A significant ministry initiative planned for Crestview in 2025 is the replanting of McIntosh Baptist Church. Over the next three weeks, I am devoting this weekly article to answer questions related to this initiative:
Today: Replanting: Why? Why is this a worthy effort?
Jan 13: Replanting: How? How will McIntosh be rebirthed?
Jan 20: Replanting: Who? From where will the members of this new church come?
Why is replanting McIntosh Baptist Church a worthy effort? I will answer this question on several fronts. First, I will provide some background.
Background
McIntosh Baptist Church, founded in 1894, has a long history on the north side of Griffin. The Lord worked through this church over the past decades to affect many lives in our region – including some of our own Crestview members. However, for a variety of reasons, the church fell into steady decline over many years. Participation dwindled to an average of fifteen people, which pressed the church to consider its future viability. Crestview’s elders were instrumental in guiding McIntosh to entrust the Flint River Baptist Association to replant the church. In May 2024, the church made the unanimous kingdom-minded decision to continue the vision and purpose of the church through replanting. The church held its last gathering in December.
The goal of replanting is to fold the church’s remaining assets into a completely new church that will gather in the same location. The new McIntosh Baptist Church will have new leadership, new members coming from sister churches, and a fresh vision of ministry. Former members may choose to join the new church or move on to other local churches. Daniel Sanderson will serve as the replanting pastor. Throughout the winter and spring, he will promote the replant within the association, assemble a replant team of initial members, reconstitute the church, and launch public gatherings in September 2025 (Lord willing).
Biblical Reasons for Replanting:
Most importantly, there are sound biblical reasons for starting – and replanting - new churches. The storyline of Acts proves that the local church is the instrument of God’s mission in the world. For example, we read in Acts how the church of Ephesus was planted through gospel preaching and subsequently started other churches: The word of God is preached in Ephesus (11:19-20); people believe (11:21-26); the church gathers and grows (11:26); the church sends out missionaries (13:1-3); and the cycle of church planting starts afresh in Asia Minor (Acts 14 and beyond). The mission of the church is to start new churches through the preaching of the gospel and conversion of unbelievers. There are many more biblical reasons, but the storyline of Acts is considerable evidence for starting new churches.
Practical Reasons:
There are several practical reasons for replanting McIntosh. First, the former members of the church wanted to see this work carried out. Without kingdom-minded members who were willing to trust their association of sisters FRBA churches, this would not be possible. Second, the church has a highly visible facility on Highway 92 that features a beautiful 150-seat worship center and various other spaces. It needs maintenance and updating, but the campus can be a superb ministry tool for a new, healthy church for decades to come. Third, this is our opportunity to save a church facility for kingdom use. If replanting does not occur, the campus would likely be sold and lost for church use. Due to zoning, resistance, and expense, churches are increasingly finding it challenging to obtain facilities in which to gather. By replanting McIntosh, we are capitalizing on the investment that generations of members made to establish their campus as a beachhead for Christ's kingdom in our region.
Demographic Reasons:
We have done the demographic research, and it reveals that a new, healthy church is needed in north Griffin. Within a 5-mile radius of McIntosh (and Crestview!) live 45,000 people. We estimate that 80% of the people are unbelievers, which is 36,000! Individuals will generally drive no more than 10 minutes, or 5 miles, to gather with a church. Compare these facts to the estimated combined seating capacity of all existing churches within a 5-mile radius of the McIntosh campus: 5,000 seats. So, yes, there is plenty of room in the harvest field for at least one more new, healthy church to reach the tens of thousands in our community who are are lost in sin. What's more, we are not adding a new church facility; we are saving one from being lost to this mission!
Cooperative Reasons:
First, the Lord calls us to cooperate with sister churches in the great commission. Churches are independent yet interdependent. Again, see the example in Acts: the church in Jerusalem sent both Barnabas and then Saul to serve the newly formed church in Ephesus (Acts 11). They were later, then, commissioned to start other churches in Asia Minor.
The Lord is not likely to win our region to himself through Crestview alone; our community is too populated. We must not stand in competition with other churches but in cooperation – rejoicing to see them preach the gospel and grow. Frankly, I believe that Crestview’s future will be found in leading the charge to plant, replant, and revitalize sister churches in the Griffin/Spading region and beyond. McIntosh is only the first, I pray, of many. I have little desire to see our church build more extensive facilities when the opportunities for replanting and revitalizing sister churches are so abundant (and cost-effective).
Second, we are one of many churches that are cooperating to replant McIntosh. Woolsey Baptist, Pinecrest Church, and First Baptist Zebulon are providing significant leadership and financial support. The forty-five churches of the FRBA are collaborating in this work. Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Sandy Springs is sending a pastor and, potentially, more members. Christ Memorial Church in Vermont is sending a team of fifty-six members on a construction mission trip in February. The bottom line: we are not doing this alone, but we must do our part.
Conclusion:
Why should McIntosh be replanted? I have laid out a handful of biblical, practical, demographic, and cooperative reasons. We could develop many more motives. Still, this much is clear: there are many solid reasons for Crestview to support replanting McIntosh.
For His Glory,
Pastor Thomas