Church Planting & Church Restoration

Let us not do one without the other.
by Bob Larson

Church planting is vital for the expansion of the Gospel both here in the United States and around the world. When one studies early American church history, the major reason Christianity spread so rapidly across our young nation was due to the fervent efforts of missionary church planters. They brought a message of hope and salvation to many remote communities and cities across our nation.

United States church planting is just as necessary today if not more so in our ever-expanding nation. Equally important as the planting of new churches is the restoration of churches that have fallen into decline. To keep up with the growth of our country, we must continue to plant new churches. At the same time, many existing churches that once thrived but now face a decrease in attendance and funds need to be restarted and reopened.

The church restart ministry involves several key components. For example, we must evaluate the spiritual need in the community as well as that of the few remaining members of the church. It is necessary to meet with existing leadership and determine not only the needs and concerns they have but also how a vision for future ministry can be rejuvenated. Many times, funds must be raised to renovate buildings and property and to update and create inviting spaces for worship, classes, and fellowship. I am not suggesting that breathing new life into a church in decline is an easy task, but by New Testament churches and ministries working together, much can be done to salvage and restart these churches.

A great example of church restoration recently took place at Central Baptist Church in Hamden, Connecticut. This church had fallen into decline and the pastor had died, leaving only three members to continue the church’s ministry. The property included a debt free building, three acres of land, and a parsonage.

The struggling church members were praying for help from above. They reached out to Dr. Jim Townsley who pastors Central Baptist Church in Southington, Connecticut. A decision was made to donate the property and buildings at Hamden to Central Baptist Church in Southington and a plan to restart the Hamden church began to take shape. Over the years the church in Southington had planted multiple churches but this was the most ideal situation they had ever experienced. Dan Wright, a graduate of New England Baptist College (a ministry of the church in Southington), and a staff member at the church felt called to pastor this church restart.

Dr. Townsley contacted me at BIMI Reseeding America and asked if I could assist. I sent out a social media appeal for funds to remodel the church and house, and churches started to respond. Our ministry also supplied 25,000 copies of the Romans Road and the book of Romans with a custom printed cover with information concerning the Grand Opening of the church. I flew to Connecticut the week before Easter to help distribute the Grand Opening material as well as work on the church building.

As Dr. Townsley shared the need to remodel the house and church building, other churches across the country got involved in donating funds. God’s people from Central Baptist Church in Southington and other sister churches in the Northeast showed up with various skills to help in remodeling, plumbing, landscaping, painting, and decorating. Still others came to distribute Grand Opening material. To God be the glory, on Easter Sunday (opening day) there were over 90 who came to church from the community and three trusted Christ as Savior!

I believe in the days ahead there will be more and more churches across America that will need to be rescued and restarted. Let us continue to plant new churches! At the same time, stable, healthy churches can adopt a church in decline and conduct a ministry of church restoration. The alternative is to simply let struggling churches die a slow death and be gone forever.

Next Article

---