NEW PORT RICHEY — The Rev. Christopher Schmidt is filled with both excitement and fear.

He is excited because he’s the first to start a new church in the Florida Conference using a first-time model, but he also has some fear because it’s never been done.

When the new church starts next year it will be a separate extension, a north campus, of Hope United Methodist Church here, which itself is only eight years old.

The north campus church doesn’t have a name or even a site on which to build, but what it does have is the heart of Schmidt and a core group of people willing to step out on faith.

Schmidt will be stepping out on familiar territory to recruit new members. The church is set to launch three miles from where he grew up and five miles from First United Methodist Church of Hudson where his father is pastor.

“I’m just excited to be on the front edge of what the conference is doing,” Schmidt said. “I think this is going to be a model for churches to grow.”

St. Petersburg District Superintendent the Rev. Dr. Kevin James agrees. He said starting churches from existing churches is a way to fulfill the ministry and mission of the church.

“…We hope and pray that this will catch on with other churches, that other churches will partner with a second campus or rebirth themselves,” he said. “It’s good because it gives the satellite church the support and an opportunity to partner with an existing congregation. They have a faith community working and praying with them. They are not out there on an island by themselves.”

The Rev. David Miller, founding pastor of Hope United Methodist Church, said the north campus will be like having the same church in two locations.

“We have a certain amount of ownership in this so we won’t just start a church and leave,” Miller said. “Since we are young ourselves I have some experience I can pass on to Chris.”

That support means Schmidt isn’t alone, as many pastors are when they begin their ministry.

“I have a few core members right now at Hope who will come with me, but the idea is not to steal existing members, but to reach out to the unchurched,” Schmidt said.

It’s that process that has the Rev. Mont Duncan, director of New Church Development, excited. He said an existing church can lend its resources and staff to begin outreach to an unchurched population in an area.

“They own the process and the need; it is not seen as a threat, but as an extension of their current ministry,” Duncan said. “By using this model the conference can start two churches for the current cost of starting one new church. It will help to stretch the apportionment dollars for new church starts.”

The St. Petersburg District is rich with congregations large enough to produce fruitful church starts. James estimates there are roughly 20 large congregations with 40,000 members in the district. He doesn’t shy away from the idea of other churches reproducing themselves.

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” he said.

Duncan is also optimistic about the conference starting other churches this way. He is willing to talk with districts interested in the idea.

For now Schmidt is it, and he’s ready to go.