CORE STRATEGIES: New Churches

A remarkable event took place at the 2013 meeting of the Central Texas Conference.  During the Center for Evangelism and Church Growth report, four specific initiatives related to our core strategy of new church development were launched.

• 1. Lance Marshall was appointed to 7^th Street, Fort Worth for a new church start parented by First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth.  (To the best of my recollection this is the first time someone has been appointed to a street!)
• 2. Shea Reyenga was appointed a Path 1 Intern at White’s Chapel.  Path 1 is the core strategy of the larger United Methodist Church in the United States on new church development.  (The title “Path 1” comes from the original seven vision pathways laid out by the Council of Bishops for the recovery/transformation of the United Methodist Church.  New church development was designated the first of those seven pathways.)  White’s Chapel, through the mentoring of Dr. John McKellar, is working in coordination with our Center for Evangelism and Church Growth and the Path1 team headed by Rev. Candace Lewis of the General Board of Discipleship. Each of those three entities is contributing expertise, time, and financial resources to this internship.  It is our intent that this would lead to a new church start with Rev. Reyenga and partnered by White’s Chapel UMC sometime in the fall of 2014.
• 3. Rev. Louis Carr, Jr. was appointed to Thompson Chapel with the intention to relocate and re-launch Thompson Chapel.  This action was taken in conjunction with work done by the congregation (and voted on by them) to take this historic risk-taking mission with the expertise and involvement from both the Center for Evangelism and Church Growth and the Cabinet leadership from the Dr. Luther Henry and District Superintendent Dr. Ginger Bassford.  Pastor Carr tells me that they have already surpassed 100 in worship and are looking to close a deal on new land!
• 4. A second site start with Rev. Daniel Hawkins serving as the pastor as a part of the staff of First United Methodist Church Keller.  Again the courageous and visionary leadership of the parent church for this second site (1^st UMC Keller) is yoked with resources from the Center for Evangelism and Church Growth.

Each of these four ministry initiatives are concrete examples of how we are living out our core strategy of new churches.  No church, no Christian community, no denomination has ever grown in the two thousand year history of Christianity without a deeply committed emphasis on new church development.  None!  Check it out for yourself.  Read Kenneth Scott Latourette’s multi-volume History of the Expansion of Christianity. Notice further how the core strategy of new churches is yoked with the first core strategy of a focus on the local church; that is, the transformation of existing congregations.  (See my blog entitled “The Transformation of the Local Church” posted September 18, 2013.)  For me, hopefully for us, the need for new places for new people is a conviction – no, more than that - a call that God has laid upon us as a people of faith.  It is one that comes out of the heart of the Christian gospel.  Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 13:1-3 are two of many passages that provide a biblical anchor. These are exciting times for the United Methodist Church in Central Texas and around the nation and world!  We are re-engaging and embracing the forgotten ways of Christianity and Methodism.  Praise God!  While writing this blog I received the following note from Dr. Tim Bruster, the Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth:  “I want to let you know that we have exceeded our goal of $100,000 from First Church to name the Evangelism and Church Growth Center after Lamar Smith.  We are at nearly $108,000 and the money is still coming in.” What a great testimony to name the center of Evangelism and Church Growth in honor of truly outstanding leader of Methodism in our Conference (and the Texas Conference) as well as a former President of Texas Wesleyan University – Dr. Lamar Smith.  A double praise God for such faithfulness and vision!