Church Planting and Building
On occasion we are prepared to plant a church for nationals. We do not plant OBM churches nor compete with the local churches already established in an area. The ideal program is for an American church to develop a sister-church relationship with a national church in some country. The process is for a team from the American church to plan a short-term mission trip through OBM to an unreached area and spend the time witnessing and teaching. The usual response that results is a request by the new believers to have a place of worship and training. A portion of the funds to erect a church building and provide for a pastor should be raised by the American church. The national church should raise part of the funds in order for them to have a true ownership of the ministry. In the meantime, we would place a trained pastor in the church. A second year, the American team would return to their sister-church to witness, teach on evangelism, and encourage the believers in personal Bible study and personal holiness. The third year, the team should spend the majority of their time in teaching and training the leaders. By the third year the national church would be expected to maintain itself financially and spiritually.