Please HONOR the copyright of these documents by not retransmitting or making any additional copies in any form. We appreciate your respectful cooperation. ___________________________ Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN) P.O. Box 30183 Portland, Oregon 97294 USA Website: www.tren.com E-mail: [email protected] Phone# 1-800-334-8736 A REPRODUCIBLE CHURCH PLANTING PROCESS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH A MINISTRY FOCUS PAPER SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY WAYNE KRAUSE JULY 2008 A Reproducible Church Planting Process for the Australian Seventh-day Adventist Church Wayne A. Krause Doctor of Ministry School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary 2008 The aim of this paper is to develop a reproducible church planting process for the Adventist church within Australia. It will be shown that the Adventist church started as a church planting movement. Today, however, while churches are being planted rapidly in non-first world countries, there is little in the way of church planting in secular, first would countries. It is felt that, if a reproducible process for church planting could be developed in Australia, a secular society, it might help restore church planting to the foreground of evangelism and disciple making for the church. The Adventist church could once again become a church planting movement. Part One examines the ministry context of the paper. The Adventist’s beginnings as a church planting movement will be examined, along with how it lost its church planting emphasis. The current status of church planting in Australia, along with its current challenges will be canvassed. Part Two of the paper examines the theology that motivated the early Adventist church to mission. The church’s theology, particularly regarding the Sabbath, the Holistic nature of man, and eschatological beliefs, was the fuel for the church planting method. Part Three describes the healthy characteristics of church planting movements and the essential structural elements of the proposed church planting process. Part Four outlines the suggested reproducible process for church planting. It also describes how this process can be implemented. This paper concludes that it is possible to develop a church planting process that is reproducible for the Adventist context worldwide. It takes into account the message the Adventist church wants to share with the world and a method of sharing that message. Content Reader: Dr. Robert E. Logan Words: 297 To my wife Tracey, my soul mate, and to our princess, Jessica CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ……………………………………………………………… vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ………………………………………………………….. x INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………….. 1 PART ONE: MINISTRY CONTEXT Chapter 1. ADVENTIST ORIGINS AS A CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENT ……. 6 2. CURRENT CHALLENGES TO CHURCH PLANTING IN THE ADVENTIST CHURCH …………………………………………. 30 3. THE AUSTRALIAN SECULAR CONTEXT ……………………………… 48 PART TWO: THE THEOLOGY OF THE ADVENTIST CHURCH THAT WAS COMBINED WITH CHURCH PLANTING 4. THE SABBATH ……………………………………………………………. 62 5. THE HOLISTIC NATURE OF HUMANS ………………………………… 69 6. ADVENTIST ESCHATOLOGY AS MOTIVATION FOR MISSION ……………………………………… 76 PART THREE: THE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS THAT FORM THE BASIS FOR THE PROPOSED CHURCH PLANTING PROCESS 7. ROLE OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION’S CHURCH PLANTING CENTRE ………………………………………… 90 8. CHARACTERISTICS OF CHURCH MULTIPLICATION MOVEMENTS …………………………………….. 101 9. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSED CHURCH PLANTING PROCESS …………………………………………………… 112 iv PART FOUR: PROPOSED PROCESS FOR CHURCH PLANTING 10. SUGGESTED PROCESS FOR CHURCH PLANTING ………………… 122 11. IMPLEMENTING THE PROCESS FOR CHURCH PLANTING ……… 139 CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………. 146 APPENDIX …………………………………………………………………………… 149 BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………………. 151 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish I had the ability to write the appropriate words to show the gratitude I feel to the many people who have made this point in my life experience possible. I apologise to those whom I will undoubtedly forget to mention, but I must acknowledge some key people who have influenced my life and brought me to the writing of this paper. Eric White believed a young teenager could be a leader and is one of the best team builders I have ever met. Rod and Pam Ratcliffe first helped me recognise unchurched people and gave me a desire to reach them for Christ. Peter Roennfeldt, you have been an example and mentor to me in so many areas. Alwyn Salom deserves special mention. As a theologian, pastor, church growth expert, and passionate believer in Christ and the church, he always inspired me. Resting, awaiting his Saviour’s return, he made a huge impact on church growth within the Adventist church and on me personally. Barry Gane, you actually believed I could do further study and maybe even graduate from something. Thank you for the kick and encouragement. Many teachers have impacted my life and have become my friends: Alan Rosendahl, Bailey Gillespie, and Rick Rice, thank you. Laurie Evans, as the previous Division President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific, because of your commitment to church planting and because vi you believed in me, you facilitated my doing this DMin and also started the Church Planting Center, appointing me its first director. You, along with Barry Oliver, the current Division President, have a real desire to see God’s work progress, unchurched people become disciples, and churches multiplying around the world. To Peter Colquhoun, who invited me to plant my first church, and my current Conference President, John Lang, who also believed in what I was doing and who, along with the Division, helped pay for my DMin, thanks for your confidence in me. Many denominational leaders, as friends and colleagues, have inspired me as we together have endeavoured to see church planting again become an important part of Adventism. Loren Pratt, Glenn Townsend, Graeme Christian, Roger Govender, and Jerry Matthews are among the many who see the importance of church planting. To Steve Addison at CRM, who came alongside me when we first planted the Central Coast Community Church: Steve, you coached me and helped my denomination through the Matrix program that became part of the church planting process described in this paper. I wanted to go to Fuller, not just because it was a great university, but specifically because Bob Logan taught there. His passion, knowledge, and humility impacted me markedly. Volunteering to be my DMin reader was something I will always cherish. I believe you are the world’s foremost authority on church planting, and it is an honour to have been taught and mentored by you. Bob, above all others, you have guided my thinking and direction in church planting. To the Central Coast Community Church, you are an amazing church to belong to. You have put up with my absences and yet you still (possibly because I have been vii away) have grown significant disciples and leaders. Thanks guys, I could not have done it without you. You are an amazing group of people, and I am so glad we get to be church together. To Melanie Timms, your creativity is amazing, and I could always rely on you. Thank you. To Marian De Berg at the Ellen G. White SDA Research Centre at Avondale College, I am particularly indebted to you. Marian, you were always more than helpful. Thank you. To John Skrypaszek director of the Ellen G White Research Centre at Avondale College, thank you for our “chats” and for steering me in the right directions so many times. To Marylee Hull, my editor, thanks for your hard work. Sorry for the rushing. To my entire family, this DMin belongs to you as much as to me. I have been blessed by God to have been part of the family I grew up in. Mom, you do not always appreciate the amazing person you are and the impact you have on so many lives. I am proud of you and so grateful for the way you handled a questioning boy, struggling to become a man of faith. I got my concept of God from you, Dad. You are the most ethical, humble Christian man I know. You modelled Christianity for me in a way I can only pray I can do for my daughter. A son cannot be more proud of his parents, I love you both very much. Sorry about all the time it took you to “fix” my paper! To Gary, my little brother! If our dad is the most ethical man I know you would have to be a close second. I love your heart, your mind, and your passion. You have been the single greatest source of sermon illustrations I ever had. One of the most viii intelligent, creative people I know, you still have your feet firmly on the ground seeking new ways of sharing God with others. Love to you, your amazing wife Bettina, and your little gift from God, Bethany. To Tracey, my amazing wife, and our little princess, Jessica. This paper would not have happened without you. Tracey, I am honoured by God to have you as my wife. Thanks for your patience, for encouraging me, believing in me, and just plain loving me. You always made me believe I could do this. I am a better man, husband, father, and pastor because of you. Princess, you are the light of my life, I am so looking forward to seeing the amazing things God wants you to do for Him. You are still only ten, but I can already see the wonderful woman of God you are going to be. Thanks for letting daddy sit in his office for so many hours typing, and go oversees to study. I love you both so much. Finally, to my awesome God, thank you for your love, your grace, and your calling on my life. To you be praise and honour and glory forevemore.