An Unhelpful Misconception about Independent Church Plants

My husband is the Pastor of an Independent Church Plant.

And there is unhelpful misconception about Independent Church Plants.

It's not always stated, though occasionally hinted at in suspicious gazes and passive aggressive comments.

The misconception relates to why you would plant an Independent church.

The first relates to church planting itself- you plant a church because you think that existing churches either aren't doing a good job, or they are unable to do evangelism.

The second relates to being independent- that you plant an independent church because you think that existing denominations aren't doing a good job, or they are unable to do evangelism.

Basically, when some people see an independent church plant, they see a church that by its very existence is judging their own church and finding it wanting.

Now, don't get me wrong.  There are some people out there who believe that their church is the only effective church, the only true church, the only church that Jesus approves of.  The correct term for them is a cult.

But in my experience, most church plants, independent or not, are not like that at all.

Do you want to know a secret?  I grew up in a denominational church.  I became a Christian in a denominational church.  That church had been planted around 50 years before I was born (I know, there's even a little history book about it).

And not only that.  I love denominational churches.  I thank God for the ways that he has worked through the years through so many different churches.

When my friends in ministry pray and decide that they are going to be Anglicans or Pressies or Baptists, I thank God.

So why would anyone plant an independent church, if Denominations can be good?

Because there is so much work to do.

Australia is growing, and has been growing for a long time.  The ratio of number of churches to number of people continues to balloon out.  If all we had was existing churches, while our population swelled, how would we reach them all?  We need new churches.

And why do we need independent churches?  Well, it's not so much the independence that is good (in fact, we have joined networks and fellowships and Tim has various pastor friends and mentors to make sure we aren't that independent at all), but the fact that we need different churches to reach different people.  Our society is changing, and their will always be people who will not be drawn towards traditional models of church.  "Independent" churches, for want of a better word, have some unique flexibilities which can help them to reach people in different ways.

We need to get these issues out in the open and work together.  Celebrate our differences.  Realise how God can work through us all in different ways.

You might be wondering why I would write this post in a blog dedicated to church planting wives.  I think these issues need to be discussed.  My observation and experience is that when these kind of misconceptions fester in the background, they can really hurt relationships between ministries wives.  We are all caught up in what can be a difficult and isolating role. 

It's important that rather than judging each other and particularly our husband's ministry choices, that we encourage each other.

Because the harvest is plentiful, and there is much to do.  So let's do it together.

Belinda