The Process
Interested in planting in the Greater Ohio District? Fantastic! We are so excited to partner with you. We want to make sure that you and your team has all the necessary tools, resources and training necessary to plant a healthy, thriving, and multiplying church. Here is what planting looks like in the G.O. District:
Step 1:
Check out the Church Multiplication Collective website at www.wesleyan.org/multiplication and read the information available. If you are interested in church planting, connect with our District Multiplication Leader by email or by filling out this form and he will guide you through the next steps.
Step 2:
If you haven’t already done so, create a profile and take the initial assessment (ISA) on the Church Planter’s Profiles website.
Step 3:
The District Church Multiplication Leader will review the results of your initial assessment and determine if your next step would be for a full assessment. If so, you will register for and attend (or participate in) a church planter’s assessment as directed by the Church Multiplication Leader.
Step 4:
Pending a recommendation from the assessment agency to become a lead church planter, we will provide training opportunities and residencies. We will also help you make essential connections with multiplication leaders in the district and denomination. This is important for prayer, support, and resourcing. We believe sponsoring churches and/or networks are critical to the success of new Kingdom communities. If you are not already connected with a sending church or network, we will do our best to help you create a partnership.
Step 5:
Create a strategic three-year plan including pre-launch, launch, and post-launch phases for your new Kingdom community. Examples of this will be provided. With the aid of District and denominational multiplication leadership, you will also prepare a presentation for the District Board of Administration (DBA) through which you will receive approval and to become an official Wesleyan plant and further resourcing.
Step 6:
Upon approval, you, and your sponsoring congregation and/or sponsoring network will begin raising capital for the church plant by gathering Prayer & Share Partners. The Greater Ohio District will allot matching funds of up to $25,000 per year to each approved project for the duration of 3 years. This amount could be lower depending on the type and specific needs of each plant. For example, a micro-church network will need fewer funds than a conventional church plant. Every project will be evaluated and resourced on an individual basis and progress will be reviewed consistently as the District Multiplication Leader walks alongside each planter/planting team. However, if the Sponsor and planting team do not raise their portion of the funds, the district will not contribute to the project. District funds are the last to be given. USF (United Stewardship Funds) will not be required of any church plant for the first 4 years. At the end of the 4th year, USF will be phased in at 25% per year. We also ask each new church to set aside 2% of their annual income for future planting.
Step 7:
Begin your pre-launch. Generally, there will be one year of pre-launch work to raise funds, participate in further training, secure a Cultivate Coach, and do preliminary visionary and tactical work for the launch. All church planters are required to attend specific training opportunities and to have a certified coach. The district pays for training, residencies, and coaches. The District Multiplication Leader will walk with you through this time of preparation.
Some of these steps may not be necessary or may be ordered differently depending upon the type of plant, the sending church or network, and the need for district funds. However, all of this will be discussed with the District Multiplication Leader.
Additional Notes:
- Non-Wesleyan planters will always be considered! However, he/she will need to pursue licensing through The Wesleyan Church.
- If an existing congregation is planting an autonomous congregation, the district will resource the parent congregation and the plant/planter as described above. Congregations planting new congregations will be subject to the same process for approval for district matching funds and training resources.
- The above resources do not apply to congregations creating campuses. The district is happy for any church that is multiplying campuses however, campuses are not viewed as an autonomous church plant, and they are solely the responsibility of the main campus.
- Declining congregations which decide to participate in the Legacy Church initiative, because of the requirements of the Legacy Church criteria, are considered church plants and are eligible to receive all the same benefits and resources of any other church plant. (See the criteria for becoming a Legacy Church)
- Churches in Revitalization and Re-envisioning will receive help and resources as defined in the documents for those two initiatives.
- We believe that multiplicative minded pastors and churches can form networks of like-minded pastors/churches which, in turn, can bind together to plant new congregations. Churches planted through district networks are subject to the criteria and requirements as defined above and will be resourced as any other new Kingdom community in the district.