90-Step Faith Goal Reached!

For the last two quinquenniums, the Carolina Conference leadership has set faith goals for church planting in order to measure congregational growth. Every time a new church plant is voted as an official Mission Group, it means one step has been taken. More steps are counted every time a Mission Group becomes a Company, or a Company reaches Church status.

Initiated in 2011, the faith goal of 50 steps was exceeded in December 2015 with a total of 51 total steps. This included 30 brand-new church plants.

A new faith goal was set for 2016-2020, this time for 90 steps! After setting this goal, the church planting department decided to include every time a mother church births a new church plant. Although God replenishes mother churches, this was deemed valuable due to the missional sacrifice mother churches make. This is most keenly felt in the loss of ministry leaders, finances, and friends.

With the Holy Spirit’s working through fantastic lay leaders, pastors, and conference leaders, on December 14, 2020, this goal was also surpassed. A total of 93 total steps were made by the Carolina Conference congregational family! Represented in this total are 31 total new plants (Mission Groups), 20 congregations who reached Company status, and 11 who reached Church status. Even though 31 mother church steps were taken, even when those aren’t included in the number, there were still 11 more steps (62 total) in 2016-2020. This shows that God is growing his family of believers in the Carolinas, and using your ministry as His method. Please keep these new congregations in your prayers, and continue to seek ways to grow your own ministry for Christ.

— by Brad Cauley

Editor’s Note: Our Carolina Conference Church Ministries Director, Brad Cauley, has recently accepted a position as Executive Secretary for the Northern New England Conference. His

energy and leadership will be greatly missed in the Carolinas, but we wish him well as he continues his ministry in a new direction.