To further its mission of planting Gospel-centered churches across the United States and around the world, the Matt Chandler-led Acts 29 has announced it is giving up to $50,000 to new churches started through its sponsorship in 2022.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Acts 29 Executive Director Brian Howard said the church planting network hopes to plant 30 churches this year. Each church plant will receive two $25,000 gifts within two years. The first sum will be gifted to assist with start-up costs, while the second will be awarded once the now-established church reaches a certain funding metric.
Currently, there are 724 churches in the Acts 29 network, spanning 44 different countries, and there are more than 500 candidates and applicants looking to join the network. Acts 29 describes itself as a “diverse, global community of healthy, multiplying churches characterized by theological clarity, cultural engagement, and missional innovation.”
The new initiative, Howard said, is essentially a “church planting mutual fund,” adding: “Our churches are giving a certain percentage of their budget into a common fund. and then we are doing as an organization, a really robust assessment process, and we’re going to fund everybody who makes it through that assessment process.”
The assessment process, which typically takes about six months, is given to ensure every church affiliated with Acts 29 aligns with the network’s doctrinal and missional values.