Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

304 • P LANTING C HURCHES AMONG THE C ITY ’ S P OOR : V OLUME 1

B. The indigenous (“home grown”) leader: elder/pastor/bishop

1. Elders were to be selected to ground the new believers in the faith, Titus 1.5 (ESV) – This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. 2. Indigenous leaders are to be appointed and confirmed by those given the authority to establish the churches, Acts 14.23 (ESV) – And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 3. Ultimately, indigenous leaders are to be the ones who must take responsibility to both sustain the movement, as well as multiply the movement in natural and indigenous contexts, 2 Tim. 2.2 (ESV) – and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 4. Much of our training has little or nothing to do with urban contexts: “Few will deny that the United States is an “urban” nation whose most profound problems are on display daily in its metropolitan areas. Nonetheless, only one third of the Association of Theological School accredited seminaries in this country offer (much less require) courses concerned with “urban ministry.” (Robert V. Kemper, “Theological Education for Urban Ministry: A Survey of U.S. Seminaries,” Theological Education , Vol. 34, Number 1 [1997]: 51-72.)

C. The “ oikos ” networks of indigenous disciples of Christ will be the means through which the movements are created and thrive.

1. The dimensions of our relational webs

a. Common kinship relationships (immediate, extended, and adopted families)

b. Common friendships (friends, neighbors, special interests)

c. Common associates (work relationships, special interests, recreation, ethnic or cultural alliances, national allegiances)