There is no biblical command to plant churches. However, there are sound reasons to prioritize church multiplication.

First, in the Great Commission Jesus commands us to “go make disciples.” In the New Testament, we see that when disciples make new disciples, a new church is the natural by-product. Studies show that new churches reach unreached people more efficiently than do existing churches. Therefore, church planting is an effective means for the Global Methodist Church to fulfill our mission of making disciples.

A second reason to prioritize church multiplication is that the future of the GMC rests on our effectiveness in church planting. Just as a local church grows as it multiplies new groups for new people, denominations grow as they multiply new churches for new people. Studies suggest that a denomination must start new churches at a rate equivalent to 3% of its total number of congregations per year in order to maintain current membership. To grow, it needs to start more.

Church multiplication is also part of our heritage. Because early Methodists had a passion to see people won to Christ and transformed by the Spirit’s power, at one time they were planting one church per day in the United States.

As new Methodists committed to fulfilling the Great Commission, church multiplication will shape the Global Methodist Church’s future.

Our goal is for local churches to start churches that start churches, and so multiply into a movement that will spread scriptural holiness across the globe.