International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE)

Volume 9, Issue 9, September 2022, PP 1-8

ISSN 2349-0373 (Print) & ISSN 2349-0381 (Online)
https://doi.org/10.20431/2349-0381.0909001
www.arcjournals.org

The Biblical Principles Responsible for Church Planting and

Church Growth
Rev. Eliazar Daila Baba, PhD
HoD Pastoral Studies Department, ECWA Theological Seminary, Jos, P. O. Box 5398, Goodluck
EbeleJonathan Road, Jos 930001, Plateau State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author: Rev. Eliazar Daila Baba, PhD, HoD Pastoral Studies Department, ECWA
Theological Seminary, Jos, P. O. Box 5398, Goodluck EbeleJonathan Road, Jos 930001, Plateau State,
Nigeria.

1. PREAMBLE
This background would help the reader know the history and the concept of how and why church
planting and church growth came about. Antioch of Syria was a cosmopolitan city, closer in character
to a modern metropolis than was any other city in the Roman world. Therefore, understanding
Antioch is crucial for a biblical perception of church planting and church growth because patterns
were established there that set the course of mission history and changed the religious map of the
world.
This is why Roger S. Greenway and Timothy M. Monsma (2000:54) stress that at Antioch the gospel
was preached for the first time to people who had no previous connection with the Jewish faith and
community. The church at Antioch, by commissioning and sending out the first missionaries to the
unevangelized world, became the mother of all the Gentile churches. Furthermore, from the life and
ministry of the Antiochan church a man who was destined to become the great urban apostle of the
first century learned firsthand what a Gentile church could be to extend and grow itself.As the church
in Antioch, today‟s churches need to be willing to make sacrifices and invest personnel and financial
resources so new churches can be started and grown.
Roger S. Greenway (2000:55), added, despite the negative features, Antioch became the main
gateway for the gospel to the Gentile world. It is interesting to note that the New Testament never
talks about Antioch‟s wickedness and idolatry, its cultural and beauty, or its importance as one of the
great commercial centers of iniquity. But in describing Antioch, Luke refers only to the great spiritual
events that took place there. It was reported that, events in Antioch affected the course of the gospel,
threw open the empire to evangelization, church planting, church growth and molded the character of
the missionary enterprise. As for its impact upon the world, Antioch soon came to supersede
Jerusalem, developing into the missionary headquarters of the first century. Therefore, according to
Christian A. Schwarz (2002:35), “The key to church growth is for the local congregation to focus its
evangelistic efforts on the questions and needs of non-Christians.” Roger S. Greenway affirms the fact
thatchurch growth can occur numerically in three different ways. First, when there is biological
growth. Second, when there is transfer of members. Third, when there is conversion of new believers
in Christ, (2000:58).
2. DEFINING OF TERMS
2.1. Church Planting
Graham Cheesman (1997:58) quoted Malphurs Aubrey by defining church planting as a planned
process of beginning and growing new local churches, which implies that (a) it is a process that
involves planning; (b) it is an intentional activity; (c) it had to do with church multiplication and
growth.Dennis J. Mock (1989:21) emphasize the fact that, “Church planting is an integral part of
missions. And that a church that is not actively involved in local or „foreign‟ (cross-cultural) missions
is out of the will of God.”
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The Biblical Principles Responsible for Church Planting and Church Growth

2.2. Church Growth

According to Christian A.Schwarz (2002:10), “Church Growth is simply a church that has grown to
maturity stage spiritually and is it able to reproduce herself both by becoming a sending church and
through the development of sister churches in nearby communities.” Christian A. (2002:126) went
further to explain that Church growth is not an attempt to manufacture the growth, but rather it is an
effort to release the biotic potential which God has put into every church. It is our task to minimize
the obstacles to growth (the “environmental resistance”)-both inside and outside the church. Since we
have very little control over outside factors, we should concentrate on the removal of obstacles to
church growth and multiplication within churches. The church growth can happen “all by itself.” God
will do what he promised to do. He will grant growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). Therefore, church growth in
the power of the Holy Spirit does not mean ignoring God‟s principles. It means putting the biblical
principles to work in the churches as much as possible even when they seem unusual, hard to follow,
or even hurt.
3. DYNAMICS OF CHURCH PLANTING
Christian A. (2002:12) knew from the Bible that Christ commanded his disciples to go into the world
not simply to do good works, but to make disciples of all peoples. Christ wanted lost people found,
won to him, and gathered into his church. What became known as the “Church Growth Movement”
began from McGauran‟s teaching and writing. He added that, the release of God‟s growth
automatisms is the strategic secret of growing churches. Donald A. McGavran (1980:5) believes that:
Church growth is humane action: the strong bearing the burdens of the weak and introducing to
the hungry the bread by which man lives. Nevertheless, God‟s obedient servants seek church
growth not as an exercise in humanity, but because the extension of the Church is pleasing to
God. Only where Christians constrains by love obediently press on, telling men the good news of
the Savior, does the Church spread and increase. Where there is no faithfulness in proclaiming
Christ, there is no growth. There must also be obedience in hearing. Churches do not multiply and
spread across a land or through a city unless among the multitudes who hear there are many who
obey and-loving Christ more than father or mother-deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and
follow Him. Therefore, Church growth follows where Christians show faithfulness in finding the
lost. It is not enough to search for the lost sheep. Church growth follows where the lost are not
merely found but restored to normal life in the fold-though it may be a life they have never
consciously known.
Dennis J. Mock (1989:42) has further defined church planting as follows;
1. Church planting refers to the process of bringing together a group of like-minded professing
believers to establish a new local church through equipping (training), encouragement, and
edification (teaching). Below are some basic guidelines to church planting.
a.) Pray for God‟s wisdom and enablement
b.) Pick the venue or location and select the people-group
c.) Plant the seed of the Word through evangelistic Bible studies
d.) Prepare the soil of the people‟s hearts and minds by building relationships/friendships
e.) Prioritize based on people, not programs.
2. Lifestyle evangelism and discipleship will establish strong new churches. Particularly in
cross-cultural settings, working on building a genuine friendship/relationship with a key
leader or elder of a people-group is a proven successful approach- “for as a leader goes, so go
his people.”Avery Wills and David Garrison, in The Mission of an Evangelist, affirms, “A
church-planting movement is a rapid and exponential increase of indigenous churches
planting churches within a given people group or population segment (2002:335).
4. BASIC PRINCIPLES OR FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS ABOUT CHURCH PLANTING AND CHURCH
GROWTH
John Corrie in the Dictionary of Mission Theology indicates that these principles have been applied in
a number of publications to distinct people-groups in a variety of locations. The merit of the church
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The Biblical Principles Responsible for Church Planting and Church Growth

growth is its insistence that missions should (a) not set up permanent stations but move on; (b) never
impose alien cultural or ethical patterns on local Christians; and (c) encourage new Christians to
remain within their own culture both to affirm and to critique it and to set up churches which relate
meaningfully to it, (2001:56).
Avery Wills and David Garrison in The Mission of an Evangelist, affirms the five basic principles or
foundational beliefs as follows; first, that God loves all people and wants them to be saved. Second,
wherever Jesus Christ is lifted up and proclaimed in a bold, positive, culturally relevant witness,
people will be saved. Third, where people are being saved, born again by the Holy Spirit, they will be
drawn together into a fellowship, a New Testament church. Fourth, God will provide the leaders
needed to minister within that body. Fifth, it is the very nature of a church, as any living organism, to
grow and multiply. If it does not grow and multiply, we have got to ask ourselves, “Is it a living
organism?”(2002:335).
5. CHURCH GROWTH AS REVEALED IN THE TESTAMENT
Donald A. McGavran has clarify the fact that, Church growth is much wider and deeper than adding
names to church rolls. It delves into how persons and peoples become genuinely Christian and
revolutionize and bless the cultures and populations in the midst of which God has placed them.
Church growth arises in theology and biblical faithfulness (1980: vii).
During Christ‟s lifetime, the spreading of the gospel was focused on the house of Israel, and
consequently most of the events occurred in Judea and Galilee. In Acts, however, the commission
was to minister to scattered Israel and to spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and
beyond. This expansion was not without its difficulties. Long, dangerous travels, persecutions,
issues of Church policy, incorporation of foreigners, and maintaining distant congregations
challenged the Apostles as they sought to fulfill their commission to carry the gospel message to
the nations(https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/shedding-light-new-testament/1-book-acts-pattern-
modern-church-growth, accessed on 12/06/2022).
Donald A. stress that there are biblical concepts that helps missionaries to understand how the church
can grow. First, Internal Growth: this occurs or it is seen as it increases in sub-groups within existing
churches, that is, increase of competent Christians, men and women who know the Bible and practice
the Christian faith. These Christians can move from marginal to ardent belief. Second, Expansion
Growth: each congregation expands as it converts non-Christians and takes more of them into itself.
Third, Extension Growth: each congregation plants daughter churches among its own kind of people
in its neighborhood or region. Forth, Bridging Growth: congregations and denominations find bridges
to other segments of the population and, crossing the bridges of God, multiply companies of the
committed on the other side (1980:100).
The book of Acts is given to us by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life, who
regenerates, who gives life to the church. And the Holy Spirit has given us the book of Acts, not just
as history for the sake of history, but history for the sake of instruction; history to establish a pattern,
an example, a practical reality. This is not theory. This is neither just history nor is it some kind of
theory, this is a practical illustration of how the Lord builds His church and nothing has changed. But
the church begins to be built, and that is defined in chapter 2, verse 39 as the Lord begins to gather
His children, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself. Now remember, the process of
building a church is the Lord calling the elect to Himself. So the church grows as the Lord gathers His
children—first among the Jews referred to in verse 39 as “you and your children,” and then the
Gentiles, “all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself,” (NIV). That‟s how
the Lord builds the church. He gathers His own elect. That‟s redemptive history. Now the book of
Acts shows how this begins in the case of the church. In Acts 1:12, the followers of Jesus returned to
Jerusalem on the mount called Olivet, near Jerusalem, the Sabbath day is a journey away. They
entered into the city, went to the upper room where they were staying, that is Peter and John, James
and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the
zealot, and Judas, not Iscariot, but Judas the son of James. And they are all there with one mind
continually devoting themselves to prayer along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and
with His brothers. At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren, the gathering of about 120
persons was there together. So as the book of Acts begins in Jerusalem, they‟re about 120 followers.

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The Biblical Principles Responsible for Church Planting and Church Growth

We know there are another 500 who saw the resurrected Christ in Galilee, but here in Jerusalem, the
church is launched. And this would be the first church, the Jerusalem church of 120 people,
(www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-455/marks-of-real-church-growth, accessed on 15/06/2022).
Also, in Acts 2:41, you begin to see the explosive growth of the church. On the Day of Pentecost there
were added about three thousand souls. Oh, in one chapter the church has gone from 120 to 300.
Again Acts 2:47, there we see that God is adding to their number day by day those who were being
saved. So, three thousand on one day, the day of Pentecost under the great preaching of Peter,
empowered by the Holy Spirit, and then day by day, by day, by day; it‟s an imperfect tense meaning
just that, “day by day, by day, by day.” Still in Acts 4:4, the researcher observed that, “Many of those
who had heard the message” ... (NIV). This would be Peter‟s second sermon; there is an amazing
response... “they believed and the number of men came to be about five thousand,” (NIV). They start
out with a hundred and twenty, then you have three thousand, then people being added day by day by
day by day, and being saved. And then again, there are five thousand men plus women. What is the
number? Is it twenty thousand in a matter of days, a few weeks? And by the way, the statement
regarding five thousand in Acts 4:4 is the last, next to the last, I should say, identification of people in
numbers. It is the last indication of numbers. And the reason I hedge a little bit, if you look at Acts
5:14, all the more believers in the Lord—multitudes of men and women were constantly added to
their number. So, technically speaking, Acts 4:4 is the last time a specific number is mentioned. And
yet there are more numbers being added, they‟re coming too fast to count. So, the last official number
is Acts 4:4, and then it‟s just a matter of more and more without numbers. You come into Acts 6: 7,
“The Word of God kept on spreading, the number”, again they use the word “number” without a
number, “and the number continues to increase greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests
were becoming obedient to the faith,” (NIV). This is a fast, explosive growth in days and weeks.
Acts 9:31gives us further illustrations, the church now grows throughout not only in Jerusalem, but
starts to spread into Judea and now it grows into Galilee where it started with five hundred who were
gathered there. And then it goes into Samaria, and they‟re enjoying peace, “being built up; and going
on in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase” again growing
fast and furious(NIV). Acts12:24, this book reveals how “The Word of the Lord continued to grow
and to be multiplied” (NKJV). Acts 16:5, “So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and
were increasing in number daily” (NKJV). And now we have jumped outside of Israel, we have left
Jerusalem, we‟ve gone into Galilee and Samaria and now we‟re in to the Gentile world, we jump into
the Gentile world with the end of the ministry of Peter, and the beginning of the ministry of Paul in
Acts13, so in Acts 16, the church has gone into the Gentile world and it continues to grow. In Acts
17:12, the church is continuing to grow; many of them believe in Berea, along with a number of
prominent Greek women and men. Acts 19:20, we read again the same kind of pattern, “The Word of
the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (NKJV). And if you want just to jump to the end of
the book of Acts, the final verse: chapter 28, verse 31, the apostle Paul has been preaching the
kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness unhindered—that‟s
how the book of Acts ends. The church is just exploding in the world. Now that‟s the story of the
book of Acts. It‟s the story of the growth of the church. It starts with 120 and it reaches incalculable
numbers very soon and all they can say is more and more and more and more and more increase.
That‟s the story, (www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-455/marks-of-real-church-growth, accessed on
15/06/2022).
6. FACTORS MILITATING AGAINST CHURCH GROWTH
When the gospel is preached to non-Christians and there is a group of believers coming together to
pray and read the Bible, then, it is expected that, this local assembly should grow spiritually. But
Avery Wills and David Garrison in The Mission of an Evangelist has observed, “If a church is
depending on foreign resources, it cannot multiply. A church may have had help at first, but if it feels
that it must have that same help to start another church, it will never have multiplication,” (2001:335).
This movement must generate its own pastors and teachers. Training cannot wait for leaders to finish
years of theological training. Leadership training is on the job.
First, according to Roger S. Greenway, there are not enough trained ministers to organize and lead
new congregations since everything depends on the pastor in some churches, and lay members are not
motivated or trained to do anything, (1999:105-106). Second, David Garrison alludes, importing

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The Biblical Principles Responsible for Church Planting and Church Growth

extra-biblical requirements for being a church. This point is simply saying when a church
denomination attempts to require a congregation to have extra-biblical things such as land, building,
seminary-trained leadership or paid clergy before granting them full status as a church, a Church
Planting Movement is obstructed, (1999:49). Avery Wills stress, these are all good things, but not
prerequisites to being a church (2001:335).Third, David Garrison emphasized, when there is a loss of
a valued cultural identity, the church cannot grow spiritually. When a people have to abandon their
valued ethnic identity and adopt an alien culture in order to become believers, the cause of church
planting would not go far. In too many instances, church planting has become cultural warfare, as
missionaries and local Christians attempt to conquer and change the culture rather than the hearts of
the people, (1999:49-50).
Forth, another factor stated by Avery Wills is when there are poor examples of Christianity where
people in churches do not really believe the Word of God or do not have good ethical lives. If the
local church does not love the non-believers or there is a sin problem in the church, it will be very
difficult to work through that church to plant a new church (2001:336). Fifth, Duane L. Anderson has
stress that “some people are often chosen for leadership in the church because of their leadership in
the world rather than for their godly lifestyle. When this happens, the church will not make an impact
on the world because the world has already made its impact on the church” (no date:9). Sixth, Avery
Wills and David Garrison believe that when there are subsidies that create dependence, the church
cannot grow. The area of concern simply is; outside money has to support a missionary coming in
cross-culturally. But if that support continues, the church will never be an indigenous church. The key
is creating dependence on God, not on others, (2001:336). Seventh, Duane L. Anderson observed that
when the church has an effective ministry of evangelism but have no plan for the follow-up of new
Christians, it would affect the growth of the church. Such a church has many decisions but no
disciples, (no date:8).Eight, according to Donald McGavran, “Leaders were chained to existent
maintenance work. Or, Church and mission were devoted to a nonproductive pattern, once needed but
since outmoded,” (1980:163).
7. FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR SPIRITUAL CHURCH GROWTH
According to Duane L. Anderson, any local congregation that is healthy spiritually, it must be
involved in reproducing itself. Their concern first is to initiate contact with new believers (Acts
14:21), second, they would arrange for group meetings for the sake of prayer and bible studies (Acts
14:21b; 2:42; 1:15). Third, they are concern on how to plant new local churches (Acts 14:22). Forth,
they organized the church leaving the administration of the church in the hands of believers the
apostles had trained (Acts 14:23; Eph. 4:11-16; II Tim. 2:2). Fifth, they should be concerned about the
extension of the local churches planted (Acts 16:1-5; 1:8), (no date:3-6). The challenge before the
growing local churches today is for, they leadership to learn how to develop outreach team, prepare
people for cross-cultural ministry and then learn to plant sister churches.
Sixth, training local leaders. Roger S. Greenway believes that the key to church growth depend in
training local leaders to carry on the ministry of the gospel in dependence on the Holy Spirit, the
Scriptures, and the grace of God, (1999:106).David Garrison affirms “The leadership of the church
firmly grounded the new churches on the Word of God and the priesthood of all believers” (1999:13).
David Eby stress, church growth depends on preaching the Word, (2001:19). David M. Howard
states:
The church leadership took time to train new Christians. Apostle Paul chose young men with
potential who could be with him to learn from him so that they could later assume broader
responsibilities and train others. Paul writes to Timothy, who had spent much time with him in his
travels, “What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be
able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2), (1979:56-57).
Seventh, the witness of all believers. David M. Howard still alludes, there was a witness of all
believers. In the New Testament we do not find the cleavage between clergy and laymen that sprang
up in later centuries. While some were clearly designated by God for special ministry of the Word (cf.
Acts 6:2-4), all Christians participated in witnessing for Jesus Christ. This is spelled out in Acts 8
where we read that “they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the
apostles. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:1, 4, NKJV). That is,
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The Biblical Principles Responsible for Church Planting and Church Growth

those who were not apostles were preaching the Word wherever they went, (1979:52). Eight, gift-
oriented ministry. There was recognition of gifts of the Spirit in the individual persons. As Christians
became active in the witness of the church, they learned to recognize the gifts given by the Holy
Spirit. Consequently, they were willing to accept responsibilities, no matter how menial the task
seemed, in accord with those gifts. Some were called to devote themselves “to prayer and to the
ministry of the word,” while others were chosen “to serve tables” (Acts 6:2-4), (1979:52-53). This is
why Christian A. Schwarz gives reason why the role of church leadership is to help its members to
identify their gifts and to integrate them into appropriate ministries. Because when Christians serve in
their area of giftedness, they generally function less in their own strength and more in the power of the
Holy Spirit. Thus, ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary, (2002:24).
Ninth, constant preaching of the Word. David M. Howard agree with Christian A. Schwarz that the
believers were involved in constant preaching of the Word. The involvement of every Christian in
outreach plus the recognition of the gifts that differ within the church were the natural setting for a
constant proclamation of the message of salvation. This was done to individuals (Philip to the
eunuch), to families (Peter to Cornelius, Paul to the Philippians jailer), to religious and political
authorities. In other words, wherever the Christians could find an audience, one person or a great
multitude, they were quick to speak of Jesus and the resurrection, (1979:52). Tenth, follow-up for new
believers. Plan a follow-up program for new believers. According to David M. Howard, Apostle Paul
never left the young churches without help. He employed at least four means to cultivate them in their
newly found faith. 1.) He prayed regularly for them (Philippians 1:3-4; Col.1:9). 2.) He visited them
personally whenever possible (Acts 15:36). 3.) When he could not visit personally, he sometimes sent
someone else in his place (Phi. 2:19-20; Titus 1:5). 4.) He followed up many previous contacts by
letter. Nine of Paul‟s letters were addressed to young churches, most of which he had established
himself, (1978:58-59). Therefore, Dennis J. Mock stress, the more there was prayer, fellowship,
praise, and teaching of the Word in the church, it made the church to grow spiritually and
numerically, (1989:40).
Eleventh, empowering leadership. Christian A. point out the fact that, the key distinction is probably
best expressed by the word “empowerment.” Leaders of growing churches concentrate on
empowering other Christians for ministry. They do not use lay workers as “helpers” in attaining their
own goals and fulfilling their own visions. Rather, they invert the pyramid of authority so that the
leader assists Christians to attain the spiritual potential God has for them. These pastors equip,
support, motivate, and mentor individuals, enabling them to become all that God wants them to be.
Leaders who realize their own empowerment by empowering others experience how the “all-by-
itself” principle contributes to church growth. Rather than handling the bulk of church responsibilities
on their own, they invest the majority of their time in discipleship, delegation, and multiplication.
God‟s energy, not human effort and pressure, is released to set the church in motion, (2002:22-23).
8. SUMMARY
There is no dispute that in established church regular teaching for believers at all stages in their
pilgrimage must be given, and appropriate pastoral care must be provided. Pastors in conjunction with
missionaries should lead their congregations in the work of evangelism. Further, we affirm that the
formation of godly, witnessing disciples is at the heart of the church‟s responsibility to prepare its
members for their work of service. We affirm that the church must be made a welcoming place for
new believers.
Although evangelism is not advocacy of any social program, it does entail social responsibility for at
least two reasons. First, the Gospel proclaims the kingship of the loving Creator who is committed to
justice, human life and the welfare of His creation. So evangelism, church planting and church growth
will need to be accompanied by obedience to God‟s command to work for the good of all in a way
that is fitting for the children of the Father who makes His sun shine on the evil and the good and
sends His rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Second, when our evangelism is linked with
concern to alleviate poverty, uphold justice, oppose abuses of secular and economic power, stand
against racism, and advance responsible stewardship of the global environment, it reflects the
compassion of Christ and may gain an acceptance it would not otherwise receive.
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In this paper, we have seen and known what we can called a mature church, also we have come to
understand when a church is growing to maturity because a lot of factors were looked into that can
either help the church to grow or not to grow. We have seen that we want a leadership team to
develop which will be able to help that church continue to grow and mature. Therefore, the church
that is planted, it is expected to grow spiritually. The church must prove the fact that,first, her
members can go out for evangelism in other to reach people for Christ, second, they are committed to
edification teaching and shepherding people and helping them to grow, third, equipping themselves by
way of training people by showing them through on the job training, forth, expansion, this is done by
way of sharing leadership by giving people a small group in the church to lead, fifth, extension, this
can be done by way of sending some of the leaders out to repeat the same process in other areas.
There are two key words for becoming a healthy reproducing church are maturity and vision.
Churches that are mature want to reproduce. Vision is seeing what God wants to do throughout the
entire world and not just in the local community. The early church has a lot to teach us about how to
plant, grow and become a sending church. If a church is going to be obedient to the Great
Commission, it must begin training people in the church to go to other cultures to share the gospel.
The leaders of the existing church and the developing church need to determine together the process
that they will follow to help the new church become organized. As the new church is organized, the
leadership of the new church can then take the full responsibility for their continued development.
This frees the original church to begin to focus on the next area where they will begin to plant a
church. God will greatly use that church to multiply churches when they have a vision to reproduce.
As a result of churches becoming strong in the faith and having the leadership needed to start
churches in nearby areas, Acts 16:5 tells us that the churches increased in number daily. The results of
having a vision as a church (Colossians 4:13, 16; Acts 8:11; 9:31;11:18-22), there we see that
churches will be planted and grown in our communities. The concern to reach out to the surrounding
areas of our communities is a characteristic of the early church. That should become a characteristic
of the churches today.
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Corrie, John (ed.). Dictionary of Mission Theology: Evangelical Foundation. Nottingham, England: Inter-
Varsity Press, 2001.
Eby, David. Power Preaching for Church Growth: The Role of Preaching in growing churches. Kaduna,
Nigeria: Evangel Publication, 2001.
Garrison, David. Church Planting Movement. Richmond, VA: International Mission Board, 1999.
Greenway, Roger S. Go and Make Disciples: An Introduction to Christian Missions. Philipsburg,New Jersey: P
& R Publishing, 1999.
Greenway, Roger S. & Timothy M. Monsma. Cities: Missions’ New Frontier. Second Edition. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Books, 2000.
Howard, David M. Student Power in World Missions. Downers Grove, IIIinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1979.
Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan, 2005. https://rsc.byu.edu/
archieved/shedding-light-new-testament/l-book-acts-pattern-modern church-growth.
Maxwell, John C. & Tim Elmore (Eds.). The Maxwell Leadership Bible. Second Edition: New King James
Version. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2007.
McGavran, Donald A. Understanding Church Growth. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1980.
Mock, Dennis J. Missions-Evangelism-Discipleship: Course Manual. Atlanta, Georgia Zondervan Bible
Publishers, 1989.
Schwarz, Christian A. Natural Church Development: How your congregation can develop the eight essential
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Centre, 2002.

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The Biblical Principles Responsible for Church Planting and Church Growth

AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY
Rev. Eliazar Daila Baba, PhD, Born in Nyanya, Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja, Nigeria, May 25, 1967. Married to Ms. Rebecca Eliazar and are blessed
with three children, Elijah, Esther, and Emmanuel. Began Christian ministry in
July 6, 1988. Served as a field missionary with EMS of ECWA from July
1988-March 2001. Served as a resident pastor with ECWA Minna DCC
(District Church Council) from April, 2001 to May, 2012. Served as Chairman
from June 30, 2007 to April, 2012. ECWA Assistant General Secretary from
April, 2012 to April, 2018. Lecturer at ECWA Theological Seminary, Jos,
Plateau State, Nigeria from August, 2018 to date. HoD, Pastoral Studies Department, ECWA
Theological Seminary, Jos from January 13, 2022 to date. Rev. Baba earned his academic degrees
from the following institutions:
1. Bachelor of Arts-ECWA Theological Seminary, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
2. Master of Arts-ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja, Kwara State, Nigeria
3. Master of Divinity-Asian Theological Seminary, South Korea
4. Doctor of Ministry-ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja, Kwara State, Nigeria
5. Doctor of Philosophy-Columbia International University, USA.

Citation: Rev. Eliazar Daila Baba, PhD. "The Biblical Principles Responsible for Church Planting and
Church Growth” International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE), vol 9, no. 9,
2022, pp. 1-8. doi: https://doi.org/10.20431/2349- 0381.0909001.
Copyright: © 2022 Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author and source are credited.

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