Photo: Michael Kucharski on Unsplash
For the last 25 years of full-time church ministry I have had the privilege of working in church plants of one kind or another, all meeting in rented halls, schools and homes.
In those years I have been a keen student and observer of the church plant variety of kingdom flora. Some plants succeed while others fail. Here are eight leadership requirements of church plants borne out of that experience. All of them reflect, in one way or another, the fundamental qualification - which is that the local church must be founded on Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11), which in practice means that it must be founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.
In one sense, the biblical leadership requirements of church plants do not differ from those of established churches. But since there are additional burdens placed on the shoulders of church planters, the requirements for those leaders are often higher.
Some positives and some negatives...
#1 Church plant leadership must be broad
What do we mean?
There are always exceptions to the rule, but strong leaders prepared to risk everything to initiate a church plant can so easily end up, longer term, as sole leaders unable to work with others. Although a pioneering spirit is essential for any church plant to get off the ground, plurality and breadth of leadership is essential for the next stage of church maturation.
Rugged pioneers who can't work very well with others (and there are very good men in this vital category) must recognise this weakness and pass on leadership to a team. Because churches beyond the early plant stage need broad leadership to survive and mature.
#2 Church plant leadership must not be Nepotistic
The same fault - narrow leadership - can emerge in a church started by family members. Family ties will always be greater than other ties for blood is thicker than water, and this can very easily pose a hindrance to gifts from outside the family being recognized, let alone employed.
We should perhaps note that among the Twelve, there were two pairs of brothers. The greatest percentage of potential family influence among the Twelve was therefore 1 in 6 or a mere 17%. While this is a bald mathematical calculation, it did prevent any one family among The Twelve from unduly influencing the direction of the whole.
I know of church plants which were started - or at least dominated - by sole families in the early years. In one case, decades later, no-one from the 'outside' has been able to break into the church. In another case it was well known that all the major decision were made 'around the kitchen table' of the founding family.
We sometimes hear of megachurches - perhaps especially in the USA - who are led by successive generations of the same family over many decades. While that may be a practice known in Industry and Politics, it is unknown in Scripture and has great dangers built into it.
#3 Church plant leadership musn't come from the ranks of the disgruntled
Some Christians simply can't get on with anyone, but for some odd reason these wontfits occasionally decide to bandy together and form a new church, somehow imagining that alchemy on this occasion at least - will turn lead into gold. What happens? Before long they all fall out with each other, but tragically, not before they have dragged some helpless, innocent and naive believers down with them.
If church plant leaders come from among the disgruntled they could easily pass on the root of bitterness which defileth many.
There will always be exceptions, but those who form new churches should come from the ranks of the previously happy.
#4 Church plant leadership must be narrow
In the fourth place, and seemingly contrawise, the leadership of a church plant must be narrow. Church plants which begin as a group of Christians from diverse backgrounds all living in one geographical area and wanting to meet together soon discover that what divides turns out to be greater than what unites. Before long the practical and doctrinal gaps between them emerge and either the plant withers in rocky soil or it begins to founder soon afterwards.
A clear and narrow doctrinal and practical stance must be adopted by all who belong to the core group. It is unrealistic to place someone who wants to speak in tongues every Sunday morning in a church plant with someone who wants to sing the Psalms unaccompanied. It might sound sweet and ever so spiritually mature at the start, but it is unlikely to last for long.
#5 Church plant leaders must be Pauls not Timothys
I note from the New Testament that it is Pauls, not Timothys or Tituses, who plant and found churches. There is a very good reason for this. Paul has been around the block a few times; his doctrine and practice is secure and mature. He knows what's essential and what's not.
Someone 'straight out of Bible College' has no idea what is important and what is not. Until he has been round the block at least once, he will not know for practical-tested-it-on-the-ground sure, what's primary and what's secondary.
Someone who has never been a church pastor before is therefore faced with two enormous burdens, should they be appointed church plant leader. First, they are working out what's important and what's not, and secondly they are having to fashion foundations based on this forming and therefore partial and shaky understanding.
There will always be exceptions, but it's a big mistake for first-time young men to be given the responsibility for church planting.
#6 Church plant leadership must be strong
Church plants by their very nature attract unusual people. Being small they attract the type that are looking for a small pond in which they can look like a big fish. Some are escaping past experiences, some even escaping church discipline. Being quirky (a potentially good trait), church plants often attract believers who don't - or won't - fit in anywhere else.
Everything is against the church plant leader right here. Leading a small congregation he eagerly snaps up the help of anyone who comes along and is tempted to trust folks far too soon.
To handle the potential stream of would-be-leaders and misfits requires strength and unity in the leadership.
To see through the flattery - by words or even by financial gifts - requires prayerful maturity.
To discern that folk filled with bitterness from their last church experience will only pollute their next, requires pastoral insight and healing if possible.
It is likely that the leaders of a church plant will have to send quite a few newbies away, if they are to avoid wasting a great deal of time and stay focussed on their real task, which is to win the lost.
We notice in Acts 20 that as Paul leaves the church in Ephesus to the younger leaders, he is concerned about wolves entering the flock. Why? Well, Paul was an experienced wolf-spotter-come-slayer. But he is concerned that the younger less practiced men might not spot a devious wolf - after all wolves dress up as sheep. And very nice sheepies too.
Without experienced strong leaders in the mix, prepared to be bloodied in the task of slaying wolves, or at least shooing them away, a church plant could easily become pray to the self-centred Diotrephes of this world.
#7 Church plant leaders must be centred on the Gospel
Oh dear, this is a big one. How many churches have begun centred around a secondary - or even tertiary - issue! Eschatology is a common one. What binds this group together is not the Gospel, but some hobby-horse.
In due time, of course, this kind of glue, for it is not Gospel cement, is insufficient to bind together people who by their very nature latch onto secondary and tertiary issues.
Before long quaternary (of the fourth importance) issues raise their ugly heads and the whole fellowship implodes.
#8 Church plant leadership should be associated with the leadership of other churches
To strengthen the fellowship in its early years, church plant leaders should ideally be associated with other church leaders, for we can all spiral away if we are on our own. We should all be be wary of church plant leaders who refuses to connect to other churches. Down that path lie the cults.
Since church plants are tender vegetation, easily damaged by wind and rain, it is wise they are connected to the support of a large church, perhaps the church who birthed them and takes the time to care for them in the years to come. The Jerusalem church, for example, had a natural care for the church in Antioch and supplied Barnabas who in turn suggested Paul to help them along.
Foundations, foundations, foundations!
All of these observations boil down to the fact that foundations are being laid in the first years of a churches life. Those foundations need to be solid, based on the Gospel and the Apostolic doctrines of the New Testament. If not the church will founder. Perhaps not right away, but in due time cracks will appear and the church will eventually collapse.
Built on a solid foundation, with Christ as the cornerstone, church plants not only grow but thrive they also provide the single most effective way, under God, for the Gospel to spread.
