Is the Multi-campus church concept biblical?

John Piper shared some interesting perspective on this question I thought was worth passing on to you (mixed in with this are some of my own thoughts… so, the parts that don’t make sense you can blame on me…). I found this very refreshing since many of those promoting multi-site don't seem to have wrestled with the biblical implications of the approach... they only have a "this works so it's got to be right and don't criticize me or slow me down with the Bible" kind of attitude.

Let me say right up front: you can’t mandate from Scripture that all churches should be multi-campus. But.. with that said… Consider the church in Jerusalem. Here’s a few salient points to let marinate in ye olde hopper:

1. The Jerusalem church had a massive growth problem: The first few chapters of Acts tell us that within a few weeks well over 10,000 people had come to Christ and that more people were being added “every day.” Acts 2 records the crowd’s response to Peter’s sermon as, “What should we do?," and after Peter's explanation 3000 respond... in Acts 3 it says that 5000 MEN responded to Peter's second sermon... That created a “Holy cow, what should we do?” question for previously small Jerusalem congregation. They went from 120 to over 10,000 in one week! What did they do? They tried to accomodate the growth! (No conscientious Christian ever says “we’re growing too fast” any more than a cancer patient says “I’m healing too fast.” The Jerusalem church scrambled to do what it could to accommodate that growth.)

2. The Jerusalem church remained as ONE church: Three times in Acts a reference is made to the church in Jerusalem, and each time it is referred to in the SINGULAR. Acts 8:1: “There arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem.” Acts 11:22: “The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.” Acts 15:4, Luke describes Paul and Barnabas’ return to Jerusalem: “When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders.” Each time, it does not refer to churches, but church. Not once, that I can find, is it referred to as MULTIPLE, independent congregations. Putting that together with #1, that means that the Jerusalem church was one church with at least 10,000 members.

3. That church devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching: Acts 2 says that the new church (singular) gathered around the teaching of the Apostolic team. This is actually important for the multi-site concept, when you consider #4.

4. There is no way the one church could have been gathered as one large group: There was simply no facility that could hold them in Jerusalem! Acts 2 tells us they were meeting to hear the Apostles’ teaching daily “in the temple.” There was no place in the temple that could daily accomodate 10,000 people... plus, this was before microphones and video projection. Thus, for 10,000 to devote themselves to the Apostles’ teaching would take multiple, smaller gatherings. That’s probably why it says they met “daily.” (You see, it never says that all 10,000 met every day, just that every day some portion of them were meeting to hear the Apostles’ teach.) Do you get what that means? A “teaching team” of Apostles were holding multiple services in the temple. And it's reasonable to assume that each Apostle was teaching the same sermon multiple times each week. You can’t tell me that each one rushed home and prepared a new message every day. And you can’t tell me that if they had blogs, video and T-1 internet connections they wouldn’t have been using them.

5. In addition to smaller temple gatherings, the one church met in multiple houses every day to devote themselves to the Apostles’ teaching. This seals the deal for me. One church, meeting in multiple houses. A traveling group of Apostles’ teaching every day in different houses and different locations in the temple or wherever else they could find space.

6. The Jerusalem megachurch had massive organization problems and members who felt "left out." In Acts 6, people were complaining that in the Jerusalem megachurch member-care was not happening. Notice the Apostles’ response. They didn’t start reading Brian McLaren books and declare themselves "post-megachurch" and poopoo the whole idea of a big church. Nor did they read George Barna books, declare the end of the local church and start meeting on the golf course with their Ipods and Jesus golf-club bags. Nor did they complain that as trained ministers they weren’t able themselves to do the member care Jesus had ordained them to do. What DID they do? They appointed another organizational structure within the church to minister to the needs of the growing body. You see, big church is messy. But it’s better than letting people go to hell.

Comments

[clifford]

i really appreciate this posting b/c "big churchiness" is something i have a hard time with a lot of the time. my main objection has been folks getting lost in the mix, however, the idea of just everyone splitting off into smaller congregations doesn't seem to be the answer either (i supposed that'd actually be small groups and such - somewhat autonomous but still answering to and joining the larger body). I had never thought about it from a biblical perspective and it makes sense. Thanks for posting this.

[Lindsay]

I'm glad you listened to (or read) that sermon because I meant to mention it to you at the E3 service last week. The question someone asked you with the theory that "multiple meeting times = multiple congregations" made me think of this sermon from John Piper. I'm glad it made it onto your blog. :-) It is comforting to know that God gave us a Biblical model for dealing with thousands of new believers!

[Josh Via]

Good stuff, J.D. I've been following your blog for awhile and thought I'd come out of the closet. Our church, Southbrook Church, in Weddington, NC is about to go multi-site really soon. The potential to reach more folks is beyond imagination right now.
Blessings bro. Keep preachin' the Word.

[Beth]

"But it’s better than letting people go to hell." ...I love that.

It's really hard to allow and even embrace messiness as a reality. It's hard to look dissatisfied people in the eye and say, "yup, it's messy" ...but as you say ...it’s better than letting people go to hell.

Thanks for this post

[James LaCorte]

I find that there are various needs many types of churches can fill. The concern I have is how different churches build walls up between each other and do not find common ground to work together. We can try so hard to prove our way is better or right we miss the point of being a Christian Community.

My question is more around tithing.
We are to tithe at least 10%, you hear churches all the time speak of this. What you do not hear is what is the REAL responsibility of the church for that money? Missions, the poor, internal operations? How much should go to each area? If Christians are accountable to God to tithe, what is a church accountable for? This is somewhat related because in order to become reliant and mulit location church it takes resources. But, how much resources should be used for the church operations vs. the poor or other areas?

I found this PDF online and it made me think. I like it because it provides a long history and at the end you realize this is a mega church leader struggling with how much should they keep for operations and how much to the poor or community, which is how the first church was conducted.

It is a long document but worth the read.

http://jlacorte.googlepages.com/EmbezzlementPaper.PDF

[James L]

oops in my last post. I forgot to mention that I saw this about Willow Creek and found it interesting that they feel their initial approach was incorrect http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2007/10/willow_creek_re.html

I have never attended willow creek but read some of their books. Maybe the whole mega church thing is not an issue and they hit the nail on the head. There is a balance of how much a church should be culturally relevant or maybe how much it should strive to "look like the world". It seems like this story and video link really talk about making sure the congregation (small church or mega church)grows and understand the responsibility they have to each other, the church, the community, and so forth.

I think the question is do we as Christians understand what church is about and our role we should play within it and in the world community? I know from attending Homestead Heights when JD started, that he had a heart to make sure people knew what this meant, so mega church or small church, I think JD will try his best to prepare/teach/and help grow the Christian community.

[micheal owings]

JD
i appreciate you addressing this issue because i struggle with what i see in scripture and how it fleshes itself out in an age of new technology. My concern with multi-site campuses has never been whether all of the campuses are the summit church or even all the churches are the church in durham but my concern has always been why multi-site campuses with one teaching pastor. i love to hear you preach but is there no one else who can preach at the other campus? i just wonder in these big churches with the one teaching pastor what would happen if they no longer were there? i know JD that you have the same concern because i have heard you ask just that but does not the multi-site campus make that question even harder?

[Mike Little]

Great comments JD. Piper is one of my favorites. I've never met you...but just found out one of my good friends from HS is on staff with you (David Thompson). I planted a church in Midtown, Atl 9 years ago that had the beginnings of a vision for satellite campuses.

I've recently helped launch a satellite campus for a church outside Atlanta that is now becoming a church plant...so I know it isn't easy.

Coming up to the RTP area this week and would love to meet you if you have the time. I went to UNC and my wife and I are feeling called back to the area to either plant a church or connect with one like the Summit that has that "multiplication" philosophy.

404-805-0054

Mike Little

[Kyle Potter]

I suspect that the creation of this multi-site church would lead to the development of a monarchical episcopate and a council of presbyters, like it did in the ancient churches, within a hundred years. In the evangelical protestant context, they just happen to be called lead or senior pastors, with a collection of associate pastors that serve under him.

[Brandon Thomas]

JD- i'm a little late to the party, but i truly appreciate your 'candle power' on multi-site. Ben Witherington has some interesting things to say about the Corinthian Church and Paul's gifts discourse... he believes that Paul is not just speaking personally to individuals, but also that each local expression of the city-church in Corinth has a dominant gift that compliments the whole as they reach their city for Christ. I also believe it might help us ask important questions about church government in the early church. GREAT POST from a church planter in texas!

[Martin]

I have two issues with this:
first it seems to assume that the word 'church' implies a single organisational entity whereas in reality these verses speak of the ekklesia - the called out ones.

secondly, it reflects an entirely different context, namely when there were true, God-called apostles still around.

Don't get me wrong I don't disagree with the idea I just don't see a clear scriptural mandate in any of this.

Martin

[Pastor Troy Jones]

I've been Pastoring in saint petersburg, fl for 5yrs. went and preached a funeral to 300 people on a friday in Elmira,NY fifty souls repented of thier sins and said they didn't have a church home. My plane was scheduled to leave tues. so on sunday we met at a local ymca. I never got on the plane I stayed there for 30 days and held a revival for community. more souls were saved. So over night, I have two congregations. I'm seeking for God's direction as to weather or not I should move one congregation to the other city. But after reading, and searching your site, I believe God will give me the wisdom, grace, strength and resources to pastor two congregations. I have never seen it done within our churches. you can see this new congregation at www.elmirachurchofgod.com. my other congregation is sinfreechurch.com. If there is any advice/counsel to can further give to me I would really appreciate it.
Pastor Troy Jones of Saint Petersburg, Fl & Elmira, N.Y.