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Think Tank Offers Profile of Leaders of New Church Starts

Craig Robertson, Lindsey Davis, Tom Butcher

(ORLANDO, Fla., August 2, 2008/GBOD) — When searching for pastors to start new congregations, conventional wisdom is, perhaps, best kicked to the curb.

According to a Congregational Development Think Tank convened by United Methodist church leaders, the best candidates are people who are perceived as troublemakers, egotistical, nonconformist, and don't like to spend time in their offices. People with these characteristics could [church] planters.

Bishop Lindsey Davis, incoming bishop of the Louisville Area, and the Rev. Thomas G. Butcher, executive officer for New Church Starts, convened a Congregational Development Think Tank as part of the annual United Methodist School for Congregational Development, meeting in Orlando, Fla., and Grand Rapids, Mich., July 31 through August 5.

According to Butcher, the idea for a Think Thank grew out of a request to bring together leaders who have been coming to the school for several years to begin sharing and learning best practices with one another.

The first meeting of the Think Tank centered on what leadership qualities to consider when searching for leaders to tap for starting new churches.

"There should be a short list of qualities for pastors of new church starts that district superintendents carry around with them," suggested Bishop Davis, who started 98 congregations while based in the North Georgia Conference.

Among the suggestions generated, included the following. The person must be:

• An entrepreneurial pastor who is creative and has a passion for reaching out to the unchurched;
• An "out-of-the box" kind of person
• Passionate, creative, high-energy -- with the gifts and graces for starting new churches.

In addition to recommending that annual (regional) conferences create a comprehensive congregational development strategy, the group also emphasized using laypersons to start churches.

"You can't depend on credentialed clergy alone. Conferences should also consider finding deeply committed laypersons who don't have any credentials, but have the gift and graces needed. You have to use laypeople, especially to reach immigrant populations. Then start them on the track to be licensed to preach," said Davis, who also represents New Church Starts to the Council of Bishops.

Jesus and John Wesley were not hesitant to use laypersons. People get nervous when you talk about using laypeople, but so many part-time local pastors have started churches.

Boards of ordained ministry must realize that sooner or later you're going to start thinking about using laypeople.

Of the 98 new churches started in the North Georgia (regional) Conference, 15 did not make it.

"Begin to imagine different scenarios," said Craig Robertson, a consultant with the General Board of Discipleship.

"You could start 10 Hispanic churches to one Anglo church because of the growing Hispanic population.

Prepare for unexpected things -- split offs, theological differences and go in with your eyes open," he said.

The Rev. Don Smith of the Central Texas Annual (regional) Conference said, "United Methodists must reclaim the Wesleyan spirit and heritage of starting new churches. We're looking for producers. If you have not produced in the past, chances are you won't produce in the future," he said.

Davis said that risking and pushing boundaries means you're going to make some mistakes. The best way to change existing churches is to plant a new church right in the middle of existing churches. Existing churches will start doing something different.

You have to create a culture in your conference where people will come to you.

"When you have new people coming into ministry, put new church starts in front of them," said the Rev. Dr. Robert Crossman, minister of New Church Starts and Congregational Development in the Arkansas Conference and head of the New Church Leadership Institute.

Over 400 clergy and lay leaders are attending the School for Congregational Development, sponsored by the United Methodist General Boards of Discipleship and Global Ministries. The School for Congregational Development is being held concurrently in two locations.

The General Board of Discipleship's mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD (www.gbod.org) is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7017.