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John Newton Webb

Date posted: 8 Aug 2025

"The reason that we’re so active in evangelism is because we’re a church plant.” “I suppose we do Sunday services this way because we’re a church plant.” I heard many of these sorts of sentiments expressed when I came to pastor Izumi Church, Japan (which started in 2009) in 2016.

Talking to the believers who thought like this, I discovered a mistaken ecclesiology and a large set of unbiblical assumptions about the difference between having a missionary leader and local pastor. Working through these issues led me to reassess the church and church plant distinction.