Am I a Replanter? Two-Day Conference Challenges Church Leaders to Answer the Call

As a Great Commission seminary, Southeastern equips students to love and serve the Church and its mission because the Church is God’s plan for discipleship, missions, and kingdom advancement. In a cultural moment where many churches are plateauing, declining, or dying out, the need for church replanting is as critical as ever. That is why Southeastern welcomed dozens of students and church leaders to campus last week for this two-day replanting conference.

Highlighting strategies for effectiveness in church replanting, steps for replanting, and the characteristics of a replanter, the conference offered attendees practical counsel, answering common questions and concerns about replanting local churches. Designed to encourage and equip prospective replanters and their wives, the conference offered several breakout sessions to connect and train replanter’s wives.

Conference speakers included professors, practitioners, and replant leaders with the North American Mission Board (NAMB), including JimBo Stewart, replant specialist for the NAMB and replanting and revitalization strategist for First Coast Churches; Bob Bickford, associate director of replanting for NAMB; Steven Wade, pastor of Faith Baptist Church and professor of pastoral theology at Southeastern; and Keelan Cook, instructor of missiology and George Liele director of the Center for Great Commission Studies at Southeastern.

Fulfilling the Great Commission in the twenty-first century will require churches to not only continue their church planting efforts but also give renewed attention to plateauing, declining, and dying churches. Partnering with existing churches, Southeastern desires to strengthen local churches by equipping students to lead congregations toward biblical health through church revitalization and replanting.

For more information about events, resources, and opportunities for you to get involved in church replanting and revitalization, visit thecgcs.org, or to learn more about Southeastern’s church planting and revitalization programs, visit Southeastern’s degree page.