Could every Baptist church start a new Christian community? This was the bold question at the heart of Revd Dr Alex Harris’ doctorate research (Asbury Theological Seminary, 2024). This article reflects on material prepared for presentation at Northern Baptist College (January 2025), Spurgeons College post graduate symposium (March 2025), and the theological research conference at Durham University (April 2025). Drawing from the book of Acts and fresh empirical research, Harris argues that planting new churches isn’t just for large, well-resourced congregations, but an invitation and expectation for every church.
Starting new churches
Using Acts, Harris highlights how early churches naturally multiplied. His invitation is to view Acts not only as a historical record of what the first churches did but a living vision of what Jesus invites his church today to be. One of the natural outworkings of healthy church – alongside such core things as reaching new people or growing in discipleship – was starting new churches. The book of Acts expects every church to start new churches, but it is a less daunting task than we might imagine.
Harris presents a vision of Pentecost as the Spirit birthing not one but two forms of church – twin sisters. One was larger, publicly accessible, located in the place of spiritual encounter with recognised leadership in priests and engagement with government – a temple court church. The other was discrete, led by ordinary people in ordinary places, often hidden from governmental sight – house to house. These are both equally valuable and full expressions of church, but distinct in their shape and the people engaged. It’s possible to see a connection at ‘apostolic oversight’ but they had life and leadership of their own.
Harris suggests that Acts invites us to embrace both forms, making ‘church planting’ an accessible activity for most of our churches with some embracing more ‘temple court’ approaches and most embracing more ‘house to house’ expressions. A few might have a hybrid model of both. The key is an expression that reaches new people effectively and grows disciples intentionally.
How new churches start in Acts
Three key patterns emerge from the book of Acts of how new churches of both varieties are initiated. Harris’ invitation is to expect to see every church today reflected in at least one of these options.
- Uninvited scattering (The Jerusalem period, Acts 1-10). There is a disproportionate use of the concept of ‘scattered’ in this first third of Acts, with that scattering leading to new churches in new places. Churches were formed as believers migrated, due to persecution or personal choice. We might see this reflected today in the growing inter-ethnic make-up of communities and churches and wonder how churches can be both safe landing pads and effective launching pads for new migrant community churches to form.
- Strategic sending (The Antioch period, Acts 11-19). There is a disproportionate use of the concept of ‘sending’ in this middle section of Acts, with new churches starting because of intentional, prayerfully determined strategies with teams resourced and sent to new places with the direct intention of new churches forming. New churches were intentionally planted by established churches investing in people and resources. A translocal network enabled this strategic work. We might see this reflected in strategic regional or national investment in city-based resourcing churches able to catalyse wider church planting energy. This approach is also found in the historical overseas mission movements which now include significant ‘inbound’ missionary work to the UK.
- Intentional staying (The Ephesus period, Acts 20-28). There is a disproportionate use of the concept of ‘staying’ for a long period in one location in this section of Acts, such as in Athens, Ephesus and Rome. That ‘staying’ included the hosting of a training centre type model. New churches grew through long-term discipleship and training, equipping believers to start churches wherever they were. We might see this reflected in the growing disciple-making group initiatives and mircochurch networks that release ordinary Christians – through deepening discipleship and leadership training – to be ready to start small, simple churches in the ordinary places they live.
Research findings: What holds churches back?
Working with ordinary local leadership teams, Harris’ empirical research explores how Baptist church leaders thought about starting new churches, and how those leaders and churches could move to a point of imagining themselves initiating new churches. Key takeaways include:
- Many church leaders felt unequipped to share their faith confidently, often rarely having shared their faith with a non-Christian themselves. This was even more true for church members who often reported they didn’t have meaningful relationships with non-Christians.
- There was limited awareness of diverse church models — many assumed church planting required a large congregation and budget and was therefore beyond their capacity.
- Leaders benefited from direct coaching by practising church planters as opposed to post practitioners or theorists. Even better if those training them were ‘just like them’ socially, economically or ethnically.
- People from black and brown majority experiences of church (irrespective of their own ethnicity) showed significantly more confidence in sharing faith and starting new churches, and that confidence was contagious when those people were welcomed into leadership.
- Personal relationship with active church planters was the strongest motivator for new church initiatives.
What needs to change?
For more churches to embrace church planting, Harris’ research suggests several key shifts:
- Evangelism needs to be normalised in everyday Christian life with those gifted in evangelism being actively released as a key culture-forming voice and influence
- Church models need to be diversified, including smaller and more flexible approaches, embracing a more flexible ecclesial threshold (the minimum required for an expression to be considered a church). Developing institutional measurement and resourcing of these more microforms of church would catalyse church planting in this way
- Training needs to emphasise hands-on mentoring rather than just academic study, with a focus on ‘just like me’ practitioners and training that is immediately relevant to the situation, sometimes called ‘just in time’ training
- Institutional racism in Baptist structures needs to be addressed to empower a wider range of leaders. This has powerful justice and equality drivers, but Harris’ research also shows this is a key to releasing missional and church planting confidence in churches.
The challenge ahead
The message is clear: with the right support and vision, church planting isn’t just for the few, it could be for everyone. You can read Harris’ full research piece below.
For more information, contact Alex Harris at alex.harris@sthild.org
