Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
Menu
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
Menu
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Your state news
  • Request a free trial
Menu
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Your state news
  • Request a free trial

NAMB reports 8,200 church plants in past decade, still emphasizes ‘power of one’

  • June 16, 2021
  • Margaret Colson
  • Latest News, National News, SBC, SBC 2021
Kevin Ezell
(Photo by Sam Evans)

NAMB reports 8,200 church plants in past decade, still emphasizes ‘power of one’

During the past decade, Southern Baptists have planted 8,200 churches throughout North America, comprising nearly 17% of all churches in the denomination, said Kevin Ezell as he presented NAMB’s annual report June 15 at the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

Still, each church plant and each baptism points to the “power of one,” believes Ezell, NAMB president.

“It all comes down to the power of one — one ministry opportunity, one church or church plant, one person,” Ezell said, referencing NAMB’s Who’s Your One? emphasis.

The power of one

During Ezell’s presentation, a brief video highlighted the story of Chris Carrier. As a 10-year-old boy Carrier was kidnapped, stabbed, shot in the head and left to die in “alligator alley” in Florida. Carrier survived the ordeal, and his attacker ultimately was arrested and convicted.

Joining Ezell on the annual meeting stage, Carrier described how God used the ordeal to “draw me into the gospel.” For years, people would ask Carrier what he would say to his attacker if ever given an opportunity to speak to him. God used those questions and conversations “to sanctify my heart for a reunion,” Carrier said.

Twenty-two years after the attack, the reunion happened. Carrier met his attacker, who was dying in a nursing home. It was a reunion, although awkward, that Carrier described as “simply two men seeking the grace and the presence of God.”

Carrier shared the gospel with his attacker, and the man, on his deathbed, “prayed to receive Christ.”

God used a horrific event to change lives, Ezell said, encouraging attendees to identify their one person who needs to hear the gospel.

Reaching North America

God continues to change lives, one person at a time, in North America as Southern Baptists are faithful to share the gospel, Ezell believes.

“The gospel unites us, convicts us and compels us to move forward,” he said.

As an animated slide of North America showed 8,200 dots representing the past decade’s church plants, Ezell reminded attendees that each “dot” represented a face of someone reached with the gospel.

Among the 8,200 church plants in North America over the past decade, many are in the U.S. while others go beyond our country’s borders. In Canada, 54% of all current Southern Baptist churches have been planted since 2010, he said, with those congregations reporting more than 50% of baptisms there. In Puerto Rico, where no churches had been planted in about 20 years, 16 churches have been planted since 2016.

Even in the past year, “some of the most trying times for our world in recent memory, your North American Mission Board missionaries, church planters, chaplains, evangelists and staff remain focused every day on sharing the gospel across our continent,” Ezell said.

In 2020, Southern Baptists planted 588 churches and reported 143 new affiliations and 126 new campuses, for a grand total of 857 new Southern Baptist congregations. About 60% of church plants in 2020 are ethnic or multiethnic congregations.

“We are truly a diverse family of new churches,” Ezell said, adding that NAMB has translated and contextualized all church-planter resources into Spanish.

In his remarks, Ezell emphasized that NAMB does not plant churches but, rather, “churches plant churches.”

Beyond the yearly counts of church plants, NAMB, he said, is committed to “equipping those church-planting churches to start strong, evangelistic, healthy churches.”

He also pointed out that the biggest challenge is “the need for more church planters” and that NAMB provides free materials to address the need and to support church planters “on the frontlines.”

Southern Baptist giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering totaled $49.5 million in 2020, even amid the pandemic.

“Because of that steadfast giving, we were able to keep every missionary on the field, proclaiming the gospel everywhere for everyone,” Ezell said.

Questions/Answers

Following his report, three annual meeting attendees presented questions to Ezell concerning NAMB’s salary structure, the training of church planters on the issue of abortion and how much money NAMB spent to request assistance from the U.S. federal government with Send Relief resources.

Regarding NAMB’s salary structure, particularly in regards to Ezell’s salary, NAMB trustee chair Eric Thomas assured attendees that Ezell is a “model of faithfulness when it comes to stewardship.” To answer the question about training church planters on the issue of abortion, Ezell stated, “I’m absolutely against abortion,” and added that he had not identified abortion as an issue among church planters. Finally, Ezell stated that he did not have readily available specific information to answer the question about expenditures used to request Send Relief assistance from the federal government but said that he would provide the information at a later date.

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • The Baptist association: An amazing secret hiding in plain sight
    The Baptist association: An amazing secret hiding in plain sight
    August 17, 2022/
    0 Comments
  • China tightens restrictions on Christian ministries
    China tightens restrictions on Christian ministries
    August 17, 2022/
    0 Comments
  • Reaching the next generation: the difference between struggling, succeeding
    Reaching the next generation: the difference between struggling, succeeding
    August 17, 2022/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.
  • Amplify

Related Posts

The Baptist association: An amazing secret hiding in plain sight

Recently I toured the Bunker at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. It was the secret location where the U.S. Congress would move in case of

China tightens restrictions on Christian ministries

 The Chinese Communist Party, which restricts Christian ministries, is clamping down even tighter with the institution of new legal restrictions. The relief group Barnabas Fund

Reaching the next generation: the difference between struggling, succeeding

Many churches are having a difficult time reaching the next generation with the message of Jesus Christ. Not only are churches struggling to connect with

IMB Journeyman learns faithfulness, flexibility in move from Ukraine to Poland

When training to be a missionary, instructors and mentors emphasize the need to be flexible, even fluid. Jaden Williamson listened but never thought he’d be

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
Menu
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
Menu
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
Menu
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
Menu
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209

Copyright © 2022 TAB Media Group

  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
Menu
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
Menu
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
Menu
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel