[Pastor Tim] Keller also makes the case that church planting is being true to the Great Commission for Christians, is part of a renewal process for the Church, and an exercise in “Kingdom-mindedness.”

The greatest evangelical impact Christians can take part in is to plant new churches, say leaders at the Acts 29 Network, an organization aimed at facilitating a global churchplanting movement.

Pastor Scott Thomas, who is the president of the group and lead pastor of church planting at Seattle-based Mars Hill Church, recently re-published an article by pastor and bestselling author Tim Keller on the subject.

Keller, who leads Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, published his thoughts about the importance of starting other churches 10 years ago. His article was condensed in a post last week titled, “Why Church Planting?” on Acts29Network.org.

Keller’s assertion that planting churches is essential for the Church is still being echoed by pastors today.

Acts 29 is a network of church planters founded by Mars Hill lead pastor Mark Driscoll. Thomas says that in the last 10 years, “Acts 29 has emerged from a small band of brothers to over 400 churches in the United States and networks of churches in multiple countries.”

“Keller reflects our biblically-informed approach to church planting,” Thomas told The Christian Post. “The Book of Acts is a record of Spirit-led Christians proclaiming the Gospel boldly in places where the Gospel is not known and establishing churches among the new believers. The Book ends in chapter 28. Acts 29 (Network) is seeking to continue the call to redeem broken lives into a community of God worshippers for His glory.”

On the group’s Website, Thomas states, “We seek to be a movement of church-planting networks – that is, decentralized and empowered networks to lead men of all different types of churches in order to make disciples of all people groups.”

Keller explains in his article that: “The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city.”

Keller admitted that his view is “an eyebrow raising statement.” However, he also said that for those that have researched this topic to any degree it’s “not even controversial.”

Pastors.com editor and church planter Brandon Cox recently wrote that he is obviously passionate about church planting and that Keller’s article “echoes my heart about the matter.”

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