I am grateful for the upsurge in interest in church planting that began in the 1990s. In my own personal journey toward planting a church in 2017, Tim Keller’s article “Why Plant Churches?” had massive impact in whether we ought to plant churches or not. In short, the response was that logistically it is imperative we seek to provide more spaces for people to hear the Good News and follow (the quantitative question) Christ.
Keller’s article argues that because there are many different kinds of people, there needs to be many different kinds of churches that can meet people where they are (the qualitative question).
Embedded within the question of church planting, there is a sad reality that there are many churches, but churches merely in name only. There is a building. There is a group of people who gather. There is someone who stands in front of others in the name of God and shares a message.
For the attributes of a true church, a great place to start is Martin Luther’s marks of a true church: the gospel proclaimed, the sacraments administered, church discipline/accountability exercised, biblical offices filled, public worship maintained, and suffering endured.
But my scope here is narrower: What is needed to plant a healthy church?
So much energy in modern church planting initiatives focus on leadership gifting of the man who is called to the work. Other energies are spent in making sure all the necessary documents are written. A core team is in place. Monies are promised. Core values are clear. All of these are very important to the health of a church plant.
Before we can think of the organization and organism called the church as healthy on the macro level, we must consider the health of the cells on the micro level. That is to say, the pre-eminent first cell for a healthy church plant is a healthy church planter.
Unfortunately, in our zeal we often forget the most important element of a church plant is the integrity (that is, in the technical sense of wholeness) of the founding leader. I’ve seen far too many church plants fizzle because these three spiritual attributes are lacking.
Three Marks of a Healthy Leader
1. Humility
A healthy church is a humble church. A humble church can only grow from roots of humility. These roots of humility stem from the seeds of humility sown from the life of the church planter.
With so much hype in today’s up and coming churches, pride seems endemic. This is nothing new in the life of the church. There have always been proud leaders. Our hyper-connectivity and ability to produce polished set lists on social media has only magnified such hubris.
God’s Word reminds us, “This is the one to whom I will look. The one who is humble and trembles at my Word” (Isa. 66:2). “The Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
As such, the Lord will not give His glory to another. Give it time. But if a church planter is not humble, then I don’t want him. The Lord is his enemy. The simple question, then, becomes, “Are you humble?” An easy way to gauge that (though there is so much more that needs to be said) is to ask yourself, “How do I respond when people point out a discrepancy or weakness in my life? Am I defensive? Receptive? Inquisitive?”
A healthy church will only grow from soil of deep humility. May those who plant churches be marked by a deep sense of humility.
2. Hunger for God
Humility is birthed from a deep hunger for God’s glory, and, even more important, an abiding hunger for God Himself. A healthy church can only be planted if the church planter longs to commune with God in the places where he won’t be seen.
All of us know someone can turn on the spiritual switch when needed. All of us know (and have been guilty of) practicing our righteousness before others to receive their praise and admiration and affirmation and acceptance.
I’ve seen many proud men crumble and fall because they planted a church out of some need to justify their existence. Even today, some pastors are using the auspices of ministry to win admiration from others. The remedy for this is to hunger and thirst after righteousness and not defend and promote self-righteousness.
The beauty of the imagery of hunger is that it can only be satisfied by something and someone outside of us. We are not self-generating beings, but wholly dependent beings. That we need water and food is a constant reminder that we are needy.
A healthy church planter longs for the presence of God in his life so much that he constantly cultivates his interior life.
3. Holiness
“Without holiness it is impossible to see God” (Heb. 12.14). Because the church planter longs for God, he is going to be at pains to eradicate all ungodliness and every worldly lust.
It used to be that those who served God’s people were marked by a palpable commitment to holiness. This word “holy” simply means to be set apart for a specific purpose. The healthy church planter must remember that he lives for the glory of God and not for the praise of people. That praise will go to the grave with him, but holiness must mark the people of God in such a pronounced way that others will see and glorify God.
Now more than ever, we need servant leaders who are dedicated to not taking cheap shots at politicians but are committed to justice and mercy with their neighbors. We don’t need more superficial spirituality that has answers but lacks brokenness over their sin and the world’s sin. We need church planters who recognize the need to honor God with their words and actions more than their follower count on social media.
After all, isn’t that what a church really is in its simplest cellular structure? It is a community of individuals committed to their priesthood. And leading that well requires humility, a hunger for God, and holiness of heart and life.
— Matthew Wireman has served as the program director for Christian Ministries at North Greenville University Online since 2014. He also serves as lead pastor at Christ the Redeemer in Greenville, which he and his family planted in 2017.