Church Plant Program

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in planting a church. Missions America exists to promote church planting and to partner with church planters across the United States. This packet explains how the Church Plant Program works, who can take part, how support is raised, and what we expect of each other. Read it with your spouse and your pastor before you apply.

What the Church Plant Program is

• The program is for establishing new churches in the United States, and for helping churches that are three years old or younger.
• It supports a new work for an original three-year period as it becomes established and affiliated with the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Each church plant adopts the rules of government set out by the Missions America Department.

Who can apply

A Church Plant applicant must:

• Be at least 21 years old.
• Hold a General License or Credentials with the ALJC.
• Be a United States citizen.
• Have been a member of the ALJC for two years, unless you have a proven ministry.
• Tell your congregation (or trustee board) about your Church Plant status when you're approved, and every year after.

We also strongly encourage you to have your pastor's blessing. If you don't, you can still apply, and we'll talk it through with you.

The journey, step by step

1. Inquiry. You fill out the interest form. Missions America contacts you, and you receive this packet.
2. Application. You're invited to complete the full Church Plant Application, including references, a background check and a credit report.
3. Review and approval. Your application goes to your District Missions America Director and District Superintendent, then your Regional Missions America Director, then Missions America, and finally the National Missions America Board.
4. Affiliation. Your church affiliates with the ALJC in a specially called business meeting chaired by your District Superintendent.
5. Agreements. You sign the Church Plant Agreement and the Policy and Procedures acknowledgment.
6. Raising support and launch. You're introduced to pastors and churches, and you launch.
7. Program years. Three years of support, reporting, coaching and accountability.
8. Graduation. Your church graduates from the program and continues as a self-supporting ALJC church.

How funding works

Where the money comes from

• Pastors and churches give Church Plant offerings and designate which plant each gift is for on the monthly Missions America Contribution Form.
• All funds go to the National Headquarters in Memphis. Contributions are due by the third Monday of each month.
• 90% of every offering designated to your plant is sent to your church. The national office keeps 10% to promote the Church Plant Program.
• All checks are made out in the name of the church, never to an individual.

The loan and the 10-year forgiveness

• Funds you receive are an interest-free loan from the ALJC.
• If your church buys property or a building with a deed, it grants the ALJC a mortgage on it. Any further Church Plant money is secured by that mortgage.
• Ten years after your church graduates, if it has followed the ALJC's tenets and is still a member, the ALJC forgives the debt and releases the lien.
• If the church withdraws from the ALJC within those ten years, it must repay all money loaned within 90 days. "Withdrawal" includes withholding offerings from the ALJC, giving offerings to another denomination, or joining another denomination.
• If the church stops following the ALJC's tenets, the ALJC may ask for repayment within 90 days of written notice.
• Missions America offerings your church sends to the National Missions America Department are subtracted from what you owe if repayment is ever required.

Raising support

• You and your plant may be introduced at a sectional or district fellowship meeting. There you may ask for faith promises, with the pastors' consent, or a pastor may raise funds in his own way.
• With an invitation from a pastor in any section of your district, you may visit that church to ask for faith promises.
• On request, the National or District Missions America Director will tell each pastor which of their members have pledged support.
• To raise funds outside your own district, you first need approval from that district's Missions America Director and from your own District Superintendent.

Before your church can receive funds

• Affiliate with the ALJC. Publicly announce a specially called membership business meeting. Your District Superintendent chairs it, and the members vote to affiliate. The church adopts the ALJC Articles of Faith and Rules of Discipline.
• Get your own EIN (federal Employer Identification Number). It's required on the Affiliation Form.
• Notarize and file the Affiliation Form. The pastor signs it in front of a notary. It's also signed by the District Superintendent, the church secretary and three trustees, and filed with the ALJC General Secretary.
• Adopt approved by-laws. The church's constitution and/or by-laws must be approved by the Missions America Department.
• Sign the Church Plant Agreement and the Policy and Procedures acknowledgment.

Affiliation places your church under the ALJC's IRS 501(c)(3) umbrella. The pastor or church secretary must keep a copy of the IRS 501(c)(3) publications and follow them; the church is responsible for any misuse of that status.

What we expect of you

• Follow the ALJC General Constitution, Articles of Faith and the Church Plant rules of government.
• Be active in your district and attend national and regional events.
• Give to the national departments of the ALJC, including Missions America.
• Send a monthly report: attendance, baptisms, Holy Ghost infillings, Bible studies and finances.
• Keep church money in a church account under the church's EIN, and make financial records available on request.
• Meet regularly with your coach and take part in training and accountability.
• Complete a criminal background check and a financial background check with a credit report. Your spouse completes a background check.
• Tell your congregation about your Church Plant status each year.
• If you ever want to close or leave the work, tell your District Superintendent first. He will notify the District and National Directors.

What you can expect from us

• A personal conversation with Missions America after you send your interest form.
• A clear, fair application and review, with your District Superintendent and District Missions America Director involved from the start, and a final decision by the National Missions America Board.
• Your plant listed on the monthly Missions America Contribution Form sent to every contributor of record.
• Opportunities to present your plant at sectional and district fellowship meetings.
• 90% of every offering designated to your plant, sent on to your church.
• Accountability, communication and prayer throughout your program years.

Documents you'll sign

Next steps

1. Read this packet with your spouse.
2. Talk with your pastor, your District Superintendent and your District Missions America Director.
3. Pray about the city and the timing.
4. When Missions America invites you, complete the full application.