CHURCH PLANTING IN IOWA

The Iowa Baptist Conference (IBC) began back in the mid-nineteenth century when Swedish immigrants came up the Mississippi in riverboats. The oldest Baptist General Conference church in existence today is found in rural Lansing.

The IBC has always been committed to a variety of ministries designed to see Christ transform our communities through the power of God. At the very heart of these ministries there has always been a passion to start new churches. Church planting was to our district corporate life what personal evangelism was to our individual lives.

There have been two periods of growth that have contributed significantly to the 35 plus churches and 5,000 worshippers of the IBC today. The Immigrant Revival of 1870-1900 was a period when many of our IBC churches were planted to reach Swedish immigrants living in settlements, cities and farms. The Post- War Explosion of 1945-1965 was a second period of church planting activity. After turning some tough corners of change from a mission to Swedes to an outreach for all people, the IBC helped start many new church plants aimed at reaching a broad range of people.

Since 1978 the IBC has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to reaching people for Christ by starting new churches. During this period, at least 13 church planting projects were initiated. Many of these churches are still functioning today and are reaching people for Christ.

Today the IBC is at the beginning stages of another church planting movement. A new coaching team of five pastors has been meeting for over a year to pray, learn and discover how they can resource future church planters that would come into the district. A recent one day event brought together over 40 adults and teens to Pine Lake Christian Camp. They met to dream again about the possibilities of church planting in the IBC. Other leaders are also meeting in a task force to help position the district for future growth. A new church plant less than a year old will dedicate a new building to the glory of God and the reaching of Vietnamese people in the Quad City area. These are all signs of a stirring that is taking place in the IBC. God is seemingly getting ready to begin a new period of church planting.

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