Date: Jun 30, 2003 [ 8: 24: 37]
Subject: Summary - When to Quit
© 2003 BCP Harry Shelton Cole
Subject: Summary - When to Quit
SUMMARY OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH PLANTING LIST
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Moderated and edited by Pastor Harry Shelton Cole
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Introduction: There were some good insights into the Question of the Week
this past week and this summary is definately heading for the archives.
Our hearts go out to those who labor unrewarded in this life for the
sacrifice that is made to serve God. Sometimes ignorance, or the devil
pulls off a victory and church planters seem to fall victim to discouragement.
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When should a church planter quit?
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Brother Malcom Feistel is a missionary, therefore a church planter, to
Taiwan. Here are his insights to the Question of the Week:
WHEN should a church planter call it quits?
Obviously, some church planters don't intend to start more than one
church and do not intend to leave their work except in the Rapture or
the Hearse. That isn't a bad idea either. I have heard many men say
that the best ministry is one in which you invest a lifetime.
Most of us do face this question in one form or another. Just for the
sake of conversation and clarity I would like to ask another question,
"When should a church planter admit "defeat" and leave a work that
apparently will never grow?"
But back to the original question. Our goals in the foreign field are
to plant a church with the goal of identifying, training, and releasing
local leaders to assume the leadership of the church. From what I have
seen, the purchase of land and buildings, the payment of salaries, and
many other "requirements" of an "indigeneous" church may not be as
necessary as we have assumed. The essential part appears to me to be
leadership. If a congregation has leadership, but no building, they can
still function. So, we are going to strive to establish quality
leadership sooner in our next church starts.
'How do you leave a church plant' is another good question. I believe
that you start leaving during the training of new leadership. I learned
that by making the mistake of training leadeers, but retaining the
leadership position myself. The result was leaders who went somewhere
else to lead. There will come a day when a church planter gets on a
plane, or in a car and leaves, but if he has not left his roles and
duties and commited them to others before that day he has probably not
left soon enough. The trauma of that kind of exit can cripple a church.
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Brent Riggs is an independent Baptist missionary and gives a little
different perpespective on the question of the week. I think the
question is clear enough and I am sure that many of you all have had to
deal with the problem or knows someone who has. What say Ye?
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Brent Riggs writes:
When should a church planter call it quits?
Do you mean when he should get out of the church planting ministry?
Right off the top of my head I would say commiting any sin that would
disqualify him. (I Tim. 3, Titus 1) Or, if he is so discouraged and
whipped that he needs to be 'rescued' himself. That is, he is no
longer able to encourage others, or actually do the work because of
sin, discouragement, or potential loss of family. Better to lose
your ministry than to lose your family.
When should he quit a certain area?
Depends upon what his goals were. Our goals have been to not only
plant a church but to preach the gospel to every creature. Some
co-workers were in a small Mexican town for almost 5 years. They
preached on EVERY street in town TWICE! They gave every home (almost
every home, I'm sure they may have missed some, but you understand)
two gospel tracts and an honest opportunity to hear the gospel. That
is they invited everyone on the block to come out and hear the gospel
preached at least twice, once in the morning and once in the evening.
After almost five years with only 2 converts actually 3 but one was
killed in an auto accident, they moved on. I wouldn't call this
quiting. They covered the town the best they could with the gospel.
Not everywhere will the gospel be received. Where it is not received
we are to shake the dust off our feet and move on!
I wouldn't be against hunkering down for the duration. That is a
life long ministry in one town. That is what it will take to win some
of these smaller towns. But it is not the type of ministry that
Jesus or Paul was in. I've tried to follow their example. There are
no doubt believers who hunkered down! Paul did appoint elders in
every city. They stayed.
As for leaving after a church is started. Paul left without
appointing elders (pastors) then went back and appointed pastors.
This gave the church time to recognize those who God had gifted. It
also gave Paul a chance to see who filled the gap! This is
Scriptural. You may notice that no seminary was started to fill the
pulpits. Each church saw men raised up from their OWN church to take
leadership roles. More on this later.
Hope this helps.
I enjoy reading your opinions more than reading my own, but hope that my
few brief quips will be food for thought.
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Brother Marvin McKenzie is in Astoria Oregon where pastoring and church
planting are almost synonymous. There is a great mission field in the
Northwest and his seasoned advise is most welcomed. When would you
quit? Is quitting an option? This is not an easy question. I have
seen several soldiers in the past who were critically wounded in the
battle. I have watched families disintegrate. Is there a time to quit?
>When should a church planter call it quits?
I guess I didn't get the original post of the question, but now that I
have it, I'll put in my two cents.
My wife and I decided we would give Astoria 7 years. If, after that
time, we had not gotten a nucleus together, we would move on.
I considered leaving a few times before the 7 years were up.
One time I was packed up and 200 miles down the road before I changed my
mind. Didn't tell anyone in Astoria I had quit, just left.
As I drove along, I got to figuring, First, I had a place to meet in in
Astoria. One of the most difficult parts of getting the church off the
ground. Secondly, I did have one family who was committed to the work
and knew my stands. I would not have that in any other town.
I turned around and went home and didn't tell anyone about it for five
or six years.
and I believe this solemn vow was the only thing that kept me here
sometimes. Though sure of my vision and call, at times the work was so
disappointing that if I had gas money enough to get 200 miles away, I
would leave. How about expectations in the ministry? Maybe it is what
we unrealistically expect. How does one keep expectations within the
realm of reality and have the faith to move expecting God to do the
impossible? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Brother McKenzie belows follows up on expectations in the area of when a
church planter (or anyone) should quit?
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I developed an attitude in the ministry, especially in the early days
when I wondered if we were ever going to get anything done, that I could
not make everyone else do right ( and come to our church) but I could do
right.
I sought to ensure I was pleasing God in my Bible study, witnessing,
prayer life, family life, and preaching.
If I was doing what pleased God that was what mattered
<<Editors note: This really blessed my heart >>>>>>>
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<<<<Editors focus on the Question>>>>>>
I do not want to steer us in a totally different direction on this
question but perhaps I should have asked WHY do church planters quit.
Think about it, I have watched home missionaries drop like flies (no
disrespect intended) yet I have seen very few foreign missionaries come
off the field and when they do, usually the support is there for them at
home. Home missionaries usually are ignored, belittled with rude
comments like (well he wasn't called anyway) etc. As a church planter I
see three things that seem <-- (note I said seem) to be the major
difference and account for the high number of fall out.
1) Unpreparedness. The foreign missionary (BBFI) has to be debt free,
mentally stable :) <naw I better not>> and serve an internship before
he even thinks about the rigors of deputation. A home church planter is
not subjected to any of this. I know that this is the sending churches
fault for laying hands on novices etc. or whatever and they (the
pastors) will give an account for this. With all due respect, our
fellowship is diverse, and I for one am glad we have a foreign missions
policy that is biblical.
2) No accountability - a foreign missionary has not only his home
church watching him, but his supporting churches, the mission office and
the field representative. If the church planter has a good home church
then that pastor is going to be real busy -- Amen? -- SHOULD BE.
3) No financial stability - a foreign missionary usually <-- doesn't go
undersupported but if he loses support he comes home on furlow and
raises more if he can. I assume if he does not have enough support to
survive in the country, he doesn't go -- a church planter loses support
and he has to take a part time job -- then a full-time job and the
situation worsens.
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Brother Sam Keller, Missionary to Austrailia, quickly replied to my
comments and added a unique perspective having planted churches both on
the home and foreign field. I think he hits the nail on the head.
I have done both. Been a home missionary, in California and New Mexico,
and a foreign missionary, in Australia.
I want to say at the beginning of this letter, I have always been
supported faithfully by the majority of those that promised. I do not
feel that I have missed any thing, or sacrificed anything to have been a
church planter. There always seemed to be a group of preachers that
cared and checked on me and encouraged me.
But, I think much of the difference is because of the attitude toward
home missions. Many pastors think if a man can get $150-$200 per week
he should be able to live on it, and build a self supporting church in 6
months or a year. How many times have we heard, "I did it 30 years ago
when I was his age, it can still be done if a man will just work"
30 years ago you could start in store front, with used folding chairs,
used song books, used piano, and all grow together. Today people look
down on that type of church and when there are churches out there that
cater to every need of the family, that is where they go, with out a
thought of the doctrine of that church.
I think these young men who want to start churches need an older pastor
and an established church to help look out for them. Someone that can
recognize some of the danger signs, and give encouragement when it is
needed. To go to the other pastors and raise the extra support, and get
the extended time needed to keep that man on the field. Someone who
really cares when the promised support does not come in. Not someone to
keep him in line, not a bishop to oversee, but a helper that walks along
side and gives support when it is needed.
I will never forget a man who called me, when we were trying to start
one of the churches we started. I was not at home, but he talked to my
wife. He asked several questions about our situation, and since it was
just before Christmas, he asked, "do you have enough money, that your
family can have a good Christmas? I don't want you doing without,
because no one cared enough to ask." Let me tell you, he won a friend
for life, my wife still thinks he is one of the greatest men in the
world.
I thank the Lord that He has allowed me to work in Church planting
almost all my ministry. I also thank Him for my friends in the ministry
that have helped look out for me. That have walked along side, not with
criticism but with encouragement. They have treated me as an equal, not
looked down on me. It does make a difference.
lot of foreign missionaries stay on the field. People are concerned
about them and communicate to them in their need. As a pastor I call
missionaries from time to time and we adopt missionaries in our church
and I know our people send notes and cards of encouragement. Not only
that, their home church is proud to have a foreign missionary and their
home pastor is in contact. With great field reps and a missions office
that cares, there is a lot of help for the foreign missionary -- Now how
about the home missionary?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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