BaptistLife.Com Forums.

Our churches are already in the inner cities so planting another one to compete with those already there doesn't seem to be a good use of resources to me. I'd rather see us plant in areas with few churches. I know there are a lot of nominal Catholics (Baptist and Methodists too) but I always try to avoid stealing sheep.

What I see in the Tidewater area of VA where I am doing an interim in a dowtown city church is that most of the church plants are done adjacent to growing suburban developments or are the extension of an existing church using a theater to televise the service (or at least the sermon) from the parent congregation. Our congregation is part of a downtown fellowship of churches that is made up of 9 downtown churches (4 Baptist with 2 predominantly African American, 1 Episcopal, 1 Presbyterian, 2 UMC, and 1 AME). We are seeking to be faithful to the downtown setting and its opportunities. In talking with the other pastors in our downtown fellowship, they see most of the church plants as drawing people from established churches and weakening downtown ministries. I don't know the demographics well, but I see church starts as often very critical of other groups who are (and often have been ministering faithfully for 1 or 2 centures).

People seem to always seek the "easy way."

I was deeply concerned when the NAMB moved from their downtown Atlanta headquarters to "Affluent Alpharetta"--- far distant from the bums on Spring Street and the Atlanta Airport which was the main way for people on the mission field coming in as well as home executives to go to them for consultation.

I know of NO growing church which is not on the fringe of rapid urban growth. I pastored one in N. Metro Atlanta just down the road from Johnny Hunt's booming Woodstock First Baptist. He moved it from downtown Woodstock to a large campus on the busiest N. Georgia State HIghway. My church was growing by leaps and bounds because people were moving in by leaps and bounds.

Real minisry to the "down-and-outs" where Jesus walked is far more difficult---and needed---than sitting on the Temple steps changing money.

By the way, I think we are far off the subject of this discussion, though