Several so-called mainline Protestant denominations have made a startling discovery. Starting new churches is a good way to reach new people. Recent news stories reported how these denominations have gone back to their missionary roots and are reaching people the “old-fashioned way” by starting new churches.
Spokespeople for Methodist, Episcopal, United Church of Christ and Presbyterian denominations all chimed in about the value of new churches. Church starts provide a way of reaching “young blood” without “upsetting existing congregations,” they said.
New churches provide a way of responding to the changing demographics or areas when young families move to the suburbs or once-rural areas become more populated.
New churches provide the answer for the special needs of ethnic and racial groups, the spokespeople added.
They also pointed out that new churches grow faster than old churches, are more creative in ministry approaches and prove more effective in reaching people when only limited resources are available.
Thankfully, Alabama Baptists know these experiential truths.
That is why we always emphasize church starts and why the Alabama Baptist State Convention is in the midst of a five-year effort to start 270 new churches by 2005.
State Board of Missions personnel worked closely with directors of missions and associational missions committees to identify at least one potential church start site in all 75 Alabama Baptist associations. The needs identified in that process guided the goal for new churches finally adopted. Through the end of July, 105 new churches have been started since this project began in 2001.
With 3,217 cooperating churches reported at the end of 2002, one might ask why new churches are needed here.
Part of the answer is changing demographics. Some counties in Alabama are among the fastest growing in the nation. New churches are needed to serve the new communities.
Part of the answer is with the growing ethnic groups in Alabama.
In 1990, the Census Bureau reported 25,000 Hispanics in Alabama, a number most observers say was fairly accurate.
Now these same observers contend the Hispanic population of Alabama is about 200,000, even though a smaller number was reported in the last census.
Hispanic churches have grown from four in 1990 to 28 congregations today, and many more are needed.
The most important answer is that between one in three and one in four Alabamians report no church membership or church participation. A Barna study indicated one in three adults was unchurched nationwide. In the South, the figure was one in four.
A study of all age groups found 32 percent of all Alabamians reported no participation or membership in any church of any kind.
In 15 counties, 40 percent or more reported no church membership or participation. In three counties, that figure topped 50 percent. Obviously, there is a need for new churches.
Most of the churches started by Alabama Baptists are Anglo churches — a ratio of about three Anglo churches to every ethnic or black church start. Most of the churches are intentional church starts and not splits from existing churches, officials said.
But Alabama does have some unique opportunities. State missionaries are working in partnership with associations to provide the training and infrastructure necessary to respond to the mushrooming number of Hispanics in Alabama.
A second area of needs relates to Asians. Already five Korean Baptist churches worship in Alabama. Two others will soon be constituted. The selection of Montgomery for a Hyundai automobile factory has brought a wave of Korean leadership to the central part of the state. Alabama Baptists are attempting to respond to this opportunity.
Recently a Vietnamese fellowship in Birmingham organized as a church and called a pastor. The opportunities among Asians outstrips available resources at the present time.
About one-fourth of Alabama’s population is black. Alabama Baptists are assisting a growing number of intentional church starts in the black community.
In turn, those churches are affiliating with the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
The 105 churches started in this five-year emphasis is a little behind the goal of 117 by this time. However, the largest challenge remains ahead. The goal for 2004 is 60 new churches, for 2005, 66. For the reminder of this year, the goal is 27.
While a little behind the goal, Alabama Baptists are ahead of where we were a decade ago in new church starts.
In the 1990s, we averaged about 30 church starts a year. This decade is seeing a little more than 40 churches a year initiated.
Alabama has a growing population. We are a diverse people reflecting different socio-economic backgrounds, different language, ethnic and racial backgrounds, different interests. It will take all kinds of churches to reach this population.
As Alabama Baptists, we are united in our mission to present the gospel to the whole world including those living in our home state. We are not divided by issues but united in mission. That makes the goal of 270 church starts by the end of 2005 possible.
It is just part of who we are as a people of God. Our roots are missionary — in Alabama and around the world. We continue to believe in doing missions the “old-fashioned way” by starting new churches.
If you would like more information about the need for a new church in your area, contact your director of missions or the cooperative ministries team of the State Board of Missions at 1-800-264-1225.
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