Report of the
Director of Church Extension
“…He will give you another Helper…” John 14:16
The Holy Spirit guides our Mission and our mission of reaching people with the Gospel and planting churches! This year I have been more impressed with this Biblical truth than ever before. The opening of new churches, calling church planters and raising their support, taking on an Assistant Director and new Administrative Assistant, along with all the other old and new things that we experienced the past year, was an enormous undertaking for such a small Mission. I must look back and say, were it not for the Holy Spirit’s ministry in Church Extension Ministries, we would be stumbling through our attempts at extending His Kingdom and the BFC. Praise to the Father who sent the Son and to the Son who sent the Holy Spirit and to the Spirit who sends us.
Several years ago I came on the scene with a vision. The vision followed the acrostic B U R S T: Bridging this vital mission of church planting back to all the churches of the BFC; Uniting the Mission focus of the BFC in order to be a Great Commission force, reaching people with the Gospel and planting BFC churches from our Jerusalems to the uttermost parts of the world; Recruiting and assessing men who possess the gifts, abilities and capabilities to plant churches; Strategically producing a plan for planting churches; Training that will assist the men called to plant churches and make them aware of what God is doing in the realm of church planting throughout the world.
In reviewing this vision, I can say that most parts have been organized and implemented. At this time we have made good progress in having the churches of the denomination involved with our Mission. Each year, more churches are seeing the opportunity to come alongside one of our plants and send a work or ministry team to assist our planters. In 2000, four churches sent teams to our plants. Last year, twelve churches sent teams to assist our plants. Not only have the churches increased their involvement, but also their giving has increased. In 2000, the giving from the churches was $212,255.00 and this year the figure will be approximately $400,000.00. This is an increase of approximately $188,000.00. We continue to look for ways to keep the churches informed about our planning and opportunities to be involved. One area that remains a burden on my heart, a vital part of our vision and necessary for the growth of the BFC, is having our churches catch the vision for Daughter Church Planting. A few of the churches have made inquiries into planting a daughter church but none have stepped forward and made daughter church planting a part of their church’s vision. One region, the Berks County, PA, Region, has united and is involved in the planting of the Reading Hispanic Church, La Roca. This joint effort has and is going well.
The union of the two Missions (Foreign and Home) bogged down in previous discussions. We (Board Of Missions and Church Extension) presented the idea to Annual Conference and the Conference approved the establishment of a Great Commission Board, but we have not resurrected discussions concerning the union of the two missions. The goal of having one church planting Mission for the BFC, that will plant churches throughout the world, is a goal in our new Forward Plan, Missions Here and Now.
Recruiting gifted and capable church planters has become our ongoing goal. We continually seek ways of recruiting such men and calling them to plant churches. The Southern Baptist Mission Board states that only 3-4% of their applicants for church planting qualify as a church planter. What we have done to augment the calling of church planters is to establish our TEAM Structure approach: the establishment of a strong and involved Organizing Elder Board, the calling of an Assistant Director, the provision of coaches and mentors if needed, and the formulation of an Acquila & Priscilla ministry.
We began five years ago with our strategic plan, A Plan to Plant. Most of the goals that the Board set forth in that plan were accomplished. At this Annual Conference, you will be given a copy of our new Forward Plan, Missions Here and Now. Mark Morrison, our Assistant Director, and I will visit the regions to present the plan and answer your questions as well as consider your input. The Board of Church Extension approved our Five-Year Plan for Planting Churches. It has two parts: The BFC Church Planting Guide and the DCPI (Dynamic Church Planting Institute) Handbook. The Guide is a systematic approach for church planting and works its way through the four stages of church planting: cultivating/gathering stage, development stage, growth to maturity stage, and graduation stage. The Handbook is a reference tool for the steps and stages. These tools will assist the church planter and his A-Team with keeping on track and seeing what lies ahead. They will also assist the Organizing Elders in their evaluation and oversight of the Mission.
Lastly, regarding the area of training, this past year we started holding Training Days. Two days a year, we bring our men and their wives together for a day of seminars, sharing, fellowship and prayer. I am very pleased with these Training Days and they have been a help to our men. We are still sending our men to the Church Multiplication Training Center’s summer boot camp for church planters. I also keep the men informed of the latest developments in church planting strategy. I would like to offer other training materials and opportunities for our men, and with Brother Morrison’s experience in church planting and assistance we will be able to formulate a comprehensive church planting training approach. We accomplished much this past year due to His grace and through the prayers and support of our committed partners and the participation and support of the BFC. I stated last year, “…There exists the potential to do great things for God in church planting and establishing new Bible Fellowship Churches. May we look beyond, seeing the ripe harvest and stepping out into our Jerusalems, Judeas, and Samarias, and the uttermost parts of the world.” This remains our challenge. The BFC must become a fervent evangelistic church planting force. May God give us His vision of what He is accomplishing through the numerous church planting movements that exist in the world.
There is an Addendum to this report titled, Church Extension Activity Chart. You will see the course we have charted for church planting in the years ahead. Please pray with us for God to accomplish His will in Church Extension Ministries.
Review of 2005 in Church Extension
• Thirty-five people made professions of faith this year and eighteen were baptized.
• Giving and involvement from churches increased in 2005 by $188,000.00.
• Hundreds of new contacts were made, door-to door surveys were accomplished in target sites, involvement in community events took place, eleven VBS programs were organized, and several thousand Gospel tracts were distributed, along with a number of other innovative outreaches.
• Throughout the summer, work progressed on the building at the New Life BFC, Longneck, DE, church, and the church held their first service on Easter.
• The DELMARVA Team was very active in the Millsboro, Dagsboro, and Georgetown areas seeking to open a Mission Church.
• Pastor Albert J. Dommel was called to be the full-time Church Planter at the Hellertown Mission and commissioned by the Bethlehem BFC.
• Pastor Mark L. Morrison served as our Interim Church Planter in Cape May County, NJ, and laid the foundation for a man to plant the church.
• Twelve ministry and work teams were sent out to assist our plants in DELMARVA, Cape May, NJ, Brooklyn, NY, South Allentown, Reading, PA Hispanic plant, Chesapeake, VA, and Hellertown, PA.
• Frank Lenahan and his family accepted a call to plant the church in Cape May County, NJ.
• David R. Way accepted a call to plant the Church in Adams County, PA.
• Ruth Richards concluded her ministry as Administrative Assistant and Lisa Christensen was hired to fill the role.
• Willis I. Dowling became bi-vocational in his church planting ministry and remains actively seeking to develop the Chesapeake, VA, Mission.
• Four churches graduated from Church Extension: Thompson, CT, BFC, Corttrell Corners, NJ, BFC, Newark, NJ, BFC, and The Church of the Cross, Toms River, NJ.
• Pastor Dennis W. Spinney accepted a call to the Thompson, CT, church. He wants to lead the church in planting daughter churches in New England.
• The Fellowship Community Mission Church opened on the campus of Fellowship Community, ministering to the population at Fellowship Manor, Community and Courts. Pastor Harvey J. Fritz, Jr. was appointed as the Church Planter.
• Pastor Mark L. Morrison accepted the position of Assistant Director of Church Extension, focusing his ministry on working alongside our planters in the field.
• A new Five-Year Plan was presented by the Policy & Strategy Committee and approved by the Board of Church Extension. The Plan is comprised of the DCPI Church Planting Handbook and the BFC Church Planting Guide.
• The new Forward Plan: Missions Here and Now was given to the Board and will be considered for adoption in 2006.
• A number of meetings were held with prospective church planters and groups seeking to plant a church and connect with the BFC.
• Forty-five churches were visited this year by Church Extension staff, who presented our Mission and ministry.
• Several fund raising projects were organized and the responses were good and gracious.
• The Las Cruces Mission Church grew and found a new full-time meeting place. Some planning is underway to plant a second church in southern New Mexico.
• Our Hispanic Church Plants in Reading (La Roca / The Rock) and in Allentown (El Faro / Lighthouse), under the leadership of Carlos Rodriguez (Reading) and Pastor Elliot H. Ramos (Allentown), continue their outreach to the Hispanic community. La Roca began services in the Reading BFC and attendance has continually grown. South Allentown faced some challenges this past year with finances and a key family moving on, but recently, God has blessed them with increased attendance and giving.
• John Pello (Outreach Assistant) and Harry & Sandra Workman (Aquila and Priscilla Team) moved to DELMARVA to join our church planting team.
• The Adams County Team, from the Harrisburg and York churches, was sent out to plant the church in Adams County.
• Aquila & Priscilla Teams: the Workmans from the Sinking Spring, BFC were sent out to DELMARVA and the Engleharts from the Blandon BFC committed to the Reading Hispanic Mission Church.
• Church Extension Ministries made plans to move to its new quarters to the Fellowship Community campus.
I am thankful to God for the great privilege it is to serve Him and the BFC. Pray for the Board of Church Extension and me in 2006. Pray that God will give me wisdom to carry out our strategic plan and assist our men in developing their church plants. Pray for our Mission Team: Lisa Christensen – Administrative Assistant, Carol Snyder – Special Projects Coordinator, John Pello – Outreach Assistant, Ray Bertolet – Assistant Church Planter. Especially pray for Pastor Mark L. Morrison, who is serving part-time as Assistant Director, that the Lord will raise up his support so he can serve full-time. Please pray regularly for our church planters and their families who serve in Church Extension Ministries. They are on the front lines of missions and sacrificially serve you as your missionaries to America.
In His Love & Service, Respectfully Submitted,
David E. Gundrum, Executive Director of Church Extension
