(ALPHARETTA, Ga.) March 4-6, 217 newly endorsed church planters from 30 U.S. states, four Canadian Provinces, and Puerto Rico gathered at the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) Alpharetta building for Send Network Orientation, an event that kickstarts planters’ journeys by immersing them in Send Network’s values.
The diverse class of planters spoke at least eight languages and represented 182 Sending Churches. Fifty-six attendees were Spanish speakers, a reflection of Send Network Español’s emphasis on resourcing planters to reach Hispanic communities.
Noah Oldham, executive director of Send Network, opened the event by assuring planters that when they plant with Send Network, they will never go through the church planting journey alone and introduced them to Send Network’s five core values: Seek First the Kingdom, Deepen Devotion, Think Multiplication, Stick Together, and Engage the City.
“We believe that there is no limit to what God can do with a group of church planters who share this mission and embody these values, and we believe that you are the men that God is going to use to accomplish this mission,” he shared from the stage.
A Range of Backgrounds, United in Purpose
“You can be standing next to a planter whose first language isn’t English, someone planting in Detroit, and also be right next to someone planting out in the country in Kentucky,” James Roberson, who serves on Send Network’s Lead Team of Planters, said. “It’s truly a family of churches planting churches everywhere for everyone.”
“Being in the room with these brothers, singing praises to God, praying together and hearing a brother praying in Spanish – it’s a beautiful expression of God’s kingdom and every nation, every tongue, every tribe,” shared Raph Peters, who is planting Southside Fellowship Church in Houston.
One special group of planters in attendance is busy reaching the Kichwa people, an indigenous group from Ecuador, who have scattered all throughout New England. The Kichwas have their own language, culture, and traditions, making church planting for this group a unique undertaking.
However, since getting connected to Send Network, the church planting movement among the Kichwas has gained momentum, with more than a dozen Kichwa churches affiliated with Send Network now scattered throughout New York City, Baltimore, and Boston.
“I was just planting churches, I didn’t have a strategy, just relying on God,” said Juan Carlos Suero, who is originally Dominican but has found a home among the Kichwa people. “I was doing it on my own, but now I have a support group. And church planters from my church won’t have to suffer like I did because now we can share what to expect.”
A Global Vision Fueled by Generosity
“We’re living in the greatest days in the history of Christianity to be alive. There are more people coming to faith in Jesus today on a daily basis around the world than at any other single time in human history,” Vance Pitman, president of Send Network, shared with planters during the closing session.
Vance encouraged planters to keep their focus on the expansion of God’s kingdom, seeing their church as a tool in this effort, rather than the ultimate goal.
“You can plant a great church and fail at accomplishing the Great Commission. But when you leverage that church for the expansion of the kingdom in cities and nations – now we’re leaning into that which is eternal,” he challenged planters.
To that end, he also reminded planters of Southern Baptist’s generosity through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, which fuels church planting across North America and called them to join in the movement.
“The heartbeat of the gospel is generosity,” he shared. “For God so loved the world that He gave. You can’t preach the gospel without talking about generosity. You are never more like Jesus than when you give.”
Training More Planters
Alongside Orientation, Send Network also hosted a Residency Builder Workshop to encourage and equip pastors to build an intentional process in their churches to train qualified leaders to be church planters. Since launching this workshop last fall, Send Network has helped 70 churches across 15 states create a system to train and send future church planters.
“By hosting the Residency Builder alongside the Send Network Orientation, it provides pastors with the opportunity to hear the vision of Send Network and worship alongside two hundred church planters from all over North America. The energy and excitement from hundreds of church planters being in the building adds such a powerful dimension to the training experience,” said Gus Hernandez, director of Sending Churches.
“I’m 57 and I’ve been around church my whole life, but have never experienced anything like this,” said Kevin Moss, who is planting a church in Spencer, Oklahoma. “The focus on prayer and the intimacy with God has just been amazing. I can hardly wait to take home what we’ve learned.”
Published March 10, 2025