The "Church Planting" Game


A preacher known as an aggressive "church planter" died on Friday when his airplane crashed. His name was Clint Clifton and he left half a dozen small children for his wife to raise. He had a Face Book page that linked to a lot of his writing and from that one can discern much of his reasoning for frantic efforts to start new churches. 

He wrote short books on why and how to start churches. One might think dumping collection plate money into new churches is a waste because numbers in Christianity are falling. This preacher did not deny the falling numbers, he even used them to justify the money he took from donors to pay for his salary and airplane. 

In his writing he went over in detail the number of churches which close every year in the U.S. Far more close than start up. He thought if the faith could ramp up the numbers of starts things would not look so bleak. Where would all the subsidy money for these new churches come from? He had an answer.

He pointed out that all churches, yours included, will someday die. Without exception, the building will outlast the congregation. That is why, he notes. there are church buildings from coast to coast that are now restaurants and apartment buildings. Why not then, he reasoned, take most of the money spent on overbuilding current churches and spend it starting new churches? That way, the congregation will live on in another church. He indirectly criticized spending money on big new church buildings. Paying him a salary and giving him a twin engine airplane to zip around in was a better use of this money. 

Where did he like to plant new churches? He said starting new churches in traditional urban areas was difficult because people there don't see the need for them. Two other kinds of locations are a better bet. These are college and military areas. 

These two kinds of communities constantly have people moving in and out. So, some may go to a nearby church to meet people. The new church is planted as a social center.

Church planting seems like just another of the many con games in Christianity.

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