I’m angry. I don’t know exactly where to direct my anger. All I know is I keep hearing the same story over and over again and each time it makes me more angry. Since moving to Atlanta to start the LAUNCH Network I’ve met with literally hundreds of young men who are unreservedly sold out to Jesus and feel passionately called to plant a church that will reach the lost. Some of these young leaders tell me the encouraging story of how their Senior Pastor is challenging, developing and even resourcing them to go start a new church. But others aren’t so fortunate. They have to keep their calling secret and their passion under wraps. They tell stories of insecure, territorial and small minded senior leaders. Too many of these young men have told me the very same thing, “If I tell my lead pastor that I want to plant a church I will be fired immediately and escorted out the door.”
I DON’T GET IT! Why are some senior leaders so threatened? How could a fully surrendered, Christ centered leader not support the multiplication of churches for the expansion of the Kingdom? With 3500 churches closing their doors every year in the US we need more young leaders stepping up and starting new works that will reach this generation.
If you’re a lead pastor who’s ready to make take the calling of reproduction serious. If you’re a senior leader who wants to see a movement of the Gospel spread among this next generation. If you’re ready to see your church become a part of a church planting movement let’s unite and synergize our efforts to make a difference. LAUNCH network is looking for church planting churches who are serious about investing in next generation planters. In fact our MISSION is to partner with churches to inspire and equip next generation planters to lead strong.
Let’s turn anger into action and do something about this.
so glad you posted this. I told my SP in July. He didn’t escort me but doesn’t know what to do with what I am doing. It’s a deeper issue than to explain here but I thank you for these words and the reminder is that our calling is bigger than any local church, than any senior pastor. It is just a shame that we have to walk a line sometimes that does separate us from those who should be standing with us!
Side note… beyond excited for how God will be using my wife and I and our team to transform a city into a closer reflection of Gods Kingdom
Absolutely Mac! Right on! If someone at Grace Hills expresses a desire to be involved in church planting in any way, all the way up to our full-time staff members, the next words out of my mouth are going to be “tell me the story of how God called you to this, and how can we propel you forward?”
My second great pet peeve about this is local leaders who challenge and discourage new plant leaders with such kind words as “we’ve already got this area covered.”
This makes me angry, too! I’ve tried time and time again to get together with other ministers (even ministers who say with their mouths they are “Kingdom-minded”). Many are afraid to share ideas. Maybe we should start signing “no compete” agreements in churches… lol
On the CONTRARY: I’ve seen how some church planters become very territorial! I think if we could put thoughts into words, our vision statements would come out something like “We seek to be more sincere, more loving, more connected, and more passionate than the big church we came from.”
Just sayin’ 🙂
Thank you, Mac, for speaking your mind and inviting us to hear it! Good stuff.
Great post! Mac, this drives me NUTS!!!! I know the root of all of this is fear and insecurity. It always is. It’s a shame that these leaders can’t rest in the calling and security of God and celebrate when disciples under their care take a step forward to advance the kingdom of God! It seems to me that the greatest testimony to a leader’s impact and positive influence is the launching of more disciples to spread the Gospel!
Isn’t that what 2 Timothy says? “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
I pray God rids his church of this fear and control that restricts the spread of His great Gospel!
Its a good post but what about single people or women! The situation is even worse if you happen to be single or a woman and God forbid it even worse if you are a single woman! I lead a fairly big Christian ministry with over 200 church volunteers and nearly 40 staff yet I’m lady and single yet I’m regularly dismissed by male Christian leaders yet hugely embraced by secular society!
I preached an eleven year anniversary service for a Houston, Tx Pastor who had planted 12 church plants from his congregation. When a member of the congregation expressed their “calling” to preach – he would train them and send them out to plant a church just as he had planted his church eleven years ago. What a giant of a man!