Planting Pitfalls: The Pain of Opposition
As part of the Planting Pitfalls series building on his research among struggling plants, Dan Steel, local pastor and part of the Acts 29 UK network, encourages church planters to build wisely and so avoid some of the most common risk factors. This article looks at the impact of opposition to a new church plant.
The difference between theory and reality can be complicated.
We know in theory, as we read in the Scriptures, that the people of God have always faced opposition. Indeed, as we follow in the footsteps of our crucified saviour, we know that opposition is likely – indeed expected – and yet when it actually comes, it can hit us harder than we expect.
As we spoke to struggling planters,¹ opposition came from a variety of directions:
The world
In our research we spoke to 80 planters from Albania to Zambia² and hence descriptions of opposition faced varied. In Papua New Guinea, for example, the cost of becoming a believer for those who turned to Christ meant “extreme external pressures and threats from a traditional cult. Persecution was regular. Most were ostracized from their families. Some could not take this.”
Or another planter in India describing their context stated that “[being] centrally ruled by religiously majoritarian governments [can] cause lots of obstacles for ministry and church planting.”
For those in the increasingly secular West, the opposition is (currently) largely not as overt as that faced by many brothers and sisters around the world. We may not face ‘sticks and stones’, but words can still be very damaging. They can hurt; but more than that, they can cause us to lose confidence in our witness, to slightly ‘soften’ our message, or ‘turn down the volume’ a little. The neighbourhood into which you’re planting may not welcome you with open arms when they hear that you potentially disagree with them on whatever hot topic Twitter is shouting about at the time.
Having said that, an increasing number of the planters we spoke with were encountering similar obstacles to those found in India (above). In particular, a number reported that finding a venue was particularly difficult, and that an increasing fear of community backlash or being ‘cancelled’ led venues (even those who needed the money) to refuse to allow churches to rent their space. There were stories of evangelical churches writing to literally hundreds of options and being turned down by all of them because of their orthodox doctrinal convictions.
The church
Whilst opposition from outside can be painful, opposition from ‘within’ can be all the more agonising. This was, in fact, the main avenue of opposition listed within the study, perhaps because for many it was the most unexpected: other local churches or denominational entities seeking to cause damage to the fragile, fledgling fellowship.
There were stories of evangelical churches writing to literally hundreds of options and being turned down by all of them because of their orthodox doctrinal convictions.
It’s clear that there will be a spectrum of ‘welcome’ from the other local churches in your neighbourhood. Some, with varying theological convictions, will not be at all pleased that you are planting into ‘their’ patch. Your plans or presence might well be taken as criticism or threat. The idea of you preaching your convictions in their community might even be abhorrent.
Some planters also spoke of a very difficult relationship with their mixed network or denomination. This was not only financially and emotionally costly, but also relationally, as other churches unite against them. One planter said, “Over the time, there was much political opposition from the other [denominational] churches. At times, I would spend a couple of days a week on 'politics'.”
The devil
Pastors can sometimes be slow or cautious to attribute opposition to ‘spiritual attack’, however a number recognised the daily reality of opposition from Satan. He does not want your church to grow or thrive. Any kind of gospel community will be abhorrent to the one who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Any kind of gospel community will be abhorrent to the one who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
A number of pastors explicitly mentioned the reality of spiritual attack in their planting experience.
“Satan is serious about coming against you when the kingdom is advancing, prayer has to be at the centre of building church.”
“Planting is hard! It needs to be led by the Holy Spirit and I can't control things. There will always be distractions. Satan doesn't want it to grow. The battle isn't fought in the flesh.”
Pastor, be encouraged
Opposition is a reality – perhaps increasingly so in the West – and yet Jesus encourages us that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against the church. They simply can’t.
That doesn’t make it easy or painless. That doesn’t belittle the reality of your struggles or the distress caused by those from outside the church who seek to cause you and the church plant harm. And yet pastor, be encouraged and keep going: you are on the winning team! You follow in the footsteps of Christ. Trust him each day, whatever the opposition looks like; he has mercies sufficient for you.
You follow in the footsteps of Christ. Trust him each day, whatever the opposition looks like; he has mercies sufficient for you.
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¹ See also https://www.acts29.com/church-planting-pitfalls-part-one/ and https://www.acts29.com/church-planting-pitfalls-part-two/
² In fact Albania, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Uganda, UK and Zambia.