The Strategy
COOPERATIVE
BAPTIST
FELLOWSHIP
CHURCH PLANTING
APPROACH…
Bi-professional church planters. Both
trained clergy and untrained clergy. Provides an income without
burdening the new church.
Partnering churches. An existing church
from traditional Cooperative Baptist Fellowship regions support the
church plant with prayer, financial resources and missional
partnering.
Missional orientation. Encourages new
churches to become involved in Missional Living both locally,
nationally and globally.
Partnering. Reinforces CBF's willingness
to partner with any group that is Christ-centered and Bible-based.
Financial considerations. Recommends
that a new start have a commitment of $50,000 from one or more
sources to help with organizational expenses.
Assessment. Gives church planter
candidates various kinds of leadership tests to determine if they
are apostolically gifted for church planting.
WHY MONTANA…
A three day road-trip
along Interstates 90/94 separates the coast of Washington State and Lake Michigan of the Great Lakes.
In the states encompassing this 2000 mile stretch immediately south
of the Canadian border, Baptist churches are few and far between,
and the percentage of Christian believers among the lowest in the
country. Furthermore,
only one self-identified CBF church exists throughout the entire
Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota
and Wisconsin.
But that’s only part of the story.
A two-day road-trip
along Interstates 15/90/25 separates Shelby, Montana (near the Canadian border) and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The 1600 mile drive between our nation’s borders, through the
states of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico reveals,
again, few Baptist churches, low percentages of Christian believers,
and no CBF congregations.
The same is true for yet two more states immediate East of
this route:
South Dakota
and Nebraska.
In short, a 2000 mile
wide and 1600 mile deep section of the
United States is void of CBF
congregations. (Illustration) At this
time, the only formal CBF presence in this immense area is the
Together for Hope initiative among South Dakota’s Native Americans.
Montana
is the one state that bisects both the 2000 mile East-West corridor
and 1600 mile North-South corridor.
And Billings, Montana is the city at which the two
corridors meet on Interstate 90.
The largest city in a four-state, 500 mile radius,
Billings
is the principle city in a largely unchurched region of America. Bozeman
is a strategic location, as the eleventh fastest growing small city
50,000 and under Western United States;
it represents an epicenter of Postmodern and Post-Christian culture.
This cosmopolitan area is home to a number of activist organizations
focused on human needs and/or eco-causes. The rapid growth and
diversity of the area is generated by its leading technological
status among small towns in America,
Montana State University
and outdoor recreational opportunities.
Providing Places of Service for Recent Seminary Graduates
Today's moderate Baptist seminaries are graduating hundreds of
students annually, yet most graduate with no place of Christian
service secured.
Bruce and Ryan believe that our seminary graduates deserve
opportunities to serve, and need entrepreneurial skills in order to
minister, and support themselves, in a post-modern world.
Beginning in 2009, Montana Missional Communities will provide
opportunities for recent seminary graduates to serve Christ and
community while developing entrepreneurial skills.