Pentecostal Pastoral Leadership and Global Missions — Unit 9: Church Planting and Discipleship Movements

Key Verse

"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." (2 Timothy 2:2, NKJV)

Learning Objectives

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Describe the New Testament pattern of planting and strengthening churches, using Acts 13-14 and Titus 1:5.

2. Explain why Pentecostal churches multiply so often through ordinary believers, and name two weaknesses that come with this.

3. Describe common planting models, including mother-church planting, cell and house groups, and church planting movements, and state fairly the praise and the criticism of each.

4. Explain what discipleship means in the Great Commission and list the stages of a healthy discipleship path.

5. Describe how a pastor can plant a new congregation and raise qualified leaders without hurrying or controlling.

The Voice of This Unit

This unit is written from inside the classical Pentecostal tradition, for pastors who want their churches to multiply. We hold that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, that the Spirit empowers every believer for witness, and that the church must be built on sound doctrine. Newer methods are discussed in the world of missions, and some of them are strongly praised and strongly criticized. We state both sides fairly and test every method by Scripture. We avoid claims about numbers that we cannot check.

What Does the New Testament Teach about Planting Churches?

A church is not only a building or a meeting. It is a community of believers who gather around the Word, baptism, the Lord's Supper, prayer and mutual care, under qualified leaders. Planting a church means starting such a community where none exists.

The book of Acts shows how this happened. In Acts 13 the church at Antioch fasted and prayed, and the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." The church sent them out. They preached in synagogues and public places, and many believed. In Acts 14 they went back through the same cities, "strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith," and "when they had appointed elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed" (Acts 14:22-23). So the pattern has several parts: a sending church, Spirit-led prayer, gospel preaching, the gathering of believers, return visits to strengthen them, and the appointment of elders with prayer and fasting. Paul later told Titus to "set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you" (Titus 1:5).

Paul also taught and trained others. At Ephesus he taught daily in the school of Tyrannus for two years, "so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:10). The gospel reached the surrounding region, and it is likely that many of the churches of that region came from the work of those who had been taught in Ephesus. Paul's letters name many co-workers, including men and women, such as Timothy, Titus, Priscilla and Aquila. Churches also met in homes (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15). Our key verse describes four generations: Paul, Timothy, "faithful men," and "others also." Multiplication was the plan from the beginning.

Why Pentecostal Churches Multiply

Pentecostal churches are well known for growth, and the reasons are not mysterious. A believer who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit is taught to expect power for witness (Acts 1:8). Ordinary members, not only pastors, are expected to pray for the sick, give testimony and share the gospel. Peter quoted Joel, saying that sons and daughters, young men and old, servants and maidservants would prophesy (Acts 2:17-18). This broad view of who may serve is a great strength. A farmer, a market seller or a student may begin a prayer meeting in a home, and God may bless it.

Healing and prayer for deliverance also open doors. In Samaria, "the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did" (Acts 8:6). Many Pentecostal congregations began because someone was healed or freed from fear, and neighbors came to see.

Researchers who study the movement in Africa, Latin America and Asia have noticed this lay pattern. Believers who move to another town for work or study often begin a small group for prayer, and in time it becomes a congregation. In many places, the planting was done not by missionaries but by ordinary believers.

Two honest weaknesses

We should say plainly that this fast multiplication has costs.

Division. Some new churches begin not from evangelism but from a quarrel. A leader leaves because of a dispute or because he wants to be in charge, and takes part of the congregation with him. The result may be a new congregation, but it is not a gain for the kingdom. Scholars have noted this pattern in several regions. Paul's counsel was "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3; see Unit 10 on unity).

Thin teaching. Where leaders are made quickly and have little training, error can spread. Paul warned that an overseer should not be "a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil" (1 Timothy 3:6), and he told Timothy, "Do not lay hands on anyone hastily" (1 Timothy 5:22). Growth in numbers is not the same as growth in depth.

Common Planting Models

The following methods are used in Pentecostal and other churches. Each has been praised and each has been criticized.

Mother-church planting

A strong local church chooses a leader or a team, sends them to a new area and supports them for a time. This is close to Antioch in Acts 13. Its strength is clear sending, prayer and accountability. Its weakness is that it can be slow and costly, and the mother church may keep too much control. Unit 3 on indigenous principles taught that a new church should become self-governing, self-supporting and self-extending. The mother church should therefore plan from the beginning to release the new church.

Cell groups and house groups

In this model a church divides into small groups that meet in homes during the week for prayer, Bible study and care. The groups grow, divide, and may become congregations. The Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, led by Pastor David Yonggi Cho, became well known for a home cell group system. The model has spread to many other churches. Supporters value it because it matches the New Testament house churches, involves ordinary members, and offers close care.

Critics ask whether cells hold the doctrine of the whole church, whether leaders are well trained, and whether the system can become a means of control. Another well-known method, built on groups of twelve and developed in Bogotá, Colombia, uses Jesus' choosing of the twelve as its pattern. Supporters say it multiplies leaders. Critics reply that the New Testament does not command this structure, and that a chain of command can place too much power in the hands of a few leaders. A Pentecostal pastor should weigh these methods by Scripture, keep sound doctrine at the center, and not let any method replace the Word and the Spirit.

Church planting movements

In recent decades, mission workers have described what they call church planting movements or disciple-making movements. These are efforts in which new believers quickly begin small groups in homes, study Scripture together, obey what they learn and share the message with their own families and friends, so that groups multiply across a region. Supporters report rapid growth in some countries, and they praise the simplicity, the use of ordinary believers and the focus on obeying the Word. Pentecostals are likely to feel at home with such zeal.

The criticism should be heard. First, reports of numbers are hard to check, and as the lesson in Course 1, Unit 1 taught, statistics depend on definitions and on the hopes of those who report them. Second, a very simple structure may leave new groups without trained leaders or deep teaching. Third, speed may conflict with Paul's warning against hasty appointments. Fourth, some groups may remain disconnected from the wider church and from its history. A sensible Pentecostal answer is to welcome what is good, such as simplicity, lay leadership and obedience, while insisting on four things: sound doctrine, qualified leaders appointed with prayer, accountability to other churches, and teaching about the Holy Spirit's baptism and gifts. We should judge such movements by their fruit over time and not by their reports.

Discipleship: What the Commission Requires

The Great Commission says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). The command is to make disciples, which is more than to gather decisions. A disciple is one who follows Christ, learns from Him and obeys Him.

After Pentecost, the first believers "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42). From this we can describe a healthy path, which each church may adapt.

1. Evangelism and repentance. The new believer hears the gospel, repents and believes.

2. Follow-up and welcome. Someone visits, prays with the new believer and brings him or her to the fellowship.

3. Water baptism and teaching. The believer is baptized and taught the basic truths of the faith (see Course 4, Unit 7 on the ordinances).

4. Seeking the Spirit. The believer is taught about Spirit baptism and encouraged to seek it, as in Acts 8 and Acts 19 (Course 2, Units 4 and 5).

5. Growth in the Word, prayer and character. Regular Bible reading, prayer, holy living and the fruit of the Spirit.

6. Serving and gifts. Believers find their place in service, with guidance in the use of gifts (Course 3).

7. Teaching others. The mature believer helps someone else, as our key verse requires.

This path should be adjusted for people who cannot read, who work long hours, or who live far from a church. Stories, songs, memorized passages and discussion in small groups serve well. Written courses and distance study can serve pastors who cannot attend a school. Training for leaders should not wait until after they have begun to lead; it should be a steady companion of their work.

Qualifications and Care for Leaders

Elders and overseers must meet the standards of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1: faithful in marriage, self-controlled, hospitable, able to teach, not greedy for money and well thought of by outsiders. These qualities are tested over time. A new church may have to begin with leaders who are young in the faith, but the aim is to raise leaders who meet these standards and not to excuse the standard.

A planting pastor should also protect the church from his own weaknesses. He should keep clear accounts, share leadership, welcome counsel from other pastors, and follow the safeguards for children and vulnerable people (see Course 4, Unit 10 and Unit 5 of this course). Men and women have both taken part in planting and leading groups, and Pentecostal churches have different views about the roles of women in office (see Course 4, Unit 8). A pastor should also care for relations with older churches in the area. To start a new congregation by drawing members out of a neighboring church is not planting. It is a quarrel with another part of the body.

Pastoral Application

Pastor Daniel leads a church of about 120 members. Three families have moved forty kilometers away to a larger town, where there is no Pentecostal church. They ask whether they may begin a prayer meeting in a home, and whether the church will help.

Daniel does not either refuse or let them go alone. First, he prays with his elders and gives thanks, as Antioch did. Second, he asks the families to share the gospel with neighbors, to pray for the sick and to meet weekly for Bible reading. Third, he visits them every few weeks and brings a trained elder, as Paul returned to strengthen the new churches. Fourth, he asks which of the new believers are growing, and begins to train them, using 2 Timothy 2:2 as his guide. Fifth, the mother church gives modest help, with the understanding that the group will in time support itself. Sixth, he agrees with the families to speak well of other churches in the town and not to recruit from them. After a year, when the group has a number of baptized believers, a faithful core and a leader who meets the biblical standards, the elders pray, with fasting, and appoint him or her as the shepherd of the new congregation. The mother church then releases it as a church in its own right.

Summary

The New Testament pattern is that a sending church prays, sends workers, preaches the gospel, gathers believers, returns to strengthen them and appoints elders with prayer and fasting. Paul trained others, and our key verse describes four generations of teaching. Pentecostal churches multiply because ordinary believers, filled with the Spirit, witness, pray for the sick and begin groups. Honest weaknesses include division and thin teaching. Models include mother-church planting, cell and house groups, and church planting movements, each with real strengths and real criticisms. We welcome simplicity, lay service and obedience, and insist on sound doctrine, qualified leaders and accountability. Discipleship means teaching all that Christ commanded, and a healthy path moves from repentance through baptism, teaching, Spirit baptism and service, to teaching others. A wise pastor plants patiently, trains leaders, and releases the new church.

Further Reading

• Allan Anderson, An Introduction to Pentecostalism (2nd ed., 2014).

• Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori, Global Pentecostalism (2007).

• J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Contemporary Pentecostal Christianity (2013).

• Ogbu U. Kalu, African Pentecostalism (2008).

• Melvin L. Hodges, The Indigenous Church (1953), the model for planting churches that govern, support and extend themselves.

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