IBC Conducts Successful Church Planter Assessment Center

Dec 6, 2017

The International Baptist Convention conducted a successful church planter assessment center on 26-27 October at the International Christian Fellowship, Oberursel, Germany.

Forty people gathered to provide assessment on three church planter candidate couples. The candidates spent two intense days making presentations, examining personality types, preaching, working on church planting projects, and participating in numerous interviews.

Church planter assessment is an essential element of the IBC’s core strategy to multiply churches. The purpose of assessment is to reduce risk and increase church planting success. The assessment center provides an opportunity for a formal assessment of a potential church planter to help discern if they have the skills, competencies, and aptitudes best suited for successful church planting.

The assessors evaluated for 12 specific character and competency building blocks.  These building blocks were developed at the IBC MULTIPLY Conference in October 2016 in San Jose, Costa Rica. These building blocks were identified specifically for the English-language international church planter:

  1. Disciple-Maker, Missionary Heart, Relational, Evangelist
  2. Prayer Warrior, Faith-Filled
  3. Healthy, Supportive Family/Marriage
  4. Theologically Sound yet Spiritually Gracious
  5. Good Communicator, Preacher, Strong Public Ministry Skills
  6. Leader, Strategic, Visionary, Team Builder
  7. Energy, Perseverance, and Resilience
  8. Culturally Sensitive and Competent
  9. Generalist, “Jack of all Trades”
  10. Spiritually, Emotionally, and Physically Healthy
  11. Entrepreneur, Pioneer, Self-Starter
  12. Humble, Teachable, Learner

Candidates were given a specific recommendation as to their aptitude and readiness to serve as a church planter, a list of identified strengths, and suggested areas for growth during an exit interview at the end of the assessment center.

We look forward to holding more frequent church planter assessment centers in Europe and Central and South America as we intentionally pursue international candidates and candidates already serving in our IBC churches.

Darryl Evetts, Multiplying Churches Director