If you spend enough time listening to the headlines about the state of the church in the Northeast, you might be tempted toward discouragement.
But I find myself increasingly hopeful, because I believe we are living in a moment of God-given opportunity.
The Northeast remains one of the great mission fields of North America. In many communities, the need for gospel presence far exceeds the current supply of healthy, multiplying churches. And while we should never pit church planting against revitalization—as though one matters and the other does not—the evidence continues to show that church planting remains one of the most effective ways to reach new people with the gospel.
Research has long pointed to this reality. One oft-cited study found church plants averaging 11.7 baptisms per 100 attendees, compared to 3.4 per 100 in established churches. (Lifeway) More recent Lifeway data also shows churches founded since 2000 continue to outperform older churches in baptisms per 100 attendees. (Baptist Press)
That doesn’t diminish the importance of strengthening existing churches. Healthy established churches are the backbone of any multiplication movement.
But it does remind us of something important:
Planting new churches is not peripheral to the mission. It is central to it.
And that is why I’m so encouraged by what is happening in Converge Northeast. Here are a few things you need to know:
- We Are Not Watching a Movement. We Are Building One.
By God’s grace, we are seeing meaningful momentum. Right now:
- Thirteen potential church planting candidates are in our Church Planting Portal.
- Four church planting residents have been assessed, with three recommended or conditionally recommended for planting.
- Three additional candidates are going to the Converge Church Planting Assessment Center in June.
- We are gathering quarterly with our current church planters for encouragement, learning, and support.
- We are building a broader church planting team.
This is not accidental momentum. It is intentional movement-building.
- We Are Building the Bench, Not Just the Front Line
One of my strong convictions is that church planting and leadership development MUST go together. If we want a stronger planting future, we need a deeper leadership pipeline.
That’s why I’m equally excited about what is happening on the leadership development side:
- A team of seven CNE pastors and ministry leaders is meeting with Mike Schooley, helping define the benchmarks for what a Converge resident should become.
- Residents and residency programs are currently developing in churches across our region.
- A college internship pathway is being developed to help create a funnel into residency and ministry.
- We are in conversation with four additional residency opportunities.
This is how movements endure. Not simply by launching churches, but by raising leaders.
Mike Schooley, our Director of Church Planting and Leadership Development, is doing an outstanding job spearheading these efforts. Mike brings both clarity and conviction to this work—helping us think strategically about not just planting churches, but building the systems and pipelines that make sustained multiplication possible.
Why This is an Exciting Time
What excites me is not merely that we have activity, but that I see alignment:
Churches leaning in, leaders emerging, partnerships forming, pipelines developing, and a multiplication culture taking shape.
That matters, because movements are not built through isolated effort. They are built through shared vision.
And I believe we are seeing that vision grow.
CS Lewis in The Last Battle, describes the clarion call for God’s people to go further up and further in.
I believe this is what that looks like.
Not choosing between strengthening existing churches or planting new ones—but embracing both. Not settling for maintenance—but leaning into multiplication.
Not shrinking back from the challenge of the Northeast—but stepping toward it with faith. Not because the work is finished but because, by God’s grace, something is being built. And I believe we are only beginning.