I never intended to plant a church. My journey began 10 years ago, and it happened quite by accident.
I had always been told that church planters were extroverted, entrepreneurial, apostolic self-starters — I decidedly was not any of those things. In fact, I went to seminary so I could study, write, and preach, not to spend time with people while starting a new church.
At the time, I was serving as an associate pastor in a Chinese American church, wearing all the hats the senior pastor didn’t have time for. We were a healthy church with three congregations: English-speaking, Mandarin-speaking, and Cantonese-speaking, but we had not had a church plant for more than 40 years.
Then God intervened. A sister church was closing its doors, and our denomination called us to start a new congregation. They offered us the building, control of the vision, and a chance to dream. God changed our hearts before we knew what had happened and four elders, including myself, stepped forward immediately. In other words, God led a group of risk-averse bumblers to step out in faith.
We formed a core team of 30 members from our church and 30 from the church that closed. Then over the next four months, we cast vision, prayed and worshiped together, renovated the old building, and planted a new church: New Life Church.
Since the building was rent-free, we paid it forward to support an urban church plant in Watts. Our work of revitalization eventually sparked a national movement of Fresh Start churches throughout the Christian & Missionary Alliance.
Ten years later, I’m still pastoring New Life, and our denomination has since launched a Greenhouse Residency to mentor young church planters and send them out. My heart’s desire is to see this movement continue to grow. Unfortunately, many Asian Americans do not consider church planting as a ministry path because of the perceived obstacles and difficulties.
So aside from the perpetual need for gospel-centered churches, consider five reasons why God desires more Asian American church planters.
1. Awareness
You get it when it comes to blending cultures because you’ve grown up in multigenerational churches and families. You are not blind to either the challenges or the beauty in these diverse reflections of God’s glory. Often an outsider, you are also sensitive to other cultures besides your own. You know that the best way to grow a multicultural membership is to start with multicultural leaders.
2. Gifting
Church planters don’t all look the same. Some wear suits and others T-shirts and skinny jeans. We all have unique personalities and gifts from God. I may never speak at Exponential about radical church planting methods, yet our church’s revitalization called for a leader who thrived as a pastor-shepherd. Church plant coaching will help you assess your calling to these various kinds of ministry.
3. Opportunity
You may not have the freedom to lead in the traditional church if you are stifled by a generational hierarchy. In many immigrant churches, the “uncles” and “aunties” still treat the English congregation as children even when they grow into adulthood. Church planting is one way to reach the children of immigrant parents before they join the silent exodus. The noble challenge is to seek your church’s blessing to plant instead of splitting off on your own.
4. Missions
Missions has come to us in this melting pot of America. We have more unreached people groups in cities like Los Angeles than any nation besides China or India. Consider partnering with established churches to reach your particular ethnic or language group. For example, New Life has offered our church building to ethnic micro-plants in the San Fernando Valley. CitytoCity and The Crete Collective are two networks with a vision to plant churches in communities of color. Pray with us for ethnically diverse planters who will reach our cities.
5. Example
Young people are looking for role models in the church who look like them: pastors, planters, and mentors. They need to see that church planting is not just for other types and to learn from pastors who will shepherd them in times like these. Too many of us are better known as followers, than pioneers. So share your story. And by God’s grace, your faith-filled risk will impact the next generation of young leaders.
Learn more about our New Life story or the Greenhouse Church Planting Residency. Discover other church planting methods as you talk with your pastor or mentor. Perhaps the Lord is calling you to take a faith-filled risk.