Each Church Start a New Church

The "parent church" model for developing new churches has been receiving a new look in the U.S. ´Congregations starting new congregations´ is changing the way new church development takes place. In the 1970s and ´80s, most new churches were started by an initiative of conference or district leadership. Usually, the start required a full-time ordained pastor, mandated a significant financial commitment from the conference or district, and was capital intensive. The exceptions were usually among ethnic minority local church starts and immigrant peoples where (usually) less funding was allocated.

Today, successful new church starts using a form of the parent church model is a growing pattern across the connection. The Baltimore-Washington Conference, for example, undertook an initiative called "Holy Boldness." As a part of the initiative Bishop Felton May called for congregations to actively seek ways to start new churches. A type of inversion process was put into place; that is, new churches were to emerge out of a local church program rather than out of conference level planning. The conference would still help and provide some resources; however, the local church is the key.

Looking globally, we see that The United Methodist Church of the Philippines has more than doubled since 1990- a direct result of starting new churches. The process of starting new congregations has shifted from the conference level to the local church level. Each church is expected to start a new church. This evangelistic thrust translates into providing leadership, resources (including money), and prayer. In the province of Cavite, just outside of Manila, for example, there were two United Methodist churches five years ago. The district superintendent, Bener Agtarap, called for congregations in the district to start new churches. Today there are 29 churches in Cavite and most are self-supporting. In fact, one of the new congregations in Cavite started a new church, a grandchild of a Manila church. A proposal at the next annual conference will ask for the creation of a new district, the Cavite District.

Eight types of parent church models have been identified. Each is somewhat similar yet distinct.

  • Free-Standing Start- traditional parent start with new congregation to be free-standing and independent
  • Satellite Start- remains connected to parent church but may take on its own identity
  • Internal New Start- new congregation within existing church, usually for new constituency
  • Striving Church- multiple sites of small groups; is usually lay led and stays attached to parent
  • Second Campus- a second location; may have new ministries but is still one and the same church
  • Community Center- new worship fellowship within an outreach ministry
  • Adoptive Parent- assist an existing church where significant change and new vision is necessary
  • Cooperative Parent- two or more churches launch new church



Clinton E. Parker
Executive Secretary, New Church Development
General Board of Global Ministries, New York


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