Global Summits
In addition to our training, Asbury Theological Seminary helps host regional church planting summits in major cities around the world. We also hold a global church planting summit every three years which brings together leaders from around the world. The church planting summits are two- or three-day gatherings, which embrace mutual, bi-lateral learning from the field and theological reflections. In each location we will be exploring various models for starting new communities of faith, including new worshipping congregations, house churches, Bible studies that mature into worshipping communities, and other avenues of raising disciples through the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2017 Global Summit Highlight
The Global Church Planting Summit was held in Manchester, England on June 26-29, 2017
More than sixty church planters representing twenty countries gathered in Manchester, England in June to hear stories of God’s faithfulness around the world. Case studies, keynote presentations, testimonies and devotionals provided first-hand reports of the Spirit raising up new faith communities. The rich conversations and what we witnessed infused us with awe and wonder.
The event, sponsored by Asbury’s Church Planting Initiative, resonated with a keen sense of God’s orchestration of evangelism and disciple making tailored for each context. Whether the Gospel bridge to the culture was establishing schools in Muslim areas or starting suicide care groups in a highly secularized society, there were as many planting models as the people in the room. The cases included snapshots from Jerusalem, India, Canada, the UK, Columbia, China, Kenya and New Zealand.
I was privileged to participate in the “Global Summit on Church-Planting” held by Asbury Theological Seminary, in Manchester, England. The global summit was indeed “Global” with participants from 20 nationalities, each with their distinguished language, culture, color and continent. Every nation presented their call, mission and ministry in their own unique style, and the common thread running through them was the passion, love and commitment to plant new Churches, where there were none. Thank you for holding the Global Summit.
This was a strategic gathering of denominational and church leaders with extraordinary breadth and experience, and it was truly humbling to see all that God is doing through them. I came away inspired, encouraged, and challenged to pray, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ with renewed determination.
Asbury Seminary’s Global Church Planting Summit was an incredible global gathering of leaders that highlighted many of the future challenges and opportunities for global church planting. We heard incredible stories from church planters from every corner of the globe—all with the common heart of proclaiming the truth of the Bible to every nation. I gained many useful insights and left fantastically encouraged.
The world is coming to our cities in beautiful new ways. Asbury’s Global Church Planting Summit has provided a unique forum for exchanging fresh ideas on how to engage in this present Pentecost moment.