Ted Powers - Director of Midwest Alliance
A note from Ted
Midwest Alliance Director
THE MIDWEST MISSION
February 2021
When the Midwest Alliance formed a year and a half ago I felt there was a lot of potential to see good things happen in the region. I saw a successful history of church planting, local initiatives to develop future leaders, dedicated leadership, and tons of opportunities. Now, I believe the Midwest is starting to see that potential realized and is actually poised to see even more good things happen, despite all the challenges that this last year has presented. Why?
I see the continued development of presbytery-based “Leadership Development Teams” that are investing in the development of future planters. There are currently, cumulatively, 105 men in the “Midwest Pipeline”. This investment, I believe, is the key to a long-term, sustainable church planting movement and is at the heart of what we call a “Church Planting Ecosystem”.
I see more and more pastors, churches, and presbyteries embracing a “Great Commission Vision”. This is why I’m hoping to pull many of our key catalytic leaders together May 4-5 in St Louis for an equipping and mobilizing gathering we’re simply calling “Catalyst”.
I see new Church Planter Readiness Seminars and Assessment Centers being scheduled in the Midwest.
I see new “laborers for the harvest” being recruited for new plants and new works being started across the Midwest. Just a few examples:
Isaac Ferrell planting in Cedar Rapids, IA who, having launched only this past Fall, has an apprentice, Kyle French, preparing to plant in 3 years in nearby Marion.
Stephen Lawrence networking and gathering towards a Sept launch of worship services in Springfield, IL.
Josh Crawford and Travis Stephens who have gathered 20 families in Richmond, KY and are now equipping and mobilizing them to reach their neighbors and build towards public worship services in late August. They have a vision for planting churches throughout the Appalachian Region of Kentucky.
Central Indiana getting ready to call up to 3 new planters and 2 apprentices in the next few months.
The leadership of Dan Millward and Andrew Vandermaas in Michigan providing proactive church planting leadership. There are now 4 active plants going on, a new planter has just been called for the Detroit area, and there is a goal for 5 new planters in the Detroit area over the next several years.
South Dayton Pres has found a planter for their planned daughter church near Wright St Univ.
Matt Grimsley looking for a church planting resident in Madison, KY.
Ben Sinnard planting in Oconomowoc, WI a daughter church of Cornerstone in Delafield.
John St Martin planting in Fargo, ND who is bringing on an intern this summer and hopes to see plants in Grand Forks, Minot, Williston, and Bismarck.
John Rogers planting Grace Pres in Lake Co, IN outside Chicago that, having already touched 200 in attendance in just 6 months, is looking to purchase land and build a building as it positions itself to plant additional churches throughout the county.
Chris Rufener taking on Zac Harrison as a church planting intern in their young plant in Terre Haute, IN.
Thurman Williams planting New City West End in St Louis and training a cohort of men to plant more churches in the area.
Jay Simmons planting All Souls in St Louis.
Phil Douglass actively recruiting planters for places such as Cape Girardeau, Rolla, Jefferson City, Florissant, Sedalia, Concord, Pevely, Farmington, and North Pointe, MO.
Jeff Schneider and Boulevard Pres in Chicago on the verge of purchasing a wonderful building in a strategic location while still a church plant.
You get the point. I could go on and on. 36 years ago there were all of 35 churches in the Midwest region of over 70,000,000. Today, by God’s grace, there are almost 250. My prayer goal is to see us reach a total of 400 churches in the next 10 years. That’s basically one church per presbytery per year. As wonderful as that might be, if we average 200 per church (the average size of a PCA church several years ago) then that would still only be 80,000 people. But the Kingdom impact, I believe, would be way beyond that. And that is ultimately what we are pursuing – not numbers for their own sake but gospel impact in the lives of countless individuals, families, and communities in the Midwest region and beyond.
Ted
Director of the Midwest Alliance