It is not unusual to see students chatting around tables at Anderson University’s Sullivan Hall. However, their subject might be a bit unique.
Their topic? Starting churches.
In a new initiative called Transplant, the church multiplication group of the South Carolina Baptist Convention is urging next-generation leaders to consider church planting as they enter the next chapter of their lives and even now while still in school.
“The vision is to encourage students to move into their communities through their chosen professions, and then get involved with church planting. We want career people to become missionaries,” said Dino Senesi, director of the church multiplication group.
Senesi explained the idea behind Transplant is that college students are steadily becoming the new breed of cultural missionaries in their various communities.
Each event is emceed by 26-year-old church planter Dustin Willis of Columbia’s Midtown Fellowship, along with a concert by the Chris Brown Band.
Senesi is careful to explain that this is not a lead church-planter recruitment. The goal is to encourage students to consider church starts as a compliment to their line of work and as part of their missionary calling.
The North American Mission Board has embraced the concept and is partnering with the convention to offer other Transplant events.
In addition to Anderson, Transplant events are scheduled for Charleston Southern and Columbia International universities.
Greg Allgood, Anderson campus minister, says he wants to give students every opportunity to join the work of God all over the world.
“This is a call to connect with what God wants them to do,” he said. “We want to produce a leadership culture that is changing the world.”
Lauren Davis, a junior early childhood development major, is not completely sure of her role in church planting, but can see God at work around the world.
“God’s hand is on it. I just want to be a part of that movement,” she said.
Davis’ sentiment echoes the central Transplant theme.
“We need a new breed of missionary who will say, ‘I don’t want just to go to church. I want to be the church,'” said Senesi. “Pick a city, go do your thing, plant a church while you are there.”
Log on to www.scbaptist.org/churchmultiplication for more information.