May is Kingdom Advancement Month – Your Church Can Multiply

Your Church Can Multiply

By Dr. Steve Cordle

In 1770, there were about 600 Methodists in the United States. By 1850, one out of every three Christians in America was Methodist. How did that happen? Through a move of the Holy Spirit and the rapid planting of churches planting churches.

Church planting is a Spirit-led response to an urgent spiritual need. Today, at least five and a half billion people worldwide are living apart from Christ. To reach them, we must plant new churches. One reason is that new churches win people to Christ at a much higher rate than existing churches. The rate of church planting must triple (at least) to keep up with global population growth.

Churches Plant Churches

To meet this need, the Global Methodist Church is laying the foundation for a new church planting movement by emphasizing that churches plant churches. Denominations don’t plant churches. Annual Conferences don’t plant churches. Churches plant churches. In Spirit-led multiplication movements, disciples multiply disciples, and churches multiply churches.

If we do not plant new churches, the number of Christ-followers will shrink, and so will our denomination. As JD Payne points out: “A denomination that ceases to plant churches today will die tomorrow.”

3,500 New Churches in the Next Seven Years

A denomination must plant new churches at a rate of at least 3% of its total number of churches annually to maintain its current levels. This means the GMC must plant approximately 3,500 new churches in the next seven years. Anything less, and we will be declining as a denomination.

The good news is that church multiplication is already underway in the GMC. As Bishop Carolyn Moore says, “Today, everywhere I go in the GMC, planting is the main topic of conversation.”

One Church Has Planted Five More

For example, in 2022, Rev. Luciano Pereira da Silva started a church in Panama City. Three years later, that church has already started five others by sending out disciples like Jazir del Cid to reach the people of their area. Hundreds of new churches have recently been started in the Congo, and a church planting movement is underway in Ethiopia. Many Annual Conferences in the U.S. are taking strategic steps to plant new churches.

Start Planting

Chances are, your church began when a few believers from other congregations came together to reach the people of your area. Consider learning how to partner with others to start a new congregation. Could God be calling you to become a church planter? If so, contact your Annual Conference leadership to learn more.

Your church can multiply!

Rev. Dr. Steve Cordle is the Director of Church Multiplication for the Kingdom Advancement Commission. He is also the Executive Director of The River Network International. Steve planted Crossroads (now The Table) Church in Pittsburgh. He is the author of three books: A Jesus-Shaped Life, The Church in Many Houses, and See it, Hear it, Risk it.