Do we need more churches?

I have heard it said hundreds of times: “We do not need more churches in our community. We have enough churches already.” I disagree.

We cannot fulfill the Great Commission without planting churches. We need new churches! Jesus, when He ascended into heaven two thousand years ago, left a spiritual family of 120 believers in an upper room. That number multiplied into millions of believers who planted churches throughout the world. By planting new churches, we continue what Jesus started. And just as every person is created unique and special to God, new churches are needed to provide new spiritual families for those who do not fit into our present churches.

Here is a second reason why we need new churches: A research study by Fuller Theological Seminary found that if a church is ten or more years old, only one person will be led to Christ for every 85 people in the congregation. If the church is between four and seven years old, one person is led to Christ for every seven members, but if a church is less than three years old, one person is led to Christ for every three members! That is why I concur with the late Dr. C. Peter Wagner, who has said again and again, “the single most effective way to evangelize is to plant new churches.”