Since the late 1980s, I’ve engaged many pastors and would-be pastors regarding church planting. I generally ask why they desire to plant. Sometimes the response lacks sound reason. Let me offer a few reasons not to plant churches.
TAP THE BREAKS
1. Don’t plant a church to escape from dealing with pastoral issues.
Perhaps a brother faces the long, grinding work of biblical reformation, and so he wonders about planting. The fact is, we might not solve our problems by planting another church. We might just take our problems with us. Dealing with membership issues, honesty in church rolls, or church discipline challenges every pastor. Who can blame a pastor for leaving—unless, of course, one is called by God to shepherd his flock?
Escaping difficulties by planting a church will only ensure that different difficulties will follow. When I planted a church after pastoring three other churches, I thought I would leave behind many of the typical issues faced by SBC pastors. I did leave some of them behind, but I inherited other issues common to church starts.
You cannot escape. Issues come with
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