Quite likely, no one has surpassed the Apostle Paul when it comes to planting churches.

Through his missionary journeying, churches took root across Asia Minor. But Paul understood that even in a lifetime he couldn't plant the number of churches needed to share the Good News of God's love with the numbers of those hungering for salvation. That's why he encouraged other churches-in Thessalonica, Corinth and Philippi, for example-to share resources, contribute money and undergird efforts to establish new faith communities.

At National Ministries, we have a vision of church planting as the healthy reproduction of churches that introduce people to Jesus Christ, and then support their growth into disciples who continue a passionate relationship with him in a community of faith. Our mission is to enable that reproduction through partnerships with American Baptist regions and congregations.

Over the next 10 years, we will implement this mission by working to transform church planting from a denominational effort to one more focused on national and regional partnerships with local congregations that sponsor new churches, ultimately creating a church multiplication movement of churches planting churches as part of evangelism efforts to reach lost people for Christ.