When it comes to church planting, there is no end to the amount of methodology that is being promoted and yet we are not getting the job done. There was, however, a time prior to advanced media, technology and entertainment that the job WAS getting done in America. The Separate Baptist Revival of the mid 1700′s literally changed our country and its ideals. It created what is referred to today as “The Bible Belt” (tho not always very Biblical any more) and its influence crept into the north as her converts journeyed that way.
In this new book, Multiplying Model, James Beller (pastor, church planter, historian and author) has explained the inner workings of the Separate Baptist Revival and how churches were planted (multiplied) by the thousands at an amazing rate. Not only is the Separate Baptist model of church planting proven historically, it is also scriptural. You will also find testimonies in the book of those who are using and proving the multiplying model today.
Other than the obvious principle of “churches starting churches” the book centers around one theme “Pastor Initiated Church Planting” which, as described in the book, is pastors doing the work of an evangelist. A current problem when it comes to church planting today is that of wasting time. We waste time trying to raise a lot of money to start a church and then we waste time waiting for “the right young guy” to come along to do the work of an evangelist for us.
I encourage you to purchase this book, not merely for its interesting historical content, but for its main purpose – helping pastors see how America was impacted in a large way so that we can see how we can have that same impact today. You can order the book from Prairie Fires Press (which is a link on the right under ‘Book Stores’). You can also visit multiplyingmodel.com (linked on the right under ‘Blogs’) which is an interactive site created to help pastors, evangelists and church planters who are interested in the multiplying model network with one another in church planting efforts.
Hi Josh,
Could you give a little more info on the author?
By: Jonathan Melton on December 27, 2010
at 4:08 pm
Hey Brother in E. Texas,
Bro. Beller is pastor of Arnold Baptist Tabernacle (a suburb of St. Louis). He is also a husband, father, historian and author (mostly known for writing America in Crimson Red) but he is also a church planter. As a pastor, he has been doing the work of an evangelist and has planted 5 churches in the St. Louis/eastern Missouri area. He takes our position of ecclesiology, the ordinances and NT church perpetuity and is an ex-fundamentalist. I consider him a friend and have enjoyed getting to know him over the last three years. Of all the influences I have had that have brought me to my current views, Bro. Beller has made the largest impact of them all.
By: Josh Davenport on December 27, 2010
at 6:22 pm