Whenever the conversation of church planting comes up in Kentucky, someone will inevitably ask, “Why do we need more churches?” It’s a fair question. Anyone who has visited our great state knows that church buildings dot the landscape of each Kentucky county.
Kentucky Baptists have been prolific in planting churches. When we began in 1837, there were approximately 500 Baptist churches in the state. Today there are more than 2,300 Baptist churches affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
So why are we talking about having even more churches? Here are five reasons worth considering:
1. Because of the lostness of people: Kentucky has a population of 4,505,836 people. Of that population, according to Glenmary Research — which does its study based on church attendance records — only 14.6% regularly attend church. That leaves 3,847,983 people who are not actively attending any church anywhere on Sunday morning. While some of those individuals are shut-in or providentially hindered, most of them are lost and in need of the gospel. We need more churches laboring to preach the gospel to them.
2. Because of yearly church closures: The annual attrition rate for evangelical churches in the U.S. is approximately 2%. If Kentucky Baptists were seeing 2% of our churches close each year, then we would be losing 47 churches per year. While we do not see that number reported annually, we do know that churches often die quietly and slowly. Many churches have already closed, and others will close in the coming years. Each of these needs to be replaced with a thriving, growing, Great Commission-minded congregation of believers.
3. Because of Kentucky Baptist history: Kentucky Baptists were in an expansion mindset until around the year 2000 when we began to decline. By 1900 there were 1,608 Baptist churches in Kentucky and by 2000 there were more than 2,500. Today we are down to roughly 2,350. This is not a time when we need fewer churches. It is a time when we need every church thriving and fully engaged in advancing the gospel together in our great state, and more churches coming along to help them in the work. We want to be advancing in our gospel impact — not losing ground.
4. Because of gospel-advancing impact: Since 1980, as far back as our digital records of Annual Church Profiles reach, Kentucky Baptist churches have baptized 637,709 people. My favorite memory of our 186th Annual Meeting in Somerset was asking those who were saved or baptized in a Kentucky Baptist church to stand, and then watching the great majority of those in attendance rise to their feet. God has used Kentucky Baptists to reach the lost in our state and we want more of that activity in the future — not less.
5. Because of our mission: Kentucky Baptists know that the Great Commission was given to the local church and each successive generation of churches and church leaders must take up this mission and move it forward. We are called to take the gospel to the homes in the shadows of our church steeples, on the country roads of our rural counties, to urban areas and in the hills and hollers of our mountains. We are called by God to advance the gospel together right here in Kentucky.
How can you help?
First, you can pray. Through the Church Multiplied initiative we have a goal of seeing church planting and replanting work taking place in 90 of our 120 counties by the end of 2026. That is an aggressive goal. We will not get close to it without the grace of God in response to the collective prayers of His people.
Second, you can give. Church planting and replanting is an expensive endeavor. It costs a lot to help those who are doing this essential work get started on their mission. Your church can contribute to Kentucky Baptist Church planting through the Cooperative Program, the Eliza Broadus Offering, Restricted Kentucky Only giving or a direct designated gift to help with the work.
Third, you can encourage and celebrate church planting and replanting in your part of the state. Take the time to get to know the church planters and replanters in your area, invite them to lunch to hear their stories and consider having your church adopt one for prayer and encouragement.
Today only 14.6% of Kentuckians attend church. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if in the next 10, 20 or 30 years we saw that number continue to increase? I believe we can as we work Together for the Mission to reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.
Dr. Todd Gray 