of others in their fellowship who are pioneering once again. Below is just a few of the people I’m in connection with in Church of Christ circles who are engaged in church planting:
Chadd Schroeder - educated at Sunset School of Preaching and ACU, Chadd has worked as a career missionary in Mexico. He has planted several churches of different types and models, but is focused on training Mexicans to become local leaders who can plant authentically Mexican models of churches, in taquerias, bars, and homes.
Ben Cheek, Jared Looney, and “Metro Soul” - connected in the Northeast from the Bronx to Jersey City, live in the world’s most diverse city, and are developing a organic network of churches and communities that is becoming just as diverse as their city. Their focus on discipleship and missional leadership is pioneering a vision of church planting for many others.
Phil McCollum - ministering to the poorest of the poor in East Hollywood (the side that no one talks about). Because he believes that Jesus “had friends in low places” he and his family have moved into the neighborhood, and are living with love for the people of that area.
Kester Smith - planted an emergent church in the alternative communities in Austin, TX. They experience true life together and offer real conversations among skeptics and seekers. Kester works on the edgy Sixth St at Book People, a sweet bookshop and a gathering place of ideas and people of all walks of life. The church they planted is Immanuel Fellowship, and I can’t think of a better name.
Steve and Chrissy Holt - are living incarnationally among people groups in Boston, MA. They have been praying about developing an intentional Christian community (see also, The New Monasticism) and living out practices of peace and restoration among the people in their lives.
Dillon Ross - having recently graduated from Harding University, Dillon has begun working with Chicago District Evangelistic Association to plant simple churches in the Chicago area.
Greg Scott - The Blessing Place network is planting simple churches in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Greg and his wife Sam work intentionally with native Americans (she lived on a reservation with Rich Mullins!)
Benny and Niki Nowell - work with the homeless youth and basically bless the socks off anyone that comes in their path. They provide a summer experience called “Sabbath” for urban kids, and offer mentoring love and God’s Shalom to many of the brokenhearted in Denver, CO.
Miller Talbot - is preparing the soil of Abilene, TX and the working poor with prayer and incarnational love. His “church plant” looks more like a garden, and his “mission work” looks more like digging a hole in the ground…to find water for a dry and weary land. Check out his imaginative vision here.
There are LOTS of church planting teams in formation, among which my wife and I are a part. To just get a glimpse at some of them, check out here, here and here.
Of course, this is only a slice of the pie. These are friends of mine that are (at different levels) connected to my religious heritage within Churches of Christ. I am proud to be in the family of Christ with them, and look forward to seeing how our paths cross in the future.
