Can Church Planting Revitalize the Advent Christian Church?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

 The question for Advent Christians is how many of our churches need revitalization and how we accomplish the task at hand. An analysis of the Advent Christian Denomination conducted in 2009 determined that we have been in decline since the early days of our foundation. According to the AC Manual, there were 335 Advent Christian churches in North America in 1991. In 2020 there were 256 Advent Christian churches in North America. Some church health experts suggest that at least 90% of North American churches require revitalization. Without a concerted effort to revitalize, these churches will likely close at some point.

In 2013 Dr. Glenn Rice, President of Berkshire Christian, indicated in his Dissertation that Advent Christians were facing the midnight hour of a leadership crisis. He writes, “In the next decade an aging corps of pastors currently serving in local Advent Christian pastorates will reach the age where they are eligible to officially retire, leaving the ministry and the local church without their service.”[1] Based on this timeline, we are already in the window where the crisis would be actualized. Though we are facing a leadership crisis, we are also facing a lack of vision for reaching our communities with the Gospel. There’s little doubt that a lack of pastoral training has created a shortage of called and equipped leaders to take charge of caring for God’s people and continue the mission of God in local communities.

How can we revitalize our churches, train leaders, and plant churches? Are these goals important? I suggest that although church planting sometimes seems at odds with church revitalization, it can be a means to revitalize churches because it puts the mission of being Christ’s witnesses to the world front and center. Through planting churches, local churches will see the imminent need to train leaders who can lead their church and send them off to plant new ones locally. The problem will necessitate solutions.

What is church revitalization?

Church revitalization is the restoral of the Gospel mission as a church corrects course towards God’s call on their local body. Bobby Jamieson observes that Paul writes to the Corinthian Church to address issues that led to their missional drift.[2] Chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians addresses divisions and factions; Chapter 5 addresses tolerating sexual immorality; Chapter 6 addresses lawsuits among church members; Chapter 7 addresses confusion over marriage; Christian freedom is addressed in Chapters 8 and 10; Can you believe they had worship wars according to Chapters 11-14?; Chapter 15 addresses false teaching on the resurrection.[3]

These issues addressed by the Apostle Paul are found in many dying churches. There’s often much pain and strife in a church that has lost its missional zeal. A church that loses its vision for being Christ’s witness to the community often finds itself in a place focused on internal issues that cause considerable dysfunction. Are any of these issues present in your church? The only answer is to correct the course by getting back to the basics of the local church’s mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. 

If you’d like to know more about addressing these kinds of issues, I encourage you to reach out to the ACGC Church Healthy expert, Justin Nash. Not only does he have experience working with Advent Christian Churches, but he’s also a graduate of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Theological Studies in Church Revitalization.

What is church planting?

Though the Book of Acts is often titled the “Acts of the Apostles,” it can more aptly be named the “Acts of the Holy Spirit in Spreading the Gospel through Church Planting.” Church planting is an act of God whereby local churches send missionaries to engage the unreached by preaching and sharing the Gospel, establishing leaders, and discipling new Christians. 

One such missionary team was Paul and Barnabas, who the Church at Antioch sent out. They preached the Gospel in places like Cyprus, Lystra, Iconium, Derbe, and more. They went to local synagogues and to the streets to share Christ at each stop. As people came to believe and repent, Paul and Barnabas would establish them in the faith and go their way (Acts 13:5).[4]

 Common obstacles to church revitalization

Though there are many reasons a church can decline, here are a few broad categories based on my academic study and experience talking with other pastors and church leaders about why a church might find revitalization difficult.

1) Doctrinal Shifts

A local church goes through pastoral transitions every few to several years. It is rare to see a pastor stay in a congregation for decades though it isn’t unheard of. However, consider the challenges many churches face when they have three pastors in ten years. Thom Rainer often suggests in his articles and podcasts on church health that pastors don’t gain the trust and confidence of their church until year five. Additionally, in our non-creedal and non-confessional denomination, our churches might call pastors that don’t align with them doctrinally—a complementarian in an egalitarian church or an Arminian in a Calvinist church. Churches can often call pastors that are ill-suited for their needs. Communities that are rapidly changing might call a pastor who is gifted more like a chaplain than one who can train others to serve the community. Some believe Christians are better off withdrawing from the community than engaging with it. What if leadership and the church don’t align?

 2) Changing Communities

As alluded to above, the demographics in the United States are changing. Cultural values are shifting, as are priorities. The pandemic has only accelerated these changes as more and more people are working from home rather than driving into an office. A church that finds itself in a community increasingly populated by those from other states, ethnicities, countries, or backgrounds might find it difficult to engage effectively.

 3) Lack of Resources

Some churches undergo so much decline they find their resources lacking yet trying to accomplish the same tasks. Consider how many church boards and councils a typical Advent Christian has. Some might need 35 volunteers but only have 25 members. Not only might a church lack personnel resources but also financial. If you have deferred maintenance on your facility, then it can seem like an impossible task to overcome in your quest to revitalize.

 4) Inward Focus

Thom Rainer in Autopsy of a Deceased Church indicates that a church that focuses its finances inwardly has already concentrated its efforts in the same direction. How much money and effort does a church serve its community, missions, and partnerships? A church’s budget is one of the most vital indicators of missional apathy or zeal. Is the church giving sacrificially, as we see in the book of Acts? I’m always convicted when reminded of the first-century church who sold their possessions as others had unmet needs. Early Adventists sold homes and businesses, liquidating assets because they were convinced funds were needed to proclaim the Gospel. Edwin K. Gedney, at one time, led the Melrose Church to adopt a budget that included 50% of their giving to missions.[5]

Common objections to church planting

Tim Keller observes three normal responses in his paper Why Plant Churches when discussing planting churches.

1) We already have plenty of churches that have lots and lots of room for all the new people who have come to the area. Let’s get them filled before we go off building any new ones.”  

2) Every church in this community used to be more full than it is now. The churchgoing public is a ‘shrinking pie.’ A new church here will just take people from churches already hurting and weaken everyone.’

3) ‘Help the churches that are struggling first. A new church doesn’t help the ones we have that are just keeping their nose above water. We need better churches, not more churches.’

In that same paper, Keller debunks most of the objections. Based on his research, he writes that “New churches best reach a) new generations, b) new residents, and c) new people groups.” and “New churches best reach the unchurched.” Long established churches are often challenged in reaching these groups of people because they develop their own traditions, and it can be challenging to break into meaningful ministry. He writes, “In older congregations, it may require tenure of 10 years before you are allowed into places of leadership and influence, but in a new church, new residents tend to have equal power with long-time area residents.”

Most interesting is Keller’s observation that 

Dozens of denominational studies have confirmed that the average new church gains most of its new members (60-80%) from the ranks of people who are not attending any worshipping body, while churches over 10-15 years of age gain 80-90% of new members by transfer from other congregations. This means that the average new congregation will bring 6-8 times more new people into the life of the Body of Christ than an older congregation of the same size.

Although there are many reasons established churches may resist the call to plant churches, it is to the detriment of reaching new people with the Gospel. Consider that the early church often sent out its best and brightest like Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy to plant churches and establish them in the faith.

How church planting can revitalize churches

Tim Keller again offers insight into this question. He lists four ways that church planting renews the whole body of Christ:
1) New churches bring new ideas to the whole Body

New churches have the freedom and flexibility to try new things unencumbered by the traditions of older congregations. Many churches are married to physical locations, service times, apparel, service, elements, and legacy ministries. One church might hold to the importance of children’s ministry during worship, but the new church has the freedom and flexibility to experiment with family integration. Another church might focus its attention on a Thursday night Bible Study, and a new church can try small groups in the homes of its members. A new church can concentrate on reaching Veterans in their community by serving their local VFW or American Legion.

 2) New churches are one of the best ways to surface creative, strong leaders for the whole Body

Anecdotally, new churches reproduce leaders more rapidly than established congregations out of necessity. A new church might have elders who’ve only been a Christian for three years and, through some training, could go on to plant a new church. Most established congregations take a much longer time to disciple and train local leaders. In my experience, people meet the expectations they’ve been given. Most often, people will rise to the challenge, and in a new church, people are expected to serve in some capacity, which provides them with the opportunity to explore their gifts and call readily.

3) New churches challenge other churches to self-examination

As a new church grows, their sending church should be encouraged as the new church provides a “proof of concept” and a sense that “it can be done.” Imagine the church at Antioch in Acts 14 that received the report from Paul and Barnabas after their missionary journey. These missionaries preached the Gospel, discipled new believers, established elders, faced persecution, and persevered. It is a testimony to God’s power and grace! 

4) The new church may be an ‘evangelistic feeder’ for a whole community

Tim Keller suggests that new converts often leave new churches for older churches because they cannot stand the unstable nature of newer churches. So they move to existing churches where the culture feels more familiar, and the stability is more conducive to their spiritual growth. How might your church respond to receiving a dozen new members who’ve spent the last couple of years learning to disciple others and serve sacrificially? 

Conclusion

We’ve looked at the need for revitalization in our churches and denomination, common obstacles to revitalization and church planting, and how church planting serves the mission of God. Some might suggest that sending out pastors and leaders to plant new churches will drain our resources. Why plant a church when we have several open pastorates in multiple regions?

Research shows that planting missional churches will encourage our established churches, reach more people effectively, and raise more leaders. 

A Personal Note

At the beginning of January, I announced my resignation as Senior Pastor of Hickory Grove Advent Christian Church. My family and I intend to move back to my hometown to follow the Lord’s call to plant churches. We’ve begun the planning stages and look forward to God’s work in Central Massachusetts. I will provide more information about church planting in general and our specific story specifically in the coming months. Will you join me in prayer for the unreached in Central Massachusetts, the Lord’s strength, clarity, and wisdom as we take on this new endeavor?

[1] Glenn M. Rice, “Approaching The Midnight Hour: The Impending Pastoral Leadership Crisis In The Advent Christian General Conference Of America” (Dissertation, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2013). 1.

[2] The Bible’s Burden for Church Revitalization, 9Marks Journal, Revitalize: Why We Must Reclaim Dying Church–And How

[3] Ibid.

[4] In his commentary on Acts, Eckhard Schnabel believes the presence of John Mark indicates that his purpose was to aid in the training of new disciples.

[5] Freeman Barton, Our Destiny We Know: Essays in Honor of Edwin K. Gedney (Charlotte, NC: Venture Book Store, 1996).14.