The North American Mission Board (NAMB) partners with the six Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) seminaries and one Canadian seminary to train church planters. The partnership was launched in 1998 and has been in place at all the seminaries since 2000. As part of the original covenant, the parties agreed to evaluate its impact. This article is based on the first of several research bulletins birthed from a study undertaken by the Center for Missional Research at the North American Mission Board.

Of the more than 2,000 seminary graduates responding from all SBC seminaries and the Canadian seminary, the study indicates a rapidly increasing interest in church planting.

New millennium ministers' agreement that  they were
prepared for selected aspects of ministry, 1998 to 2004

First, graduates have felt well prepared for evangelism and systematic theology for several years, but have indicated an increasing preparation for sponsoring new churches and revitalization. That's the good news.

New millennium ministers' agreement with "I believe that churches should
be involved directly in sponsoring missions and new church plants," 1998 to 2004

There was an increase in those who "strongly agree" churches should directly participate in sponsoring new churches.

New millennium ministers' agreement with
"I heard frequently about church planting while at seminary," 1998 to 2004

Most remarkable is the large increase in those who "strongly agree" that they heard frequently about church planting while in seminary.

As our culture has become more unchurched, the importance of church planting is more on the mind of evangelical churches. The NAMB/seminary partnership has greatly impacted the perception of church planting on our seminary campuses.

-Reggie Ogea is Associate Professor of Leadership and Pastoral Ministry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
-Richie Stanley is Research Director for the Center of Missional Research at the North American Mission Board

Next: The evangelism practices of recent seminary graduates.

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