Church Transplants

I think this is a beautiful idea from Canada! (Wesleyan Information Network)

Highland Park Wesleyan Church had a unique service Sunday morning, January 22. The day marked the first service in which two churches—Sunnyside (Ottawa, Ontario) and Highland Park (Westboro, Ontario)—became sister churches. Approximately forty people from Sunnyside were grafted into the congregation at Highland Park. A blessing and commissioning service for those individuals was held on January 15. Rev. Clint Curle, a former Sunnyside pastor (1995-2001), is the pastor of the blended congregation. Speaking of the first blended service Rev. Curle says, “There was a genuine spirit of worship there…We all had a sense that this was really one church under Christ.”

Instead of planting a new church, which had been contemplated for six years, leadership at Sunnyside felt God’s leading to become a sister church with Highland Park. Rev. Brent Russett, senior pastor of Sunnyside Wesleyan, says, “We hope that this will happen in more than name. Programs like Caravan, Living Waters, and Mom’s Bible Study will be available to people from both congregations. Groups like Wesleyan Women may have some joint meetings. Small groups may draw from both church communities. In general, from now on there will be a close ministry relationship between Sunnyside and Highland Park.”

I think other healthy churches ought to try this approach -- being organ donors to their sisters. Although, this raises a few critical questions:

1. I don't think this "infusion of new life" will work unless the smaller church is willing to relinquish some degree of leadership. I can't imagine it being a positive experience unless the smaller church is "under new management."

2. Homework should be done to see if there will be a positive match (of values, culture, & ethos.+ Otherwise, the transplant will be rejected by the recepient body. Small, declining congregations are that way for a reason -- and that reason must be fully explored before such an operation commences.

3. There has to be a pretty high level of spiritual maturity on the part of the donor as well as the receptor congregation. Selfish pettiness has a way of rising to the surface in such times of transition.

My instructor at Fuller, C. Peter Wagner, told us it is easier to have a baby than to revive the dead.

However, infusing new life into a sister congregation is certainly worth considering!