Report of the
Executive Director of Church Extension
“…he began to relate one by one the things
which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.”
Acts 21:19
“It’s a Wonderful Mission”
What would the Church be like were it not for the Apostle Paul’s church planting ministry? Many of us are familiar with the classic Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. The story line of the movie is about what life would be like in Bedford Falls without the positive influence of one man named Harry Bailey. In my report to Annual Conference, I would like to consider this thought of how the absence of one entity can greatly influence the results of a larger setting. How has Church Extension impacted the BFC and what would be missing in the BFC were it not for the vital church planting ministry of Church Extension?
Denominational Church Growth – In the last twenty-five years, Church Extension presented eighteen churches for reception into Annual Conference. This year, two more churches will be presented, totaling twenty churches: Kutztown, PA – Red Hill, PA – Mt. Pocono, PA – Walnutport, PA – Fellowship Community, Whitehall, PA – Newark, DE – Camden, DE – Long Neck, DE – Piscataway, NJ – Howell, NJ – Newark, NJ – Toms River, NJ – Old Bridge, NJ – Clinton Corners, NY – Brooklyn, NY – Langrangeville, NY – Holmes, NY – Merida, Mexico – Las Cruces, NM – Thompson, CT.
These former church plants, connections and re-starts make up thirty-seven percent of today’s roster of churches that comprise the BFC (excluding Mission Churches). If Church Extension had not been on the scene, the BFC would be a fellowship of thirty-three churches rather than fifty-three.
Conversion and Baptismal Growth – It is impossible to go back twenty-five years and measure how many people were saved through the ministries of the twenty churches who came out of Church Extension. Because Church Extension kept records of conversions for the past seven years among its Mission Churches, we can give some objective report of conversions. Over the past seven years, the Mission Churches of the Church Extension, as a group, averaged thirty-one recorded conversions per year, totaling two hundred-seventeen conversions. If Church Extension had not been on the scene, the BFC would have missed the joy of all those born-again through the ministries of this Mission.
Baptisms are a little easier to look at. We could go back twenty-five years but let’s merely look at the 2007 Yearbook and see how many were baptized by the churches who came from Church Extension. A total of eighty-nine people were baptized in 2007. This represents twenty-five percent of the total baptisms in the BFC in 2007. If Church Extension had not been on the scene, the BFC would have a significantly lower amount of baptisms and, as follows, a reduction of church membership.
Mission Support – Do you realize that when a church or individual stops or reduces their support of Church Extension they are taking valuable finances away from the BFC’s mission to reach the world with the Gospel? Not only is church planting here in America harmed, but with reduced funds to start new churches, the funding base for foreign missions is also eroded. In 2007, the twenty churches brought into the BFC by Church Extension gave $180,210.00 to Missions in the BFC. In the past twenty-five years the churches that came into the BFC through Church Extension have been a valuable part of our Missions outreach and have sent several missionaries out from their churches to serve the Kingdom. If Church Extension had not been on the scene, the BFC would have been hindered in its ability to send out missionaries and church planters.
The Joy of Sacrificing and Serving – The Christian faith is grounded in sacrifice and service. Our Lord’s two main areas of focus were His determination to sacrifice Himself on the cross in order to be the sinner’s perfect substitutionary atonement and second, to come to serve and not be served. In a wonderful way, Church Extension has given the BFC opportunities to exercise the joy of sacrificing and serving. Church Extension allows for the churches of the BFC to assist and participate in the birthing of a church and being part of that growing process with the baby church until it reaches maturity and graduation. Think for a moment of all the work teams, ministry teams, Surrogate and Organizing Elders, Aquila & Priscilla teams, coaches and people who have left the comfort of their church to be a part of a baby church. With sacrifice and service there comes hard work and struggles, yet there remains few richer blessings from the Lord than to be a part of the birth of a church and see it through to graduation. Church Extension and its Church Planters have been blessed with support and involvement from the BFC churches over the years. If Church Extension had not been on the scene, the BFC would not have experienced the joy and wonder of being involved with the excitement of planting baby churches and watching them develop, not to mention the joy experienced by those who plant churches along with their teams.
It truly is a wonderful Mission – Church Extension Ministries. As pointed out in this introduction, Church Extension Ministries is the lone BFC Mission charged with extending and growing the BFC. There are valuable ministries in the BFC. We rejoice in the camping outreaches of Pinebrook and Victory Valley, however they are not charged with extending the BFC. Our Board of Foreign Missions has an important facilitating role with those who are sent out to missions here in home offices and settings, along with those going to foreign fields, yet our Foreign Missions Board has not been given the task of extending the BFC. Only Church Extension has the responsibility of reaching people with the Gospel in new ministry target sites and gathering people to birth and develop new BFC churches.
With this strategic and critical role given to Church Extension, one would hope that the denomination would do all it is capable of doing to adequately support the mission of Church Extension. Our future growth as a fellowship of churches is dependent on the success of Church Extension. When Church Extension seeks to begin a new Bible Fellowship Church, it faces formidable challenges. Last year, I stated, “…Our Five-Year Plan, for planting a church estimates a cost of $280,000.00 to plant a church in five years…The BFC now gives an average of $360,000.00 a year to Church Extension…Most of this giving is designated for church planters, while other portions are needed for administrative costs, staff salaries, equipment and special projects.” One can see that after you take out designated giving and other costs, there is little left for ministry and outreach needs.
Successful church planting is not solely dependent on adequate finances. Finances are necessary but there are other necessary elements. Successful church planting is best accomplished with a committed core group of twenty people or more who will remain at the plant for at least five years, along with a Spirit-filled and gifted church planter, as well as denominational interest and support.
Not all church plants are going to be successful. The Southern Baptist Association estimates a 30% success rate in its church planting efforts. Church Extension has close to a 70% rate of bringing church plants into the BFC as Particular Churches.
We must also be careful how we define success and attach it to our support for church planting. Do we use the same measure of our money and time when considering overseas missions? Churches will support overseas missionaries for many years without questioning their effectiveness and whether or not they planted a church, or even a BFC church. Being a small connectional denomination, the BFC churches must consider the fact that very little of our support for foreign missions has a direct impact on extending the BFC. Our foreign missions endeavors do not plant BFC churches nor do they make disciples who will be BFC members and support our mission to the world. We must be supportive of a global mission plan that includes adequate attention and support for missions to our Jerusalems, Judeas and Samarias, as well as the uttermost parts of the world.
All this to say that if Church Extension is going to carry out its vision and charge to plant new Bible Fellowship Churches and extend the BFC, it must have the financial and human resources to do so. It is very discouraging to have Bible Fellowship Churches reduce their financial support for this vital Mission, not have churches desiring to send out their people to plant new churches, and possess such a small church planter pool of men willing to go and plant churches. It seems to me that every Bible Fellowship Church will need to decide if it truly wants to be an integral committed part of a fellowship of churches and be committed to this body we call the Bible Fellowship Church. I am praying I will be able to count on the churches of our denomination to support this vital Mission called Church Extension.
“To be an expanding fellowship of churches
united to make disciples of Jesus Christ.”
REVIEW OF 2007 IN CHURCH EXTENSION
• We recorded twenty-nine people making professions of faith.
• Financial Giving from churches increased in 2007 by approximately seven percent, along with an increase in our donor list and donor giving.
• Two Training Dayswere held for our men including guest presenters and case studies from former BFC church planters.
• Tim Zuck and Al Dommel attended CMTC Church Planter’s Boot Camp Training in Lancaster and were sponsored by Church Extension.
• I met with four churches seeking connection with the BFC.
• Numerous new contacts were made, door-to-door surveys took place in new target sites, networking in community events, eight VBS programs were organized along with other community outreaches, and several thousand Gospel tracts were distributed.
• Church Extension, with the assistance of several churches, made needed renovations and maintenance repairs on the BFC properties we occupy at Brooklyn, NY, South Allentown, PA and Cape May, NJ. The costs for these jobs were paid for by the Mission Churches, some BFC churches and Church Extension.
• Las Cruces, NM and Merida, Mexico churches will be presented for reception into Annual Conference.
• The DELMARVA Team was active in Millsboro, Georgetown and completing demographic studies in the Middletown, Smyrna, Milford and Selbyville, DE sites. Our Aquila & Priscilla Team in DELMARVA – Harry & Sandra Workman – continued their Bible study at their home and assisted at New Life BFC, Long Neck, DE.
• Jason and Joanne Englehart, our Aquila & Priscilla teamfrom Blandon BFC, continued serving alongside Carlos Rodriguez at La Roca Mission Church in Reading.
• Ray Bertolet completed his duties at the Long Neck, DE BFC and we decided to suspend the attempt to plant a church in Millsboro, DE. Ray has been actively targeting a new church planting site by completing detailed demographic surveys of several sites.
• Pastor Jonathon Arnold assumed the pastorate of New Life BFC, Long Neck, DE. The church has now graduated from Church Extension.
• The Hellertown Mission grew to forty this year. A Transitional Leadership Team is in place with four men who may eventually serve as elders. The Mission is scheduled to graduate in 2009.
• Russ and Nell Ruch completed their ministry as an Aquila & Priscilla Team at the Walnutport Church and have moved on to serve at the Hellertown Mission Church.
• Tim Zuck served as our Summer Church Planting Intern at Hellertown and is now serving an extended internship at the Mission Church.
• Pastor Mark Morrison serves full-time as Assistant Director. He is assisting at Cape May, NJ, Adams County, PA, Hellertown, PA and South Allentown, PA. Brother Morrison has not raised his full support and we ask that you consider supporting our Brother.
• Eight ministry and work teams were sent out to assist our plants in Reading, PA, DELMARVA, Cape May, NJ, Brooklyn, NY, South Allentown, PA, Las Cruces, NM, Adams County, PA and Hellertown, PA.
• The Cape May County, NJ Mission held numerous outreach events, but has not seen significant growth. Church Planter Frank Lenahan has moved on to another Mission and we are seeking the Lord’s will for a new man to develop the plant in Cape May.
• David Way resigned his position as Church Planter. The Board of Church Extension is evaluating the Adams County Mission in order to determine its future.
• Administrative Assistant, Lisa Christensen, is a tremendous help with all the administrative duties of the Mission and more. This year, we adjusted to our office at Fellowship Community. The Community has been very gracious and helpful with accommodating us. Lisa put together a very active volunteer force that assisted with numerous mailings and help around the office. We especially thank Pastor David and Lena Thomann for their help throughout the year assisting in the office.
• We praise God for blessing our two major fundraising projects: SummerTen and Christmas Gift Month. A total of over $100,000.00 came in through these fundraisers.
• Willis Dowling continued his bi-vocational church planting ministry in Chesapeake, VA. After ten years of trying to plant the church in Virginia, the Board of Church Extension has decided to close the Mission, June 2008. Pastor Dowling has been candidating for a pastorate in the BFC. Over the years and through the efforts of Pastor Dowling, this Mission reached many people with the Gospel and reached out in mercy to various individuals and families. Not all is lost when a Mission closes – God through the Chesapeake Mission has touched lives.
• New Beginnings Bible Fellowship Church in Mantua, NJ is a Mission Church in the BFC. The Mission has faced some challenges with the death of their Interim Pastor and an elder suffering from a stroke and cancer. Yet, this determined group of people is moving ahead. We hope to present a church planter to the group this year.
• Pastor Dennis Spinney of the Thompson, CT BFC continues his efforts to plant a daughter church in Danielson, CT.
• The Strategic Planning Committee of the Board revised our By-Laws and discussed various strategies for church planting.
• The Forward Plan: Missions Here and Now was presented to several churches and regions during the year.
• A number of meetings were held with prospective church planters.
• More than 40 churches were visited this year by Church Extension staff. We presented our Mission and vision.
• The Las Cruces, NM Mission Church was assessed this past year and will be presented at Annual Conference to be received as a Particular Church. Planning continues regarding the planting of a second church in New Mexico.
• Our Hispanic Church Plants in Reading (La Roca) and in Allentown (El Faro), under the leadership of Carlos Rodriguez (Reading) and Pastor Elliot Ramos (Allentown) continued their outreaches to the Hispanic communities. La Roca experienced significant growth in 2007, averaging close to 100 people, along with many challenges. Carlos still needs to acquire his visa extension – pray for this. El Faro faced financial challenges and little growth this year. The new Organizing Elder Board began serving and is drafting a strategic plan for developing the Mission.
• I chaired the Joint Committee on Ethnic Church Planting. This year, the Committee focused its efforts on Hispanic church planting. We met with a possible candidate for our Hispanic planting focus, but he was not able to raise support to join us. We finalized a partnership with CAM for sending us Hispanic church planters and began translating the Biblical Principles for Living into Spanish.
• The La Roca, Merida, Mexico church was approved as a Mission Church in the Bible Fellowship Church. It was assessed and will be presented at Annual Conference to be received as a Particular Church.
• John Pello (Outreach Assistant) was diagnosed with liver cancer and went home to be with the Lord in 2007. Judy, his wife also went home this past January 2008, after her kidneys failed. They were true servants and will be missed.
• I once again served this past year on the Ministerial Candidate Committee and have enjoyed working with the new men coming into the BFC.
I remain humbled by God’s call in my life to serve Him and His Kingdom. I am blessed with the privilege of serving what I believe is a fine and godly fellowship of churches, called the Bible Fellowship Church. At times, my heart aches to see the struggles we go through as a body of churches and as Particular Churches. On other occasions, I rejoice in seeing and hearing of the way the Lord moves among us. We have a way to go in order to be truly unified in doctrine and centered on the vision to be an expanding fellowship of churches, but I trust the Lord will guide us and bring about His perfect will for the future of the BFC.
Pray for the Board of Church Extension and me in 2008. We had to make some tough decisions regarding some of our men and some church plants. Pray for God to give us wisdom to direct this Mission. Doing missions in America is increasingly difficult. We may not have language barriers, physical persecutions, or face other obstacles unique to foreign missions, yet the paganism and indifference to the Gospel in this post-modern America may be as difficult as physical and cultural barriers.
Pray for Mark Morrison and for God to empower him to provide assistance to our church planters. Pray for our Team: Administrative Assistant Lisa Christensen, Special Projects Coordinator Carol Snyder, Assistant Church Planter Ray Bertolet and our growing list of volunteers. Please pray regularly for our church planters and their families who serve in Church Extension Ministries. They sacrificially serve you as your missionaries to America.
In His Love & Service,
Respectfully Submitted,
David E. Gundrum, Executive Director of Church Extension.
Resources for Churches & Regions Seeking to Plant and Prospective Church Planters
Churches/Regions
• Churches Planting Churches – A guide designed to walk your church through the process of planting a daughter church.
• The Dynamic Daughter Church Planting Handbook (DCPI) – The Biblical basis for planting a daughter church. Answers to common questions: (e.g. Can we afford to plant a daughter church? What size do we need to be to daughter? What is in it for us as a mother church? Won’t a daughter church destroy the fellowship in the mother church?) The six-step process for planting a daughter congregation.
Prospective Planters
• DCPI – Pre-Assessment and the BFC Comprehensive Assessment – The DCPI booklet is an inductive and introductory assessment for those looking into church planting. The BFC Assessment is a complete assessment process to determine whether a man has the gifts, abilities and competencies to plant churches.
• BFC Church Planting Guide & DCPI Handbook – The BFC plan and approach to church planting. A complete systematic process for the planter and his team to move from the initial Identification Stage to the Graduation Stage.
• Church Planter’s Toolkit – The Church Planter’s Toolkit includes 12 audio CD’s as well as detailed checklists and action planning worksheets to form a comprehensive package for church planters and their team.
Addendum – Church Extension Activity Chart (see next page – 48)