Church Planting
Establishing new, local, Reformed and Presbyterian congregations is the heartbeat of PMU’s mission. Though much of this effort takes place overseas, we are just as passionate about the mission field here in the United States. We exist to assist the Bible Presbyterian Church, General Synod, in its church planting efforts. If you are interested in starting a BP church in the US, please contact us to get the process started in cooperation with the presbytery in your region. We’ll do everything that we can to support you in the work.
The process for starting a church, while labor intensive and certainly challenging, is fairly straightforward. Once a request has been received, either from an individual or a group, we start off with a lot of talking back and forth. Assuming a particular city or area is in mind, we contact the Presbytery in that region to seek permission to labor within their bounds, as well as seeking their involvement in the planning and work. Naturally, we expect church planters to meet the requirements for ministers as outlined in the BPC Constitution, or at least be on their way to meeting those requirements. It is possible to begin the church planting process while a licentiate, but all church planters must be members in good standing of a BP church or presbytery.
Once permission from the Presbytery is in place, then the hard work begins! Researching, advertising, mailings, Bible studies, one on one meetings, gathering, organizing, and lots of praying go into this step. If a move is required, that will happen, too. If you need financial support, then likely you'll be looking for a job, and doing fundraising work on behalf of the new work. All along the way, we'll be here for you to encourage, advise, and assist as much as possible. We have resources and experience to make this challenging and rewarding task orderly, focused, and just a little easier. For more information, ideas, and helps, please download our Home Missions Manual or contact our office.
The chief passion of the Bible Presbyterian Church is to behold God, pursue godliness, and proclaim Christ to the entire world.
To "Behold God" means that I rely on His Spirit as I consider and think about how God has revealed Himself in His Word. It means that I meditate upon, and am captivated by, His beautiful nature and wonderful works. God expects me to rightly know Jesus Christ, the full revelation of Himself, in all of His glory. God expects me to appreciate His greatness and supremacy. God expects me to be pleasure-filled when I meet with Him in public and private worship.
To "Pursue Godliness" means that I engage in the personal conquest of holiness, pleasing God. It also means that I earnestly contend for the faith in my congregation, denomination, and in the larger context of Church as a whole in the midst of a fallen society. I want to live what I know to be true about God and what He requires of me! To reflect His glory is a joy, not the burden of law. No matter if it is in the quiet thinking of my mind or the active words of my mouth, I want to daily strive toward pleasing God. In essence, I want to joyfully live the two greatest commandments (loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to love my neighbor as myself).
To "Proclaim Christ to the entire world" means that I continue in the footsteps of the Apostles by proclaiming the Kingdom of God to all men. There is no other name under heaven by which a man can be saved but through the person and work of Jesus Christ. I am called to make Him known through my actions and my words. I accomplish this by serving others in Christ's name and by telling them of the hope that is within me. The Gospel is not intended to remain in the sanctuary of the local church but it is to be expressed in my life, in my city, in my country, and in the entire world. I look to the Church for encouragement, leadership, and greater opportunity as I stand as a witness to Jesus Christ.