Multiplying Churches
October 27, 2007Outreach Magazine recently ranked the top 25 “multiplying churches” in America. The list includes five independent Christian churches , an encouraging fact for those of us in the Restoration Movement who share the same roots.
For this list, the term “multiplying church” means a church that plants other churches.
Today’s multiplying churches are adopting new ways of planting, as well as new principles. As they multiply themselves—taking care to instill a DNA of reproduction in each new church they plant—these churches are increasing their Kingdom impact.
Quoting from the article at the Christian Standard:
Researcher Ed Stetzer said, “Among churches today, the conversation—a long overdue one—is moving from church growth to kingdom growth.” The 25 churches were selected from more than 300 surveyed and were ranked based on the total number of church plants over the life of the church, the average number of churches planted each year, dollars and percentage of budget dedicated to church planting, the number of daughter churches that have planted a new church, and the church’s influence on the church-planting community. Included in the top 25 were five Christian churches. Each of the five churches has a unique story of impacting the kingdom through church planting.
Those of us from the ICOC are familiar with our own story of church plantings occurring over the past 25 years. I hope the above-linked articles encourage and inspire us to greater things in the future. God is not through yet!
Christian Unity 
Alan, This is good news, although my experience with Independent Christian Churches (ICC)and salvation doctrine has been a mixed bag. Someone in the church where I attend, who was converted in a Christian Church, sums up the ICC attitude toward baptism this way, “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Even their own literature indicates an internal ambiguity toward the mode of salvation. Thanks for the update Alan.Phil
I agree that the conversion doctrine is a mixed bag. There are at least two reasons that I’m interested in this. First, in my experience there are some independent Christian churches who teach and practice biblical conversion doctrine. Second, I think we can learn from their success in church planting. Not every good idea was invented in our circle of churches.