by David Shaffer
Church planting utilizes different methods, different circumstances, and different people. Let me give you four scenarios from my experience.
1967 My family was driving over 20 miles from Clearwater, Kansas, to attend Glenville Bible Baptist Church in Wichita four or five times every week. Several families were driving from this wheat-farming community to Wichita to attend churches located there. My father, Elvis Shaffer, sensed God’s moving to plant a church in my hometown of 1,700 people. With the blessing of Pastor J. J. Adrian, my father contacted the various families, organized them, and began what later became Ninnescah Bible Baptist Church. I led music there for almost 13 years until I left for BBC in 1979. In fewer than 10 years, God had called six men out of that village to preach the gospel. Several young ladies also surrendered to the Lord, and one is now married to the director of ABWE.
1993 El Dorado, Kansas, is an oil-refining city of around 13,000 people 20 miles northeast of Wichita. Dalton Walker (currently a BBFI missionary to New Zealand) of Temple Baptist Church was prompted by God to start a church in Helena, Montana. Pastor Walker recruited a few dozen people willing to sell everything they had in El Dorado and to help him plant a church in Big Sky Country. That summer, they began a work called Maranatha Baptist Church. I was called to succeed him as pastor in El Dorado.
1995 As pastor of Temple Baptist Church in El Dorado, I was burdened about the rapidly growing northwest side of Wichita. I had only been in El Dorado a short time and didn’t feel led to leave, but my desire for Wichita would not go away. Early that spring, I spoke to Larry Olson, former missionary to Sweden and then pastor in Morris, Illinois, about my burden. He and his wife, Marsha, came and toured the area God had placed on my heart. We earnestly prayed. Today, Heritage Baptist Church is evangelizing the northwest side of Wichita. Larry was recently assisted by Wayne Guinn in securing finances for their beautiful new facility.
1997 Scott Naill had just started his career as a mortician in El Dorado when God spoke to him and his wife, Dina, about full-time service. They moved to Springfield to attend BBC. Upon graduation, Scott served with me at Temple Baptist. During our mission conference, Bruce Turner, pastor of Westgate Baptist Church, Tampa, Florida, spoke of a fast-growing city just north of Tampa. During that conference, God spoke to Scott, who soon partnered with Pastor Turner to plant Faith Baptist Church of Wesley Chapel, Florida.
Different scenarios, similar results — church planting has been the spirit of the BBFI for 60 years. At our National Fellowship Meeting in Savannah, we will highlight church planting. We want you to hear their stories and to hopefully begin to write some new ones.