Why plant a church?

"...thus making it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on another man's foundation, but as it is written, 'They shall see who have never been told of him, and they shall understand who have never heard of him'" Ro 15:20-21 RSV

During the last several years I have sensed the Lord calling me to plant a church in or around the Macon, Ga area. For some, this might seem extremely naive or merely reactionary. At the least it seems unnecessary in America generally and in Macon, Ga particularly. In Macon alone there are 98,000 people with 663 yellow page listings of churches. That means that there is a church for every 150 people in the city of macon. Why does Macon need another church? Why not simply beef up the churches that we have? Additionally, isn't America known for being "Christian"?

In launching this announcement of a church plant I want to justify it by offering a few statistics:

First, churches are declining. "Studies show that if a denomination wishes to reach more people, the number of new churches it begins each year must equal at least 3% of the denomination's existing churches. Based on this formula, mainline denominations are failing to plant enough churches to offset their decline." (easumbandy.com) Basically, we are dying out.

Second, new churches have a greater effect statistically than do already established or large churches. "On a per-capita basis, new churches win more people to Christ than established churches," (Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches 7) Ed Stetzer quotes Bruce McNichol's research:

* Churches under three years of age win an average of ten people to Christ per year for every hundred church members.
* Churches three to fifteen years of age win an average of five people per year for every hundred church members.
* Churches over fifteen years of age win an average of three people per year for every hundred church members.

Third, the ratio of churches to the American population is decreasing. The North American Mission Board released the following numbers:

* In 1900, there were 28 churches for every 10,000 Americans.
* In 1950, there were 17 churches for every 10,000 Americans.
* In 2000, there were 12 churches for every 10,000 Americans.
* In 2004, the latest year available, there are 11 churches for every 10,000 Americans.

"The number of churches increased just over 50 percent while the population of the country has almost quadrupled." (9). No doubt macon, GA is high on the charts (there are 66 churches for every 10,000 people in macon). However the question of a church planter is: "who is not being reached? Let's go there." And Macon has unreached people and people groups.

Fourth, 663 churches does not indicate growing churches or even healthy churches. Where these churches are healthy it is does not follow that they are missional or intentional on reaching the lost (of course one wonders then if it is healthy).

Finally, the Lord has set me apart for this work. How can I not obey the Lord? He has called me to it, how can I not go?