The Bible teaches that churches start churches. We see this illustrated several times in the book of Acts. In Acts 8 the church at Jerusalem was scattered throughout Judea and Samaria because of the persecution of Saul. Over the next three or four years, the scattered saints stayed faithful in their new locales, even seeing converts added, and were recognized as churches (Acts 9:31). The same story is told with the believers in Antioch; in time a church was born through the ministry of the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:19-26). In Acts 13 the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey. What resulted was churches being started in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (Acts 14:21-22).
Churches start churches. The plan: qualified men are sent by their church to evangelize an area. As believers in the new group (including several men) prove faithful over time and through opposition, provided they have qualified leadership, they can be organized as an autonomous church.
Our family was sent by Bethel Baptist Church in El Sobrante, CA to do this work in Medford. When the authority of the church is respected and the plan followed, the result is greater worship of God as the Lord uses one of His churches to start another church.
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