(EDITOR’S NOTE — This issue of the Biblical Recorder continues our coverage of a seven-part series on the “Seven Pillars for Ministry: Biblical Concepts for a Christ-Centered Vision.” These seven pillars are vision statements developed by Milton Hollifield, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. I believe these pillars need to be known, understood and embraced so N.C. Baptists can do a better job of fulfilling the Great Commission. It is our hope that this series will be a catalyst to strengthen our churches in fellowship, vision and partnership. For more stories on church planting or to find out about the entire package, please visit here.)

Your idea of a church planter may be a young man in his 30s with a casual, contemporary appearance — maybe even spiked hair. Think again. Stereotypes are common. I don’t suppose this will ever change. Perceptions of church planters are not exempt.  

Church planters are not all young, and not all fit the mold of a student fresh out of seminary. Some look like cowboys, most are not Caucasian — Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican, Turkish, Filipino — you pick the nationality.

Herman T. Stevens was a church planter of a different era in Baptist life. A loyal Southern Baptist and proud graduate of Campbell University, he served as the pastor of churches in North Carolina and Virginia. Each grew under his leadership. And each was a mother church to multiple new church plants. He is responsible for at least 24 new churches in the Tidewater-Peninsula area of Virginia. He planted at least seven churches after he retired in 1948. This was a man of energetic leadership and vision. Church planting was his passion because he believed this would reach the greatest number of people through the limited resources of the local church. He believed that God’s resources were unlimited, so the dollars would always be there for a new mission of the church.

Stevens believed in the “Baptist seven-mile concept.” Under this concept, when a church reaches 250 members, you go seven miles down the road and establish a new congregation. He obviously practiced it. He resisted the use of his name when naming a church. Twenty years after he retired, he finally allowed one of those new churches to use his name. The Richneck Mission became Stevens Memorial Baptist Church. My wife’s family was part of that church planting team, and Stevens was their pastor. Pam and I were married in the church 39 years ago. Such is the influence of this church planter on our lives. Church planting was the norm 60-70 years ago in Baptist life. Ed Stetzer says “As the church became established, it began to protect its establishment. Existing churches began to see a church plant as a competitor.” Church planting became the exception.

When I moved into the county of my most recent pastorate, the newest church plant was 40 years old. Thankfully, the last decade has seen significant change in that statistic.

Every church planting network — denominational or independent — has minimal standards for effective church planters. Although not exhaustive, the following five statements summarize the convictions of most networks:

• He must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
• He must be fully committed to Biblical authority.
• He must be committed to living the truth of scripture daily.
• He must be committed to his wife and family.
• He must be disciplined in his daily walk with God.

But there is much more. An effective planter has passion. He is not serving himself. He is focused on glorifying God, giving birth to a ministry that produces changed lives. His age, nationality and cultural genre fit no stereotype. His uniqueness was designed by God for a purpose.

We have no reason to be threatened by the work God is doing through new churches.

Our partnership in the gospel leaves no room for competition with fellow Baptist churches. We will be wise to ask God to give us a vision to plant more churches which will reach more people with the life changing message of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Give Him glory for every new Bible-based congregation in this state.

Editor’s Pillar 4 picks

• Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer, B & H Publishing Group, 2006
• The Multiplying Church: The New Math for Starting New Churches by Bob Roberts Jr., Zondervan, 2008.

Pillar 3 — Strengthen Existing Churches

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This issue of the Biblical Recorder continues our coverage of a seven part series on the “Seven Pillars for Ministry: Biblical Concepts for a Christ-Centered Vision.” These seven pillars are vision statements developed by Milton Hollifield, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. I believe these pillars need to be known, understood and embraced so N.C. Baptists can do a better job of fulfilling the Great Commission. It is our hope that this series will be a catalyst to strengthen our churches in fellowship, vision and partnership.)

As a 31-year-old pastor, it is an understatement to say that I was in awe. Sitting in my study with Richard Wurmbrand, we were chatting about his ministry as a Romanian pastor in the environment of the Soviet Union.

He described the solitary confinement, physical torture and hunger he endured through fourteen years in communist prisons. He was guilty of one crime — proclaiming Jesus Christ as the savior of mankind. His godly wife, Sabina, sat next to him as we shared these few treasured minutes. In a moment he would step into the pulpit of the church where I served as pastor and share his story.

He said, “Pastor Allan, your people say you are a good pastor.” While somewhat proudly I appreciated his blessing, I was not ready for Rev. Wurmbrand’s humbling statement that followed. The intense eyes of the seasoned pastor looked into the eyes of this young pastor, pointing his shaky, bony finger at me and speaking with a Slavic accent, he said “It is (a) terrible, terrible sin to be (a) good pastor.” He paused and repeated the same statement with emphasis. “It is (a) terrible, terrible sin to be (a) good pastor!”

Stunned, I did not know how to respond. Where was he going with these words? Surely he read the curious disbelief in my face.

With intensity Wurmbrand said, “God called you to be (a) GREAT pastor! And (a) GREAT pastor is (a) godly pastor.” This private conversation was a defining moment in my life. Wurmbrand showed me that a truly great and godly pastor is a man of prayer, humility and obedience to God’s word.

I was dazed, to say the least, as I led him to the pulpit. For the next hour he captivated the congregation with his personal story, written in the best-seller Tortured for Christ.

This godly servant and statesman had just rebuked every form of mediocrity in my life. His experience of faithfulness and determination in the face of adversity defined discipleship for me. Having read Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship, I was formulating the basic marks of a disciple of Jesus Christ — marks that shaped my ministry for 30 years.

Biblical discipleship is the core value of Pillar No. 3, “Strengthening Existing Churches.” Whether a church is one year old or 100 years old, a strong focus on disciple making is an absolute essential. If there is no intentional effort for discipleship, there is no healthy congregation.

It is disastrous when the church leadership accepts mediocrity as the norm. Being a “good” Christian or a “good” church is not good enough. We are called to be “great” as disciples of Jesus. Such greatness embraces intentionality and determination. It means we will keep the focus on Jesus and never give up. This is the meaning of Hebrews 12:1-2, “...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith ...”

Do you remember Jesus’ definition of greatness? “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:4, NKJ). There it is!

Great disciples are men and women who humbly learn at the feet of the master and deliberately apply His truth. Great disciples are deliberate in disciplined habits and in lifestyle. This makes healthy disciples, and ultimately it produces healthy churches.

Unhealthy churches are not defined by size, age or location. They are defined by leaders and members who settle for less than God’s best. They are characterized by mediocrity, not discipleship.

It is easy to lose sight of our purpose when we enlist believers to serve in the church. Our work is not to recruit people merely to sustain the organization, but to make disciples, calling them to fulfill the vision Jesus assigned to us. Jesus did not tell us to keep the organizational wheels turning. He called us to shape lives in the character of Christlikeness — holy living, faithful praying, depending on “... every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4, KJV).

Here is our assignment: “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 ... ” (Matt. 28:19-20). Are we making church members, converts, or disciples?  

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This year marks the 102nd anniversary of Wurmbrand’s birth. He founded “The Voice of the Martyrs” and continued to speak for the persecuted around the world until his death in 2001. Visit torturedforchrist.com or persecution.com.)

Editor’s picks for Pillar 3

Disciples Are Made Not Born by Walter A. Henrichsen, David C. Cook
Henrichsen’s classic is a simple, basic introduction to disciple making. Based on principles from the Navigators, he underscores that discipleship is not complete until the new convert is able to reproduce himself by bringing another person to Christ and training that person to reproduce himself, also.

Sharpening the Focus of the Church by Gene A. Getz, Victor Books
This respected church leader looks at the church through three lenses: (1) New Testament principles, (2) Contemporary needs and (3) Church history. This is a powerful overview of positive solutions to church health, based on a solid biblical foundation.

The Healthy Church by C. Peter Wagner, Regal Books
You will learn how to avoid (or cure) the nine diseases that can afflict any church congregation.  John Maxwell says, “His unique insight will help your church build up a healthy immune system and offers treatments for these destructive diseases.” This one is creative, thoughtful and insightful!

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This item is part of a package of stories highlighting strengthening existing church ministries across the state. The Biblical Recorder is focusing on the Seven Pillars for Christian Ministry adopted by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. For more stories on strengthening existing churches or to find out about the entire package, please visit here.)

Pillar 2 — Evangelism and Church Growth

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This issue of the Biblical Recorder continues our coverage of a seven part series on the “Seven Pillars for Ministry: Biblical Concepts for a Christ-Centered Vision.” These seven pillars are vision statements developed by Milton Hollifield, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. I believe these pillars need to be known, understood and embraced so N.C. Baptists can do a better job of fulfilling the Great Commission. It is our hope that this series will be the catalyst to strengthen our churches in fellowship, vision and partnership.)

I remember it well. I was 10 years old, and I had just prayed to receive Jesus as my Savior. My Dad and my brother prayed to receive Christ in the same Sunday morning service at New Hope Baptist Church in Charlotte. My mother made her decision for Christ two weeks earlier and my sister two weeks later. Our whole family of five was baptized together soon thereafter.

I remember the clean sense of newness in my life. I’ll never get over it. My life had been changed for eternity. Our whole family was headed in a new direction. My alcoholic father was set free from that destructive addiction, never to be enslaved again.

The truth of the gospel had invaded our household. We were brand new because someone in the church down the street cared enough to share the Good News of salvation with us. What if they had not cared? What if they never told us that Christ died for our sins?  I’ve wondered where I would be if that Baptist church had been caught up in just having activities that keep people busy, but had no evangelistic outreach.

I’m surprised they did not ask my brother and I to stop coming to the church. You need to know that Larry and I rode our bikes to Sunday services for a long time before my parents started attending. We were those little brats who did not know how to act in church, and there were no parents present to supervise us. But there was Mrs. Jordan who loved us like we were her own. And others welcomed us, overlooking our “unchurchy” ways. So, we kept going back.

God was working on me from another angle. The Gideons came to our elementary school. Yes, it was a public school and we knew nothing about “political correctness.” The Gideons said I could have a New Testament if I would memorize one Bible verse. The verse was John 3:16. I put it to memory and received my first reward. God used that scripture to prepare my heart for a greater gift — the gift of eternal life.  Everyone’s story is different, but the result is the same. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, as Paul stated in Romans 1:16. Evangelicals believe the gospel is true. We believe it is life-changing. We believe Jesus suffered and died for our sins, was buried and arose the third day. We believe he lives today and that his indwelling Holy Spirit gives us the power to proclaim this salvation to those who have not yet believed.

This is the basic meaning of “evangelism and church growth.” The gospel is proclaimed. Some respond in faith and experience the forgiveness of sin. These new believers get assimilated into a New Testament church. The church grows, reaching out to others and the cycle is repeated.

The methods of evangelism are many — tracts, EvangeCube, verbal witness, Bible distribution, Vacation Bible School, public evangelism events, Sunday School, worship services, concerts. But no method works if we do not share the gospel. We are God’s method!

If there is no proclamation of the gospel, the church is merely a social club. If evangelism is not important, we should not be surprised when baptism numbers decrease and churches close their doors. If there is no faithful proclamation of the gospel, we are guilty of disobedience. Jesus said we will obey him and share his salvation throughout the whole earth when we are filled with His Holy Spirit. Are we filled with Jesus? Are we telling the good news?

Editor’s picks for evangelism
Introduction to Evangelism
by Alvin Reid, B & H Publishing (1998)
Reid traces the history of evangelism with a focus on how Christians can proclaim the gospel effectively. Using methods built upon biblical, historical, and theological foundations, this exhaustive guide integrates doctrinal issues with practical matters of methodology, while developing the personal spirituality of those who seek to carry out the Great Commission.

The Master Plan of Evangelism,
2nd edition, abridged, by Dr. Robert E. Coleman, Revell (2010)
This classic on evangelism needs to be read and applied in every church. For more than 40 years this book has challenged over 3.5 million readers to discover how Jesus used men to proclaim His message.

Concentric Circles of Concern,
Revised, edited by Claude V. King, by W. Oscar Thompson Jr. &
Carolyn Thompson Ritzmann,
B & H Publishing Group (1999)
According to this newly revised edition of W. Oscar Thompson Jr.’s classic work, successful evangelism always starts at home. In Concentric Circles of Concern, Dr. Thompson gives specific details on how best to share Christ’s love by meeting the spiritual needs of close family first, followed by friends, and others in your circle of relationships.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This item is part of a package of stories highlighting evangelism and church growth across the state. The Biblical Recorder is focusing on the Seven Pillars for Christian Ministry adopted by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. For more stories or to find out about the entire package, please visit here.)