Planting a church is very difficult work and it is not for everyone. I know because I tried it once and failed. When we think about people who are involved in this very important ministry certain kinds of ministers probably come to mind. For example, we might think about apostles. In the New Testament there is evidence that an apostle might plant a church. This is especially true in the case of the apostle Paul. He planted congregations in a number of cities including: Philippi (Acts 16), Thessalonica (Acts 17), Corinth (Acts 18) and Ephesus (Acts 19). Or, we might think of missionaries. In many cases they go into places in the world where Christianity is not widely known and plant churches. We may also think of certain experienced pastors who would be good church planters. 

But can members of a local congregation ever plant a church? Is there any scriptural support for this? Can we point to an example where this was done? The answer to all of these questions is yes! In Acts 11 we are told about average church people who planted a church. These people were from the church in Jerusalem. Because of persecution there, they went to a number of different places, Antioch was one of them (Acts 11:19-20). Upon arrival they planted a church. I am not sure that this was foremost in their minds, but that is what happened.

Now, the word “church” is not used in reference to the believers in Antioch until Acts 11:26, but that is what the believers in Antioch were even before the word was used. When you have a gathering of Christians in one place you have a church. The believers in Antioch are also called a church later, in Acts 13:1. So who were the planters of this church? What do we know about them? What can we say about them? In the remainder of this article we will attempt to answer these questions.

Mixed Group 

In any group of significant size there are going to be differences among the people who make up the group. I will mention some of the differences in the people in this group of church planters shortly. But before I do that let’s first note a few things that they share in common. First, all of them were Christians, they had all experienced salvation. Second, they were all fleeing from persecution. They were experiencing both the consolation and conflict of being followers of Christ. Third, none of the people are named; their identities are hidden from us. Fourth, we know that none of the people in this group were apostles (see Acts 8:1).

We turn now to their differences. These are not spelled out for us in the text. However, I think that the statements that I will make here are reasonable assumptions. First, the group likely consisted of both men and women, and possibly also children. This would certainly be the case if whole families were fleeing. Second, and this is closely related to the first point, the group consisted of people of different ages. Third, the group probably was made up of people of different levels of spiritual maturity. While I cannot be certain about this it is possible that some of these scattered saints had been part of the 120 who were in the upper room (Acts 1:15). Others may have been saved on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) and others at various points after Pentecost (Acts 4:4; 6:1).

Mentored Group

By mentored I mean that they had received some measure of Christian instruction before their departure from Jerusalem. I say this because we are told that those who were converted on the day of Pentecost, “Devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42 NIV). Since the church began in this way I think it is reasonable to conclude that these disciplines would have remained a regular part of basic Christian instruction for all of the believers in Jerusalem. And these new Christians were probably taught by some of the best teachers, those who had personally been with Jesus during the time of His earthly ministry. In addition to the emphasis on spiritual disciplines that we saw in Acts 2:42 (cited above), we also read in Acts 5:42 that the apostles continually taught and proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ. So teaching seems to have been readily available.

Stated differently, the believers who went to Antioch had been discipled to some degree. This makes sense because the apostles who remained, after Judas took his own life, were present when Jesus instructed His followers to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19 NIV). This discipleship was not limited only to knowing the truth. These believers also understood the importance of prayer, being part of a community of faith, and of obedience to the teachings of Jesus (Acts 2:42; Matt. 28:20).

Missionary Group

When the believers left the church in Jerusalem they did not leave their faith behind; they took it with them. And we are told that they shared it with others (Acts 11:19-20). The presence of the Holy Spirit surely helped them to be bold in sharing their faith (Acts 1:8; 4:31). But the fact that a group of believers exited together may also have emboldened them to be vocal in the sharing of their faith. They could draw strength and encouragement from one another. Their actions seem to indicate that they had some knowledge of the Christians’ responsibility to share the gospel. They may have learned about this from the apostles who had heard Jesus speak about it (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). These men in turn likely conveyed this truth to the believers in obedience to the directive of Jesus in Matthew 28:20. The believers who went to Antioch probably also saw evangelism modeled in Jerusalem.

Some of these unknown Christians who went to Antioch spoke only to Jews (Acts 11:19), others shared the good news of Jesus with Greeks as well (Acts 11:20). Regardless of who they spoke to the message of Jesus was being more widely known. They also were successful in their outreach. Acts 11:21 tells us this and also tells us why, “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (NIV). These lay people who shared their faith were instrumental in planting a church.

Conclusion

Though church planting is difficult, if you are a Christian it is possible that you may one day be involved in planting a church. You may do this as an individual or as part of a group. Men and women can both be involved in this ministry. Don’t limit your vision. You may be an apostle, a missionary, a pastor, or a lay person. There are no restrictions. God has not established any so don’t you set them either. You never know what God can accomplish through a life that it open and obedient to Him. If you sow the Word, you are planting seeds that could result in the establishing of a church. There is still a need for church planting today. Let us not dismiss the idea especially that the Lord may want to involve us in it. “The field is the world” (Matt. 13:38 NIV) and the workers are still few (Matt. 9:38). The Lord said He would build His church (Matt. 16:18). Let us be workers together with Him in this mission (1 Cor. 3:6). May the Lord stir the contemporary Western church with a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a fresh vision for evangelism and missions, both at home and abroad. 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™