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Why Plant Churches?

March 5, 2022 | by: Guest | 0 comments

Quite simply, it is the New Testament pattern for a growing ministry rooted in the Gospel.

why-plant-churchesIt begins with the Lord Jesus’s command in Matthew 28:18–20 to “make disciples of all nations.” Further, the book of Acts shows us that making disciples is done by planting churches.

In Acts 2, as 3,000 men and women came to faith in Christ, they began to gather as a local church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42–46). By the time we arrive in Acts 13, the church of Antioch is sending Paul and Barnabas to spread the Gospel and plant churches all around the Mediterranean Sea.

In Acts 14:21, when Paul and Barnabas went into a particular city, they preached the Gospel and people would respond. As a result, they appointed pastors over the new churches, and then they moved on to repeat the process (Acts 14:23).

By the end of Acts, Paul and his team had participated in three missionary journeys (Acts 13–20), and Paul was planning on traveling as far as Spain (Romans 15:24, 28) once he was released from his imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28).

Church history is filled with examples of those who have followed the biblical model of Acts (e.g., Basil of Caesarea’s work of planting monastic communities in Cappadocia in the 400s, John Calvin training pastors to return to France in the 1500s, the Wesley’s planting Methodist churches throughout the Eastern U.S. during the First Great Awakening in the 1700s).

I want to highlight Patrick of Ireland (c.389–c.461), who was an early missionary and church planter. Patrick was captured by Irish raiders at the age of sixteen and put into slavery somewhere along the west coast of Ireland. During his six-year captivity, Patrick placed saving faith in Jesus Christ. After receiving theological training, Patrick was gripped by the Great Commission and became convinced his calling was to return to Ireland for the purpose of evangelizing the country.

Patrick speaks of “thousands” converted through his ministry, including sons and daughters of Irish kings (see his Confessions). To increase the range of his influence, he ordained “clergy everywhere.” The results of Patrick’s labor were extensive, and although he was not the first to reach Ireland, according to Thomas Cahill, Patrick reached the northern and western provinces of Ulster, Meath, and Connacht, leaving only the southern province of Munster for the next generation to evangelize [1]. One generation later, the essential structure of the Irish Church was in place, and within 100 years, the conversion of Ireland had been largely achieved [2].

So why plant churches?

Because the Scripture teaches that churches plant churches, and churches bring the hope of the Gospel to those in need! Nothing else will have the same consistent Gospel impact in a community.

Why plant in Benicia?

Because we want to be a lighthouse in the San Francisco Bay Area that reaches out and ministers to the those broken and ruined by this fallen world, bringing them the love and hope of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we desire to plant a local, community-based church in Benicia.

Benicia was founded in 1849 and became the state capital in 1853 until the capital was moved to Sacramento 13 months later in 1854. With a population of almost 30,000, Benicia only has eight broadly evangelical churches (although not all committed to the historical gospel), reaching less than 4% of residents. Furthermore, the last church planted in the community was over 30 years ago.

ryan-refconAfter my pastoral ministry at Calvary Community Church in Brentwood, we chose to move to Benicia in 2018 and subsequently involved ourselves in the life of the community through sports, family, old friendships, and the like. In doing so, we have witnessed the need for a church in the community with our distinctives: Christ-Centeredness and sufficiency of the Scriptures, expository preaching, the doctrines of grace, priesthood of believers, biblical spirituality (life directed by the Spirit in both belief and action within the context of Scripture), on mission with hopeful evangelism.

Also, through our participation in the “New Creation” wrestling and jiu-jitsu academy in town, we have made several friends and witnessed their desire to know more about the Gospel. Further, the pandemic these past two years has made me again feel the urgency that life is short, the harvest field is ripe, many are watching their idols of career and wealth and pleasure topple to the ground. They need to hear of a Savior who really heals and delivers and redeems!

Our vision, then, for the church plant is simple. We seek to exalt Christ in His supremacy and sufficiency through disciple-making, equipping, commissioning, and sending church planters, missionaries, and pastors, while sharing the Gospel with our local community in words and deeds of love. The need is great, and so we ask that you keep us in your prayers. We can accomplish nothing without the Holy Spirit’s empowering aid.

We desire to see the gospel come “not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). After all, Jesus is the one who builds his church (Matthew 16:18) according to the purpose and plan of the Father (Ephesians 1:3–14).

And yet, our Triune God delights to use means. In 1 Peter 2, Peter describes Jesus as the “Cornerstone” of the church and believers as living stones that are laid upon him. He is “in the sight of God chosen and precious” even though he has been “rejected by men” (1 Peter 2:4). As living stones connected to the cornerstone, we are meant to be “a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Each living stone is added to the building as they “come to Him” (1 Peter 2:4), that is as they “believe” (1 Peter 2:7), one by one. Simply then, we desire that this church plant would be an instrument used by the Father to advance the kingdom of his beloved Son through the Holy Spirit’s empowering aid, as sinners turn to Christ and are connected to him, one stone at a time.

[1] Cahill, How the Irish Saved Civilization, 110.
[2] Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland, 239–240.

Ryan Rippee is President of The Cornerstone Bible College and Seminary in Vallejo, CA.
He is also pastor of Trinity Church of Benicia – a church plant. For information about Trinity Church of Benicia visit: trinitybenicia.com

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