The 2000 Anabaptist Church Planting Survey: Reflections and Practical Implications - Part 1

AEC2001
Anabaptist Evangelism Council

The 2000 Anabaptist Church Planting Survey:

Reflections and Practical Implications
Part 1 - Introduction

Steve Clapp

President and Project Director
Christian Community, Fort Wayne, Indiana

First Read the Survey Results Report

I have two wonderful young adult friends with whom I will be sharing supper this evening. Although Holly and Michael are brother and sister, there are ways in which one can’t help being surprised that they came from the same gene pool and shared essentially the same childhood environment. Many parents understand this phenomenon – the reality that what you learn raising one child does not necessarily prepare you for the one which follows. For example:

	Holly is a vegetarian and an animal rights activist. She loves gourmet food and has an interest in sauces and innovative preparations. Mike is a true meat-and-potatoes kind of guy who prefers not to have anything strange looking or unknown drizzled over his food.
	Holly’s politics are so liberal that she was completely disappointed in the major candidates from each party in the last United States presidential election. Mike, on the other hand, is primarily interested in what a political candidate will do for the economy and for the profitability of major corporations. They don’t talk a lot about politics!
	Holly is a very loving and caring person, but she is notoriously absent-minded about birthdays and anniversaries. Mike, in contrast, begins to make plans for family birthdays several weeks in advance.
	Holly does not want to conform to the crowd. If everyone else is wearing it or doing it, she wants no part of it. Mike, in contrast, does not want to stand out. In high school, he would wait to buy new clothes at the start of the school year until after he saw what others were wearing.

They are both deeply loved by their family and friends, they are both professionally successful, and they both make significant contributions to the improvement of life for others. But they are very different.

As we look at the results of our study of fifty-one of the churches planted by Anabaptists in North America over the last decade, it is important for us to recognize the extent to which each of these new congregations is unique. While some have the same "parents" in terms of denominational family and even some key elements in the planting process, they have grown in very diverse ways. There are limitations on how many characteristics can be grouped together without failing to recognize the particular personalities of each congregation – developed out of the church planting core and initial pastoral leadership, the methodology utilized, the specific environment in which the church was planted, the persons attracted by the church plant, and other variables. Angela and I are seeking to group together common characteristics to help us understand and learn from what is happening in North American Anabaptist church planting, but we need to stay mindful that there are dangers of oversimplification in such enterprises.

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The 2000 Anabaptist Church Planting Survey: Reflections and Practical Implications Part 1 - Introduction

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The 2000 Anabaptist Church Planting Survey:

Reflections and Practical Implications
Part 1 - Introduction