THRIVING TOGETHER: ORDINARY CHURCH PLANTERS
- Ian Duncum
- Sep 19
- 4 min read
THRIVING TOGETHER BLOG INTRO
For many years, I have shared both the pain and joys of those who work with churches. Like many of you, I have often wondered if there are better ways to thrive together and make a missional impact on our world. It’s not about trying harder; it’s about doing different things in new ways. This involves interrupting our routines and reflecting on our practices.
As a pastoral supervisor, trainer, lecturer, and consultant for churches and non-profits, I strive to provide valuable insights. I hope my posts serve as refreshing water for those planted in churches so we can thrive together.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments. Or you can reach out to me through my website: www.ianduncum.com.au.
ORDINARY CHURCH PLANTERS
I was preparing for a Bible study this morning, read about Priscilla and Aquila (1 Cor 16:19), and went exploring. This is a couple who were not on staff, tentmakers/leatherworkers by trade (Acts 18:2–3) but still planted at least three churches (or at the very least were part of a church planting team):
Corinth
Acts 18:1–3 – Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth, newly arrived from Italy after Claudius expelled Jews from Rome. They work together both as tentmakers and church planters.
Acts 18:18 – They accompany Paul when he leaves Corinth for Syria.
Ephesus
Acts 18:18–19 – Paul takes Priscilla and Aquila with him to Ephesus; they remain there when he sails on.
Acts 18:24–26 – In Ephesus, they teach Apollos “more accurately” the way of God.
1 Corinthians 16:19 – Writing from Ephesus, Paul greets the Corinthians on behalf of “Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house.”
2 Timothy 4:19 – Paul sends greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, probably then in Ephesus again.
Rome
Romans 16:3–5 – Paul greets Priscilla and Aquila in Rome, calling them “my fellow workers in Christ Jesus” and noting that “the church in their house” meets with them.
And this set me thinking - why aren't we seeing more people who aren't on staff planting churches? Whether micro/house churches or other models? This is where I landed:
- Friendships (I was going to use the term 'friendships with a missional edge' but thought better of it because really they are just friendships that eventually over time will explore the deep values of both people): Of course in one sense people don't set out to 'plant churches,' they evolve organically from relationships, whether neighbours at a BBQ, people asking spiritual questions and so on, starting to gather and explore faith in Christ more deeply. But in the West especially, we are not generally great at this. So much so that there have been a number of books on a missional lifestyle (eg Surprise the World, Michael Frost; The Art of Neighbouring, Runyon & Pathak), the process of churches building effective relational pathways into the local community (Pathways for Mission, Ken Morgan) and bivocational ministry (The Future is Bivocational, Andrew Hamilton) that seeks both to model and empower higher levels of relational engagement with local communities. Of course, Priscilla and Aquila were bivocational.
- Institutional Structures: Most church systems still assign the primary responsibility for starting new churches to ordained, professionally trained clergy. Lay people are often not equipped or empowered to lead missional initiatives at the same level, and misunderstanding of lay leadership potential persists within traditional church cultures.
- Training & Trust: There is frequently a lack of targeted training and accreditation for lay planters, resulting in church bodies limiting lay roles to basic responsibilities rather than encouraging leadership in planting. Many believe formal theological education is required, which can discourage lay initiative. It is clear but I will state it anyway; Priscilla and Aquila had no formal theological education.
- Financial & Resource Constraints: Planting a church requires significant time, money, and volunteer resources, which can be harder for bi-vocational or unpaid lay leaders to secure compared to clergy with institutional backing. Of course, this is less of a problem for those who are fully self-support such as Priscilla and Aquila.
- Cultural Expectations: Both congregations and wider society may expect that only clergy can lead churches, making it difficult for lay planters to gather support, volunteers, or legitimacy for new congregations.
- Burnout and Isolation: Lay-led plants face a high risk of burnout, particularly if a small core is stretched to cover all needs, and there may be less denominational support (eg coaching, planter communities of practice) or formal pastoral care for lay leaders.
- Perception of Role: There is often a perception that mission, teaching, and church leadership are “the pastor’s job”, so lay people hesitate to step into these spaces unless directly invited and mentored to do so.
The brillant Ric Thorpe has kicked off a pathway for lay church planters in the UK (https://ccx.org.uk/myriad-pathway/ ). I wonder if we could get that happening in Australia? What do you think? Is God nudging you about church planting?
Ordinary, not on staff, church planters like Priscilla and Aquila were foundational in the expansion of the early church. They just said yes to God. He did the rest.
© 2025 Ian Duncum. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission. Rev Dr Ian Duncum is a trained and accredited church consultant with over 20 years of experience with non-profit enterprises and churches across several denominations. This includes denominational leadership in church health, church planting, consultancy training, and adjunct lecturing & research in the tertiary education sector. An accredited minister with a track record of growing churches, Ian trains church consultants, facilitates training for ministers and leaders, and supervises pastors and other leaders. Ian can be contacted at ian@ianduncum.com.au.
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