Biblical Basis
Jesus taught that a faith response to his incarnation and message of salvation would result in the establishment of the church(es) (Matthew 16:15-18). His final commandment to his disciples was to live as witnesses of his life and message (Acts 1:8) and be involved in a life of making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). The Book of Acts teaches that the church was the primary vehicle for this disciple-making ministry1. Healthy churches, seeking the will of God and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, became multiplying churches (Acts 13:1-3). Paul’s missionary journeys are more appropriately called, “Paul’s church planting journeys”. More churches developed more disciples which in turn resulted in more churches (Galatians 1:1-5). All New Testament letters, with the exception of Philemon, were written to address the needs of churches and pastors. Church multiplication was a normative part of the life of churches birthed in the first century.