6 Myths
Myths of Multiplication
Myths are everywhere, even in the church. When it comes to church multiplication, people believe in several myths that are not actually true. Because we believe these myths, they can become a distraction and a point of discouragement. I’ve observed six myths of multiplication in our work.
MYTH #1
Global church-planting movements are fruitful because they have the right strategy
It’s true that church multiplication is happening around the world. The Global Church Project reported, “Christianity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America grew from 94 million in 1900 to 1.389 billion in 2010. This number is likely to grow to 2.287 billion by 2050.”13 While the world is experiencing exciting growth, churches in the West are in decline. Add the recent pandemic into the mix, and the decline is multiplying exponentially. The question, “Why are we experiencing decline while the rest of the world is exploding in growth?” has been asked and answered in a hundred different ways.
One of the most common answers is, “The method of multiplication that works in other places will not work here. The strategy is right for them, but not for us.” The line of thinking continues as, “If we can find the right strategy, our problem would be solved.” The problem is that finding the “right strategy” is as elusive as finding BigFoot—it is a myth of multiplication.
Strategy is helpful, but strategy is not the answer. The famous quote from Peter Drucker, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” points us toward the truth. To be clear, Drucker didn’t say that strategy was unimportant, and neither am I. Instead, he is elevating the less tangible “culture” as the primary driver for success. The same is true in church multiplication.
I had the privilege of working with a person who led in a church-planting movement throughout Africa. Theo Burakeye guided church planters to start over 75,000 churches in 33 countries. You read that right, 75,000 new churches that resulted in over 5 million baptisms. During the first three months of working together, I asked Theo to tell me everything he knew about the fruitfulness of the movement. He began to share with me the boots-on-the-ground version of the movement. And guess what? He didn’t talk about their strategy. In fact, he pointed out that the material written about their movement, specifically the strategy, training, and development material, was all written after the movement spread. Makes sense, right? When God’s favor is poured out through a movement, it is right and good to record what happened. So, I asked the same question you are asking: “If the movement wasn’t fueled by the strategies described in the books and training manuals, what was it fueled by?”
According to Theo, the master key was machined out of a hunger for God and a dependence on prayer. In other words, he would go to a new community and introduce a culture of hungering after God and dependence on prayer. Theo said, “This is the bottom line. The example of Jesus teaches us that God is looking for consecrated men and women who lead and serve from an intimate relationship with Him.” This principle is true in every church-planting movement. It’s not that the people found the “strategy from heaven” that unlocked the door of multiplication; instead, they surrendered their plans and sought to hear from heaven.
Obviously, a lot goes into making disciples and planting churches. It is a myth that global church-planting movements are fruitful because they have the right strategy. Strategy is part of the equation, but we must not set out on the never-ending quest to find the right strategy.
Multiplication movements are always marked by people who hunger after God and depend on Him in prayer.
We must, too.
MYTH #2
Most of these simple church plants are not a “real” church
I understand why people put a qualifying word in front of the word church; sometimes it’s helpful to define a category for the form, style, or emphasis of the church. “This church is small, so let’s call it micro. They meet in a house, so label them a house church. That church is big, really big, mega big—they must be a megachurch.” I get it, but in my opinion, the qualifying word does not help—and generally hurts—the church. Nowhere in the Bible will you find the terms micro church, mini church, or megachurch. We see only the word church. So let’s start there. The real church is the gathering of God’s people here on earth. Validity does not come by size, but by the presence of God.
The church must take on different sizes and forms. The variety and diversity is part of the power and beauty of the church. At CDN, we love the church, period. We love the church in all its shapes and sizes. One of the marks of our movement is our commitment to see all types of churches started and trust Jesus to build the church He desires in that community.
With that said, most of our churches start simple. Save the recent launch-large emphasis of the past 30 years, most churches around today started in the exact same way—with a simple beginning.
I attend a large church. It’s a real powerhouse for good in the community. Guess how it started? A handful of people responded to the call of God and started a simple gathering. Jesus built it into what it is today. I am convinced that it was just as much a church on the day it started as it is today. Size does not validate its identity.
The next exit down route 95 is Crossroads Community Church. We recently held the CDN Catalyst training at their beautiful new facility. Crossroads is a church plant that started when Bob Bullis and two other couples sensed the Lord calling them to plant a church. They fasted and prayed and responded to God’s call with a step of faith. These three couples met as the church in their homes.14 Tell me those six people were not a “real” church. They certainly were—and not because twenty years later they grew to gain a multi-million dollar building, a large community footprint, and significant ministry impact. They were the “real” church in that very first gathering – just as they are today! Why? Because they are the gathering of God’s people here on earth.
I believe it is most helpful to release the pressure relief valve on the definition of the church. Many potential church planters never get off the bench, because we pump so much pressure into an inflated definition of the church. They quit before they start by saying, “I’m not equipped to manage a large organization like this.” Or “Finding real estate in our city is impossible.” Or “I could never find donors for the start-up funds.” And they shrink back to their pew and miss an opportunity to experience “the delight of the Lord as the work begins.”15
Along with “The details are in the journey,” a second axiom that guides us is, “The resources are in the harvest.” Both of these phrases prioritize the importance of taking a step of faith and, quite simply, getting started. The Lord will provide all that is needed after the work begins. He delights in doing just that.
One illustration that helps us is to describe the start of a church with the phrase, “a church is born.” When a baby is born, they start small and simple. As time goes by, they are poised to mature in every way. At birth they can’t walk yet, or talk yet, or do anything an adult can do, but let me ask you, “Is the baby fully human?” The answer is, “Yes, of course.” The same is true for our church plants. When they are born, they may be lacking many of the characteristics of a mature church, but they are still 100% churches. Yes, they need to mature in every way, but just like that pudgy little infant, they are fully and completely churches right from the start. They are “real” churches.
We have a three-part definition for the church. First, the people attending the church need to covenant together as the church. Second, the church is on a path toward maturity by incorporating the characteristics described in Acts 2:37-47. Third, there is the presence of the “charismata” or spiritual gifts. I will dig into these more in a later chapter, but for now, these three parts—covenant, characteristics, charismata—help us distinguish a church from a Bible study or prayer group or any other ministry. It provides a different scoreboard than the 3-B’s of budgets, buildings, and the number of butts in the seats when identifying and defining a church.
It is a myth that simple church plants are not a “real” church. A “real” church is the church described in the Bible, and it takes on many forms, including simple gatherings that meet in creative spaces and places.
MYTH #3
Church-planting movements produce only mini, micro, or house churches
Here’s another piece of the global church multiplication story that has been missing when told in the West. Did you know that the average size of a church in the church-planting movement in Africa was 150 members? It’s true, even though the typical report of new churches being planted would often include an iconic photo of a gathering of people under a Joshua tree on a hillside with the sun setting behind them. It’s a beautiful scene and an authentic representation, but like any photo, it is only one moment in time. The churches planted throughout Africa begin with a simple gathering, but they often and quickly get to work establishing a suitable church facility. From there, they grow to an average size of 150 members.
A concept is etched in the American mind that “if a church starts in a home, it must forever stay in a home.” This is probably true of ministries who are starting house churches or micro churches. The location and size of the church is part of the definition. But remember, CDN does not put a qualifier in front of the word church. We plant churches, period. Our churches start simple, but just like in Africa, they are not bound to a label, location, or size.
We are experiencing this in our movement. Two of our guiding principles are, “zero-dollar church planting” and “the resources are in the harvest.” Church planters have everything needed to get started right away. They do not need a big budget or a building to lead people to Christ, make disciples, and gather as the church. The resources are already there. With that in mind, they often begin in a home. As the church grows, they gain the resources necessary to take their next step of faith. John’s church started in his home and now rents space from a YMCA. Aaron’s church started in his driveway and was given access to a storefront meeting space. Jeff’s church started in a church building and now meets in a local pub, after hours. In each case, the starting place did not define the mission, vision, size, or location of the church.
CDN is not a house-church movement. We are a church-planting movement. We are committed to starting churches that grow into the exact church that is needed in the community. This includes churches that start small and stay small, and it also includes churches that grow to be very large. Both sizes (and every size in-between) are needed. It is a myth that church-planting movements produce only mini, micro, or house churches. We are following the example of church-planting movements around the world. They are rapidly starting churches that grow into all shapes and sizes. We believe that should be the expectation in the West, too. We plant churches. Jesus builds His church. Far be it from us to label and limit the church that Jesus is building.
MYTH #4
Church planters need to first be credentialed
The Bible is the standard for the roles and offices in the church. The two most common lists of qualifications are found in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9. Notice that in the 1 Timothy passage, the appointed leaders are referred to as overseers (episcopos in Greek); and in Titus, they are called elders (presbuteros in Greek). The two words, overseer and elder, are often combined as one role, both capturing the high calling to watch over the people and address their spiritual needs.
In Ephesians 4, Paul identifies the shepherd as one of the gift-based functions in the church along with apostle, prophet, evangelist, and teacher. The people assuming the role of shepherd, often translated as pastor, are revealed from among the gathered church. The descriptions of shepherd, elder, and overseer are often linked together, each bringing a unique emphasis on the roles and responsibilities found in the church.
Acts 13 and 14 give an account of Paul’s first missionary journey. His travels take him from Antioch, through Perga, Iconium, Lystra, and finally reaching Derbe. At Derbe, instead of returning directly to Antioch, which is the most direct route, Paul retraces his steps and revisits many of the cities from the first half of his trip. He takes an out-and-back route. Acts 13 is the out, and Acts 14 is the back. This is important, because it gives us insight into what happened on each leg of his missionary journey.
PAUL’S MISSIONARY JOURNEY FOLLOWS A CLEAR PATTERN
He begins with the call of God and with prayer. Relying on the Holy Spirit to guide him, Paul visits a city. In each one, he begins to speak out and proclaim the gospel. The result of the conversions is that churches immediately gather. Then Paul moves on to a new place to proclaim the good news and gather believers in churches.
Acts 13 and 14 provide clarity to the biblical order for establishing churches and appointing oversight. It’s clear the first thing Paul did was pray, then he shared the gospel, and the direct result was disciples who gathered as new churches. Paul planted churches in every city he visited. We know this because, on his return trip, the Scripture tells us that he visited the churches that were now gathering in these cities.
When were the elders appointed? They were identified and appointed on the return trip. The elders were not appointed at the start of the church. After the church was established, “Paul and Barnabas [returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch] and appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” (Acts 14:21, 23). In other words, the church was planted and then the elders were raised up from within the body. Their faith and faithfulness were part of their credentialing journey.
CHURCHES ARE STARTED BEFORE THEY ARE ORGANIZED
In the West, we get this order reversed. We organize every aspect of the church plan including credentialing the church planter, then we send them to get to work planting a church. In the New Testament, the churches started before they were organized. Identifying and appointing elders emerged after the church was established.
At CDN, we follow the biblical pattern of gathering churches first. In order for a movement of multiplication to spread rapidly in our nation, we must return to the same method that supported the rapid multiplication of the early church.
It is a myth that church planters need to first be credentialed before they can begin the work. In our commitment to church multiplication, we are careful to send church planters into the harvest field in obedience to Jesus’ call. The church planter prays, shares the gospel, makes disciples who then gather as new churches. Once the church has the habit of meeting together, then we seek God’s help to identify the shepherd for the flock. Often, the church planter is the one who is appointed for this role. That person engages in a journey of personal and pastoral formation, including the credentialing and ordination process. The education takes on much more meaning because the church planter is in the field, and the learning is “just in time.”16 Sometimes, the church planter is not the person for this role. In that case, a suitable shepherd is found within the church, and the church planter, like Paul, is sent to proclaim the gospel and gather churches in new harvest fields.
MYTH #5
Rapid deployment results in limited impact
Think about this for a second. Let’s say you have twenty people who are considering the call to plant a church. So, you go out and hire a top-notch church-planting group to help you. They run all twenty people through their assessments, and one all-star candidate emerges as the church planter. You prepare, plan, and send that church planter. Three years later, a church of 200 is born! Praise the Lord.
Now, imagine instead that you took all twenty people and coached and mentored them to start simple churches, right away. Some gather in groups of three, some twelve, others seventy-two and more. In three years, you have twenty established churches reaching the unique needs of their community. And remember that all-star? He’s still in the mix, and as the assessment predicted, has the gifts to gather a large congregation. His church is 200 people with a vision of sending a dozen more church planters into the harvest field.
Now, which scenario has more kingdom impact?
One church plant reaching 200 people? Or twenty churches, of various sizes, meeting in creative spaces and places throughout the community? The answer is clear to me. It is a myth that rapid deployment results in limited impact. CDN would high-five either outcome, but we believe far greater potential for kingdom impact and community transformation exists in the rapid deployment of everyone who is called by God to plant churches.
MYTH #6
If the church doesn’t last, it doesn’t count
The highest ideal is for a church to become a lasting pillar of truth in a community. We all desire that every church that is planted would not only take root and grow, but become a mighty oak for generations to come. While that is the ideal and certainly what we strive for at CDN it is not always the case.
No church will last forever. Some exist for generations while others have a brief life span. The churches planted by the Apostle Paul had significant kingdom impact but still existed only for a season. None of his original church plants remain open today. No church will last forever.
When I was in college I participated in a summer internship at a new Free Methodist Church plant in Allentown Pennsylvania. Solid Rock Church met in a movie theater. Led by a dynamic pastor, it had a collection of new and innovative ministries. Solid Rock also had all of the organizational components of a church – a board, a bank account, even an office space. The body of Christ gathered in worship. The people utilized their gifts for the glory of God. People came to faith in Christ. Disciples were made. I, personally, experienced deep spiritual formation as an intern that summer. This church was certainly a church. Several years later the founding pastor transitioned to a new appointment and a new senior pastor was installed. Several years after that the church closed. Let me ask you, “Was this a church?” The board is dissolved, the bank account closed, the body no longer gathers. If you were to describe that decade (and more) of ministry, would you say that Solid Rock Church was a church? I certainly would.
I had a similar experience in Long Beach, California. I was part of the core team for Light & Life Belmont. The first official church in the mission 2010 vision to plant a church in every city council district in Long Beach. In a similar journey, the church was planted in a community center, then moved to a local theater. Jesus was exalted, lives were changed for eternity, the congregation grew. The church was organized with all legal and denominational standing. It was a light in a dark city, planted in faith, taking root in some of the most difficult, dry, and rocky soil in the nation. After more than a decade of ministry, this church also closed. In this case, many of the people transitioned to other new church plants in the same city.
What this church a church? Absolutely, yes!
In fact, this church was the example for many others who came after it. Light & Life went on to plant many churches in Long Beach and around the world. Light and Life Belmont served as a bold statement of faith. It was an example that declared, “With God, this vision is possible. Look at us. We can step out in faith. You can too.” It would dishonor the founding team to say that this was not a church because it did not last. Obviously, the goal is for every church to last for generations, but God’s timing is not our timing.
Every church goes through a life cycle. The concept that organizations mirror a human life cycle originated in the corporate world. George Bullard is noted as adapting the stages related to a local church.17 The church is born at a point in time and then matures through adolescence into adulthood. Adulthood is the church’s most fruitful season of ministry. Bullard describes the expected turn toward old age. If the church does not cycle back in renewal, it will decline to its death. The length of each stage varies, but the cycle applies to every church.
I’m discipling some college students right now. I coached them to start a church that reaches their classmates and friends. This college church meets from September to May. They are only in their first year of existence, but I expect that their life cycle will be in sync with their college attendance. Let me ask you this: Does the ministry of this church count, even though it may last only a few years? I say, “It most certainly does.” Not only are they making a difference among college students but they are also having an eternal impact. Further, this experience is changing them. It is deepening their faith. Jesus is using it to position them as a voice for His kingdom here on earth. Would I like for this church to last for generations? Yes. And maybe it will – only God knows. What I do know is that this church is just as valid in the kingdom of God as the 18th century stone building that is still standing down the street. In fact, I imagine that the congregation that is gathering in that old building are spiritual descendants of a handful of people who responded to God’s call to plant a church. At that time, they didn’t know if their humble beginning would last a year, a decade, or a century. This is only understood when we look back in history. What I’m challenging you to do is to look forward. If we are to start today, what impact can it make? What can happen if we step out in faith and get started – today? God holds the future, we must be responsible for today.
I’m not making a case for intentionally limiting the life cycle of a church. I am suggesting that when we put an excessive amount of pressure on a church planter to establish a legacy organization, we miss many opportunities to see God move in the moment.
What if we are asking the wrong question? Instead of asking how many years the church has been in existence, what if our measure of success were determined by asking, “Did it make disciples who multiplied while it lived?” In this way extending life beyond itself. In each of the churches that I described in this section, the people who gathered in those churches were deeply impacted by the ministry. Their lives where changed. In the churches that closed their doors, many of the people went on to participate in new ministries and new church plants. Some are in pastoral ministry today as a result. This is the beauty and mystery of the church. Could you imagine telling those church planters that their church didn’t count because it is no longer gathering today? No way. Those churches mattered. They made an impact in the kingdom of God. I, for one, am deeply indebted and honored to be a part of their ministry. Even though the bank accounts are closed, and the board is dissolved, and the body no longer gathers – what I experienced was the true church. Those short-lived churches shaped my life and the lives of many others. It is a myth that if the church doesn’t last, it doesn’t count.
Every church counts.
DON’T LET THE MYTHS OF MULTIPLICATION LIMIT YOUR IMPACT
As you pray about the direction of your life and ministry, the enemy (and well-meaning people) will try to discourage you from participating in a church-planting movement. Don’t let these myths of multiplication limit your impact.
We are seeing an unbelievable movement of church planting right now. Nearly every day, we receive reports of new churches starting. Today is the day and age of church planting in the West.
In the next chapters, I will share how you can be spark this type of movement in your community and around the world.
This article is an excerpt from The Disciple Makerspace
The Disciple Makerspace is a relational rhythm for planting churches without compromising the beauty, simplicity, and power of the Biblical church. This book will challenge you to think of disciple-making in the context of positioning your church as a place where every disciple is given the tools and the freedom to bring their unique contribution to the ministry of the church and to the Kingdom of God.