Churches Start Churches

Churches start churches. The church at Jerusalem started many churches in Judea, Samaria, and even north in Syria. They also started the church in Antioch. Several men which were scattered from Jerusalem at the time of Stephen’s persecution traveled as far as Antioch, preaching the Word as they went. Many believed in Antioch (Acts 11:19-21).

When word came back to the church at Jerusalem of the salvations in Antioch, they sent Barnabas to assess the situation, and would have instructed him to summon the converted Saul of Tarsus to disciple the new saints in Antioch. When the two men returned to Antioch, they continued an entire year “with the church and taught much people” (Acts 11:26). Once Barnabas and Saul returned, the group in Antioch was called a church. The believers in Antioch didn’t unilaterally form a church; they were constituted by the authority of the church at Jerusalem.

The model in Acts is this: believers are sent to a new region to evangelize. When an ample number of saints in that locale have been proven and they have pastor leadership, they are granted authority by the sending church to become a church (cf. Acts 14:19-23). In essence, churches start churches.