From New Orleans, La., to Miami, the South reflects a culture steeped in tradition as well as one that is new and constantly changing.
“People in this state are just doing religion,” Ross says. “We have perpetuated a lot of religion in Mississippi but not a lot of conversions. Just because you have a lot of churches and ‘Baptist’ is in their names, that doesn’t mean most people are attending. And some traditional churches, not all, have drifted away from the gospel message, what it means to be saved, what being born again or regeneration looks like. This is largely true of the entire South.”
Ross, 39, said he’s seen first-hand that planting new “works” is healthy and the most effective way of evangelizing. Third in a chain of new church plants Ross has started in northwest Mississippi, Lifepoint has built a membership of about 700 over just the last six years.
“A new work that is started doesn’t have the baggage. There’s no reputation. All you bring in is who you are and what you believe. This gives you a healthier and freer environment to preach, teach and not be constrained. You don’t have the hindrances of an existing church, especially one in missional drift. We can reach a lot of the people who are de-churched and un-churched. A new church plant can change a community and we can see more conversions faster.”
One of the ONE8 network’s latest success stories is “The Life,” a new church plant in Oxford, Miss., home of the University of Mississippi. Eric Hankins, 39-year-old senior pastor of the traditional First Baptist Church in downtown Oxford for the past six years, admits he didn’t come naturally to the idea of church planting—especially in his own backyard.
“We knew there were people who were never coming to First Baptist, regardless of how many times we invited them or wanted them,” Hankins said. “Our people responded positively and were excited about planting the new church, which had to be theologically correct, doctrinally sound and supportive of the SBC, including the Cooperative Program.” The
Life was launched in January 2011— located less than a mile from First Baptist in a renovated performing arts center in Oxford—and is now running 75-100 each week. The Life reaches young professionals, college students and even Ole Miss faculty, according to Hankins.
“Church planting is important anywhere you have lost people and unreached people groups, and is one of the best opportunities to penetrate lostness,” says Richard Harris, retired NAMB interim president, vice president of church planting and now a NAMB ambassador.
“When people say we have enough churches, the problem is that we have enough of the wrong kinds. We need churches passionate about reaching lost people. The truth about new church plants is that they have to reach lost people or they can’t survive,” said Harris.
40 Summer 2011 •
onmission.com
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