Report of the
Director of Church Extension Ministries
“And I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing.
And I will cause showers to come down in their season;
they will be showers of blessing.”
Ezekiel 34:26
What produces revival? Growth in the Church, and a church planting movement of such magnitude that many people are saved and churches are multiplied beyond any human planning? Charles Spurgeon writes, “Divine omnipotence is the doctrine of revival.” I could also add that divine omnipotence produces church planting movements. Is such divine omnipotence functioning today in church planting enterprises? Yes, in some areas of the world the effectual working of God’s power is producing great church planting movements. But here in America such showers of blessing upon evangelism and church planting are not as evident.
Why isn’t American Christianity experiencing the type of church planting movements and extension of the Kingdom as places like India, China and other regions of the world? I don’t presume to have an answer for this void in America but it is an alarming consideration given the role the American Church has had in world evangelism, yet America has now developed into a Mission field. Maybe this development is part of the answer, the fact that America is a Mission Field and we have not recognized it as being such. Churches seem to understand that their ministry target areas have changed, but do they understand they have changed in ways that demand a more aggressive evangelistic fervor and a plan that includes evangelistic church planting? It is not enough to do evangelism through a weeknight visitation program or by participating in a crusade once a year. Churches must mobilize their evangelism and Mission efforts toward evangelistic church planting: planting a daughter church, partnering with a church plant in their Jerusalem, Judea, or Samaria, working with other churches in their regions to plant a church, and identifying church planters in their congregations and sending them out with a Team to plant churches.
Do we really have a vision of “extending” the BFC? If so, then we should rally around a denominational plan for church planting in America and eventually the planting of BFC overseas. Particular Churches need to rethink their Missions philosophy. They will need to prioritize church planting and adopt a more balanced Missions plan, emphasizing all the regions of the Great Commission. We should never lose sight of our responsibility to send out missionaries to foreign fields and reach the unreached. This is a vital part of the Great Commission but just as vital is reaching people in America and planting churches here at home. Home Missions should not be looked upon as second best and in less need of our support.
The past year I took this message to many of our churches, following up on previous visits, and reinforcing the need to proclaim the Gospel and plant new churches. Church Extension has been blessed with an increased interest, from the BFC, in our vision of planting new churches in new areas. I praise God for how the Churches have supported us, involved themselves with our church plants, and invited Church Extension to be a part of their Missions programs. This is a great encouragement to those who serve in Church Extension. We have embarked on a new year and I am excited about seeing what the Lord will do in 2004. I pray that He will extend His Kingdom and the Bible Fellowship Church and shower His omnipotent power upon our evangelistic church planting efforts.
Here is my report of what has been accomplished this past year in Church Extension. “EXTENDING THE BFC IN 2003″- This was our theme the past year and we took a big step in carrying out this theme by calling a man to serve in the Las Cruces, NM, Mission Church. It was amazing how the Lord provided for Thomas H. Morrison and his family. In December we were able to send the Morrisons to Las Cruces with an adequate support package and relieve Jack Becker of his duties at the Mission Church so he could return to his missionary service in Mexico. The move to Las Cruces was the most distant point that Church Extension has traveled in order to plant a church. If you look at the charge the BFC has given to our Mission, you will see that the whole of North America is to be reached by Church Extension. This is a tremendous assignment, but Las Cruces may be our first step toward being a national denomination.
The following list will review what else we did to extend the BFC in 2003:
· Our Churches and Mission Churches were blessed with over 40 people saved this past year and 16 baptized.
· Thousands of pieces of Gospel literature were distributed, hundreds of homes were contacted with our Door-to-Door Community Surveys and our men, along with Ray Bertolet and John Pello, made 5,300 evangelistic visits.
· The Thompson, CT, Mission Church was received into Annual Conference as a Particular Church.
· Church Extension, working with the Joint Committee on Ethnic Church Planting and the Berks County Hispanic Task Force, was able to complete its Demographic Studies of Reading, PA, and work toward the calling of Carlos Rodriguez to plant our second Hispanic BFC Church in the city of Reading, PA.
· The Newark, NJ, BFC was assessed and prepared for reception into Annual Conference.
· The purchase of property for the New Life Mission Church in DELMARVA was secured and a building plan was implemented.
· The Director and Board had to face a number of challenges in Church Extension as the ministry of Church planting is so viciously attacked by the Devil.
· Many meetings were held in Churches and with Boards of Elders and Missions Committees promoting the vital Mission of Church Planting and raising support for our Mission.
· Two significant meetings were held with BFC Churches who are looking into Daughter Church Planting.
· We had our fourth Summer Church Planting Intern, Darryl Evans, serve at the Rehoboth/Long Neck Mission Church.
· We interviewed several men who are considering church planting.
· Our Policy & Strategy Committee continued its work of developing a Policy Manual and a Five-Year Plan for Church Planting.
· Ray Bertolet and Thomas H. Morrison attended Church Planter’s Boot Camp in June.
· Numerous trips were made to our Churches and Mission Churches to assist them.
· A significant number of new interested people were added to our mailing and e-mail lists.
· Our Donor/Partner list grew this past year and we were able to see a 12% overall increase in giving.
· Plans were finalized for the opening of a new Mission in Worcester County, Maryland.
· Several individuals gave significant annuity gifts through Mennonite Foundation for Church Extension.
· Twelve BFC Churches participated with our Church Extension Mission Churches and Churches, assisting in VBS Programs, literature distribution, work projects, and other areas of helping out.
· This past year our Aquila and Priscilla ministry blossomed with Phil and Sandy Mitchell from the Emmaus Church commissioned as Aquila and Priscilla Missionaries to the Hellertown Mission Church and Harry and Sandra Workman being sent out from our Sinking Spring BFC as well as making plans this year to move to DELMARVA and further assist church planting on the Peninsula.
· I served on the Ministerial Candidate Committee and had the privilege to attend a number of Regional Meetings of our Pastors.
· I served on the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee and worked on a plan for presenting the Biblical Principles For Living to Annual Conference.
Church Extension had a busy year. As we look to 2004 we are asking the Lord to “Pour Out His Spirit” upon our Mission. This is our new theme. We need the Spirit’s outpouring upon our church plants so that we see people saved and the Churches and Mission Churches grow.
Here are some of the things we are planning in 2004.
· The construction of new Church buildings at the New Life Mission Church in Long Neck, DE, and Newark BFC, Newark, NJ.
· The reception into Annual Conference of the Newark, NJ, and Rehoboth/ Long Neck, DE, Mission Churches as Particular Bible Fellowship Churches.
· Preparing to graduate the Newark, NJ, Bayshore, NJ, and Ocean County, NJ, Churches from Church Extension at the end of 2004.
· The purchase of property and full-time meeting places at the Las Cruces, NM Mission Church and Bayshore, NJ, Church.
· The appointment of an Organizing Elder Board for Las Cruces and a plan for oversight of this new venture in New Mexico.
· The possible restart of a Church in Cape May Court House, NJ.
· The preliminary work of investigating a church plant in Millsboro/Dagsboro, DE.
· The calling of Carlos Rodriguez and the opening of a new Hispanic Mission in the city of Reading, PA.
· Revisiting the vision for a Hispanic Church Plant in Lancaster, PA.
· The calling of a man to Worcester County, MD, to begin meetings in this new state of Maryland.
· Investigating the planting of a Daughter Church in Middletown, DE, in cooperation with the Newark, DE, BFC.
· Facilitating a group that is meeting in the Adams/Dauphin County, PA, area and the possibility of a church plant in this target area.
· Looking into our second church plant in New England.
· Evaluating and seeking to further develop our present works.
· Working to increase our prayer support base and encouraging new donors to partner with us through the giving opportunities offered by Mennonite Foundation.
· Planning for our fifth Summer Church Planting Intern.
· Recruiting qualified and gifted church planters.
My prayers in 2004 are directed toward seeing the Holy Spirit pour Himself out upon each of our Church Extension Churches and Church Plants, and the Churches that are the Bible Fellowship Church denomination. Along with my prayers, and the prayers of the many who partner with Church Extension, we need the prayers and support of individuals and churches that have not been in partnership with us. If the Bible Fellowship Church is to be a church planting movement, seeing people saved and churches multiplied, then we need to unite in our efforts of evangelism and church planting.
“Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a fertile field
¼how blessed will you be¼”
Isaiah 32:15
I praise God for the privilege it is to serve our great Lord and the Bible Fellowship Church. Pray for me in 2004 and the Board of Church Extension to have God’s wisdom. Pray for our staff team: Ruth Richards, Carol Snyder, John Pello and Ray Bertolet. Most of all, pray for our men and their families who serve in Church Extension Ministries. They are your home missionaries, called of God to plant churches.
In His Love & Service, Respectfully Submitted,
David E. Gundrum, Executive Director of Church Extension.