First National Church Planting Summit Brings Leaders Together for Mission and Multiplication
More than 100 pastors, church planters, lay leaders, administrators and departmental directors gathered on the Gold Coast from 3–4 August for the inaugural Australian Union Conference (AUC) Church Planting Summit, hosted by the AUC Ministerial Department and Adventist Mission. Participants attended from across Australia and New Zealand, representing both the Australian Union Conference and the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference.
Held under the theme“Equip. Connect. Multiply.”, the summit marked the first national gathering of church planters and church-planting leaders in the history of the AUC. The event was designed to bring together those passionate about mission, disciple-making and the establishment of new faith communities across Australia and New Zealand.
Over two days, attendees participated in presentations, workshops, prayer experiences, networking opportunities and mission-planning sessions. The summit featured contributions from a range of local and international leaders, including Dave Ferguson, founder of Exponential; Tim O’Neill, CEO of Exponential Australia; AUC President Brendan Pratt; AUC Ministerial Secretary Lyndelle Peterson; AUC Associate Ministerial Secretary for Adventist Mission Roy Kim: South Pacific Division Adventist Mission Director Wayne Boehm; and other practitioners actively involved in church planting and disciple-making ministry.
One of the primary objectives of the summit was to create a collaborative environment where leaders could learn from one another, explore effective church-planting practices, and develop mission plans for their local contexts. Organisers also sought to strengthen relationships among current and emerging church planters, recognising that church planting is most effective when leaders work together rather than in isolation.
A key outcome of the summit was the growing sense of shared vision among leaders from across the two unions. Church planters, pastors and conference leaders had the opportunity to connect with one another, exchange ideas, and work through missional paradigms. The gathering also helped establish stronger networks of support for those engaged in the challenging work of starting new congregations and ministry expressions.
In a nation where many churches are experiencing declining attendance, church planting continues to be one of the most effective ways of reaching new people and establishing vibrant disciple-making communities. The summit provided a clear signal that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia is committed to investing in church planting, leadership development and innovative approaches to mission.
As participants departed for Exponential Australia immediately following the summit, there was a strong sense that the conversations had only just begun. The relationships formed, ideas generated and mission plans developed during the summit are expected to contribute to future church-planting initiatives across the region. As one of the recurring themes throughout the event emphasised, the work ahead is not simply about planting churches, but about making disciples, multiplying leaders, and creating Christ-centred communities of hope.
Roy Kim
Adventist Mission Director – Australian Union Conference