I committed to launch the Vandalia church 10 years ago. We’d planted several churches before, and I’d done extensive church planting through our network. But this would be a satellite—I would be head pastor over multiple campuses. In 2013 we began meetings, and we launched the congregation on January 5, 2014.
In fall of 2014 we launched New Day Vine. When Sarah & Seth Gerber moved to California, Anthony and Nicole Davis took over the Vine young adult ministry, changing it to a satellite congregation with me as senior pastor. I loved leading three congregations: Nichols established and suburban, Vandalia new and rural, Vine new and urban. I rotated between the three and loved meeting new people. In 2017, we launched 3:20 & Beyond, a three-year campaign to overcome growth limitations. All three campuses needed mortgages paid off and facility improvements, and Nichols needed an addition. It progressed well, paying off the mortgages and some improvements. Nichols, by this time, began to decline numerically. And then the pandemic hit.
The decline was the result of many factors. I’ve watched this cycle for years—we grow to a certain point, then decline. This is partly due to our building—not the main sanctuary, but the capacity of the foyer, bathrooms, and classrooms. Building an addition would have increased our capacity. Thankfully we didn’t borrow money to do so, as the building mostly sat empty during 2020. Another factor was that I was gone too much. I had taken additional responsibilities in our network, travelling extensively in addition to rotating between our local campuses. People would come for weeks and not even meet the senior pastor. We realized things needed to change.
Mid-2020—in the height of the pandemic—due to numerous factors, the Vine congregation was combined with Nichols. Our staff was stretched too thin to continue as we had. Vine is now a ministry center and we use it throughout the week for many purposes, primarily as an outreach center. So we went from three congregations to two.
Miraculously, we found a new pastor for Vandalia after Mark Morris was hired by another church. Pastor Michael Graff has taken on the Vandalia congregation as of this week. It will be an autonomous sister church, no longer a satellite. We will continue relating with them, but more like our relationship with New Day South Carolina. We’ve now gone from three campuses to one. This is a good thing, as the Nichols congregation can focus on growth and step into what God has for us next!
Only 5% of churches in North America ever multiply. This is a massive strength and part of our spiritual DNA. Like having children, launching churches comes with a cost, but the benefit is a lifetime of rewards. I am honored to pastor a church willing to pay the price of multiplication. It’s the fulfillment of Jesus’ commandment to “Go make disciples of all nations.” And as a church we are champions!