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CHURCH DEVELOPMENT Myths About Starting New Churches
By Dr. Montfort C. Duncan Jr.
Executive Director, Church Development
How
many times have you heard the comment, “Why does the conference put so
much emphasis on new church development?” Some myths have developed around
this high priority of our annual conference.
Myth #1 -- “We should strengthen our existing churches first.” Our
annual conference in 2000 completed a pilot project of working with 21 local
churches in a revitalization effort. Some churches evidenced a turn-around;
others did not. We learned much from this three-year effort. A major
initiative dealing with this concern will be shared at the next session of
annual conference. Newer churches are accounting for the most net growth in
the Florida Conference right now.
Myth #2 -- “A new church will
damage our established churches.” When there are multiple United Methodist
churches in an area, the average attendance per church is higher than for a
church in a stand-alone setting. There are more unchurched people in our
communities who need reaching than our current churches are able to reach.
Defending exclusive territorial rights is almost always counterproductive.
Myth #3 -- “But most new churches don’t survive.” New churches do
survive — and thrive. Of the 45 new churches and missions the Florida
Conference has started since 1995, 42 of them are still active and healthy
congregations. No church is guaranteed perpetuity. If we start no new
churches today, the United Methodist Church will cease to exist through
attrition.
Myth #4
-- “Starting new churches is
a fad that has come and gone.” The New Testament model of evangelism
makes no distinction between personal evangelism and starting new
churches. The United Methodist Church has aggressively started new
churches in the period from 1993-1999. Prior to 1993, we were starting
churches at the rate of 41 per year; since 1993 we are starting churches
at the rate of 121 per year. The Florida Conference leads the whole
connection in starting new communities of faith.
Your faithful support of the New Church Start apportionment helps make this exciting outreach effort to the unchurched a reality in Florida!
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