Ethical Guidelines for Church Planters
As I look to plant a church, I’m very upfront with my plans and vision so that people don’t think I’m trying to poach members from Grace. I’ve also reached out to all the evangelical pastors in town to initiate dialogue about any way I can serve them in their efforts to plant churches. So far, only Kirk at 2|42 has responded, but I am committed to working to build up the other evangelical churches in town while I look to plant a new church.
J. D. Payne recently posted proposed Ethical Guidelines for Church Planters, which are quite helpful. These guidelines touch on issues like transfer growth, church unity, long-term commitment to planting, family care, personal spiritual disciplines, and integrity.
- Guideline #1: Since the global need for the gospel is so great, unless God reveals otherwise, we will begin our ministry among people with the greatest need andwith a high level of receptivity to the gospel.
- Guideline #2: Since the world consists of four billion unbelievers, with two billion who have never heard the gospel, our strategy will involve the use of highly reproducible church planting methods.
- Guideline #3: Since biblical church planting is evangelism that results in new churches, we will not prioritize transfer growth over conversion growth by designing ministries that will primarily attract believers.
- Guideline #4: Since unity among churches in a geographical area is a powerful witness to the gospel, we will be concerned with other evangelical pastors laboring in the same area as our team, and will take the initiative to meet with them to share our calling, vision, and ethic.
- Guideline #5: Since we desire to respect other evangelical pastors in the area, and desire sanctification in the lives of any transfers from local churches, we will have a systematic plan to respond to the transfers who want to become part of the new church.
- Guideline #6: Since our calling to this ministry, people, and location is from God and not based on money, we will not end our church planting ministry in this area simply if our financial support ends, but rather will make appropriate plans for the future of our personal finances.
- Guideline #7: Since the biblical model for church planting is a team approach and many liabilities come when working as a solo church planter, a team will be developed before the work begins.
- Guideline #8: Since one of the most critical issues in missionary circles is that of the stress on the family, we will not neglect our families for the sake of church planting and will begin our work with a strategy for nurturing our family life while serving as church planters.
- Guideline #9: Since we are Kingdom Citizens, we will not neglect our daily devotion time with the Lord by allowing ourselves to be distracted by the numerous tasks to be accomplished in the ministry.
- Guideline #10: Since the task of missionary work involves effective communication, we will work diligently toward contextualization rather than bringing our preferred church traditions to the people.
- Guideline #11: Since integrity and accuracy are important when reporting statistics related or our missionary labors, we will strive to report only those numbers and descriptive details which are truly reflective of what the Holy Spirit is doing in our context.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:49 am
hey bro,
what are you doing as you gather a core (if you’re at that point) with people (relationships you have) that want to be a part of it, but they come from churches that don’t like them leaving for that reason?
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:53 am
I haven’t come across that situation yet. I’m praying that churches are happy to sent their members out as missionaries to another work of the Spirit.