“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
In the first century, the gospel was proclaimed to all nations through the planting of churches in the most influential of cities. (Colossians 1:6, 23) If we as God’s modern day movement are to evangelize the nations in our generation, then we too must plant churches in the most influential cities of the world – thus The Crown of Thorns Project. This requires the tireless training of preachers and women ministry leaders, as well as the finances to support their efforts for the Lord. Therefore, on November 20, 2011, the Central Leadership Council is calling every member in every SoldOut Movement congregation to give AT LEAST 4X THEIR WEEKLY CONTRIBUTION PLEDGE for a Thanksgiving Missions Contribution.
In the 1970’s, I was privileged to befriend Reuel Lemmons (1912-1989), one of the most prominent preachers and significant voices in the Mainline Churches of Christ. Reuel was a minister for 53 years speaking in 79 countries. From 1955 to 1983, he served as the Editor of the Firm Foundation, a publication of the Mainline Churches of Christ. According to The Handbook of Texas Online, Reuel’s weekly editorials were “probably the most widely read single column among members of the [Mainline] Churches of Christ.”
Brother Lemmons was a hero to me. Our friendship developed as we spent “down time” during seminars and workshops at which both of us were guest speakers. I found him to be a soft-spoken man, yet with unwavering deep convictions. The following Firm Foundation editorial from February 9, 1982 entitled Church Planting challenged all of us in the Mainline Churches of Christ. I believe it is still a clarion call to the Mainline Churches of Christ and the International Churches of Christ, as well as prophetic warning to the churches in the SoldOut Movement. Our brother Reuel wrote:
It is a strange and almost sacrilegious thing to say, but we do not look for too much growth in the great majority of our presently existing [Mainline Church of Christ] congregations during the next two decades. True, populations will shift and a few will grow, largely at the expense of others, but our church plans are not now orientated toward church growth. We would not be afraid to prophesy that more of our congregations that exist today will die than will grow in the next 20 years. We mean, really grow, not just swell.
This is not to prophesy that the church as a whole will not grow. We believe it will, but it will grow from church planting rather than church building. We are doing practically nothing to build churches, and seem bent on crucifying the few that are… The church grows from church planting, and we have just about quit planting churches. We are educating our young preachers to fill existing pulpits rather than to plant churches. The number of preachers we have or need is related by the number of existing pulpits rather than by the world’s need for the gospel…
The average church is reducing its interest in “for others” and is proclaiming the doctrine of “for us.” We even heard recently an elder say that the church’s first duty was to itself. We fear for a church with this philosophy. Search the annals of history and you will find that God never let a church grow at home that lost its interest in the great commission. The church’s first duty is to preach the gospel and plant churches – not to satisfy its selfish wants.
Whatever church growth there is in the next twenty years will come from the relatively few congregations that are interested in church planting. When the preaching ministry of the church is centered in professional ministering to people pleasing groups, in job security and fringe benefits, then the church will die. Preachers ought to be taught to create pulpits rather than fill them.
If surveys are correct, the over 18,000 [Mainline Church of Christ] congregations have shrunk to less than 10,000 in the last 20 years or so. If there was an ounce of church planting vision among us, we could turn those 10,000 congregations into 20,000 in the next twenty years. So long as it takes 6,000 members of the church to send one missionary, we probably won’t plant 10,000 churches. This is a problem that every [church leadership] should search their souls over…
There is only one reason in the world, so far as we can see – why churches have quit growing. They have lost their church planting zeal and have taken up housekeeping operations. Jesus cursed a fig tree because it bore nothing but leaves; we have so many barren churches and so little fruit! There is grave danger that the Lord might curse us with jealousy and division until we die out. Then He might raise-up in our place a people who would be the Israel of God – He has done it before.
Reuel Lemmons – February 9, 1982
I believe that the SoldOut Movement is “the Israel of God” that Reuel “prophesied” about which God is raising-up out of a jealous, divided and dying-out church. The City of Angels Church planted in May of 2007 with 42 sold-out disciples sent by the Spirit from Portland, now sees 750 on Sunday mornings! Yet, the real impact of the congregation can be seen through the efforts of the 107 disciples that have been sent-out from LA to lead existing churches or to plant churches: Honolulu (2008), New York City (2008), Portland (2009), San Diego (2010), Kiev (2010), London (2010), and Sao Paulo (2011). In just four and-a-half years, the astounding combined total number of disciples in LA and in the churches led by those sent-out from LA is over 1,500 with an amazing combined Sunday attendance nearing 2,500!
In the first century, Jesus said to the faithful Eleven, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Our Crown of Thorns Project adapts Jesus’ vision for the twenty-first century. “Jerusalem” is Los Angeles for God’s modern day movement; “Judea and Samaria” are parallel to the United States; and “the ends of the earth” are “the ends of the earth!” To go to “the ends of the earth,” twelve of the most influential cities outside of the United States have been targeted as Crown of Thorns Cities: Cairo, Chennai, Johannesburg, London, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, Hong Kong, Paris, Santiago, Sao Paulo, and Sydney. Excitingly, God’s new movement now has vibrant church plantings in London, Santiago and Sao Paulo!
For 2012, the Central Leadership Council is presently praying over and cementing plans to plant four more churches. Lord willing, following The Samaria Project (church plantings within the United States), the Spirit will send out mission teams from LA to Boston, San Francisco and Orlando at this summer’s 2012 World Missions Jubilee. Also at that time the Holy Spirit will plant the fourth city of The Crown of Thorns Project, as Lord willing, Tim & Lianne Kernan will take a small group of sold-out disciples and plant the Paris International Christian Church! Adding to this excitement, the Central Leadership Council has now begun to consider planting in the summer of 2012 our fifth Crown of Thorns City – Mexico City!
As Reuel Lemmons wrote, “The church grows from church plantings.” He also noted that though there may be some churches that grow individually with a “for us” mentality, the only hope for a lost world is a movement of churches that “preach the gospel and plant churches – not [satisfying their] selfish wants.” Reuel also realized that persecution would come from those who “are doing practically nothing to build churches, and seem bent on crucifying the few that are.” Underlining this principle, Raul & Lynda Moreno and our Sao Paulo Mission Team were recently “sinfully” marked and “wrongly” disfellowshipped by what is left of our former fellowship in Brazil.
Some reject and scorn Jesus’ dream to evangelize the nations in this generation as burdensome and embittering to the families in the church, especially those in leadership. In fact, to attempt to save everyone’s family members requires that we reach the entire world! So encouraging have been the many “Kingdom Kids” that have been baptized this summer, such as Matt & Helen Sullivan’s daughter – Melissa and Chris & Theresa Broom’s son – Austin! Interestingly, both the Sullivans and Brooms serve on the SoldOut Movement’s Central Leadership Council!
Indeed, Reuel was a prophet – “a voice of one calling in the [spiritual] desert.” However, it is necessary and good that we recognize that there are still some faithful disciples in the Mainline and International Churches of Christ, as these two fellowships comprise our spiritual heritage. Yet as Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matthew 21:43) So by faith, Reuel sensed that out of the Satanic chaos and confusion of modern day Christianity our Gracious Father would raise-up a new “Israel of God,” or as we were named by our persecutors – the SoldOut Movement! And since it is “only God, who makes things grow,” then to God be all the glory!
Kip McKean
