Ed Stetzer: 3 More Questions Local District Leaders Should Ask About Church Planting

How can district-level denominational leaders be engaged in church planting?

Previously, I gave you three questions the denominational or network leaders who works most closely to the churches should be asking. Technically, those are often called mid-level judicatories (districts, associations, regions, conferences, etc.), though it depends on the polity of the denomination. Regardless of the term, these are key positions.

Mid-level judicatories are, and perhaps this is too honest, seen as the least engaged in mission in most denominations. They are often more focused on pastoral care—as in caring for the pastors—than pressing forward in the mission. That's not always true, and I can give some great counterexamples, but they are often not as involved in mission aspects, including church planting.

Yet, I think that they should indeed be involved in church planting. Actually, church planting happens best when it involves local partnerships. Furthermore, I've seen many districts do that very thing, becoming powerhouses of church planting and mission. To do that, they need to ask the right questions to make church planting a priority on the local level.

As such, I have three more questions that should be considered by these leaders when there is talk of planting a church within their association, district, or whatever it may be called in their denomination. Keep reading