After a decade of decline that left many wondering if the church planting movement had run its course, something remarkable is happening. Acts 29 grew from 125 men in the pipeline to over 450 in just two years—more than tripled. The Presbyterian Church in America planted 54 new works in 2025, their highest number in 20 years. Networks like Send Network and Stadia are reporting similar growth. The third wave of church planting is here, and it looks nothing like what came before.
This isn’t just good news for church multiplication. It’s a masterclass in what sustainable leadership development actually requires.
The Crash That Changed Everything
To understand why this resurgence matters, we have to remember what caused the drought. The first wave of church planting in the 1990s and 2000s was marked by charismatic entrepreneurs, rapid growth, and a “Wild West” culture that celebrated the solo planter who could bootstrap a church into existence. Many of those planters crashed and burned—marriages fell apart, families fell apart, and churches closed their doors.
Noah Oldham of Send Network put it plainly: “The pipeline dried up after the first wave of young planters crashed and burned.” The cost was devastating, not just for the planters and their families, but for the countless believers who were left without a church home when the doors closed.
The church planting world had to face a hard truth: enthusiasm without infrastructure is a recipe for disaster. As D.A. Carson has noted, “The church is always one generation away from extinction.” The first wave proved that the wrong kind of growth can actually hasten that extinction rather than prevent it.
What the Third Wave Gets Right
The current resurgence isn’t just a return to the same old strategies. Networks have learned from their mistakes, and the new wave is marked by three distinct shifts that every church leader should pay attention to:
1. Assessment Before Enthusiasm
The third wave prioritizes assessment and accountability over raw passion. Potential planters now go through rigorous evaluation processes that examine not just their gifting but their marriage, their emotional health, their financial stewardship, and their capacity to handle pressure.
Stadia’s Discovery Center, for example, guides potential planters through a comprehensive process that explores calling, assesses readiness, and identifies competencies—all within a community of peers and mentors. This isn’t bureaucracy for bureaucracy’s sake. It’s the recognition that calling without competence is a liability, not an asset.
John Calvin understood this principle centuries ago when he wrote about the qualifications for church leadership in his Institutes. He emphasized that the apostle Paul “does not seek a vain or empty show of superior virtue, but requires such integrity of life as may secure credit to the doctrine.” Character precedes platform. Always.
2. Sustainability Over Speed
The new wave of planters is older, moving slower, and more likely to appreciate support systems. The average age of church planters has increased, and with it has come a different set of priorities. These planters aren’t trying to launch with 500 people in six months. They’re building foundations that can weather storms.
The result? As Oldham notes, “We are seeing not only the number of plants go up, but the survivability rate has increased as well.” The shift from solo entrepreneurs to well-supported teams has produced healthier, more enduring churches.
This mirrors the wisdom of the early church. When Paul wrote to Timothy about entrusting the gospel to “faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2), he wasn’t advocating for a rapid-growth strategy. He was calling for a generational multiplication that requires patience, investment, and time. The third wave has rediscovered this ancient principle: slow growth that lasts beats fast growth that collapses.
3. Systems, Not Just Vision
Perhaps the most significant shift in the third wave is the recognition that church planting requires systems, not just vision. The New Churches Podcast recently tackled this crucial but often overlooked aspect: building infrastructure that supports growth without crushing the organic.
Strong theology fuels faithful ministry, but weak systems undermine even the best intentions. The third wave has embraced this reality. Networks are providing not just funding but coaching, soul care, on-demand training, and project management. Post-launch support includes ongoing coaching, retreats, on-site support, and team development intensives.
As Matt Smethurst has argued, “What you believe about God, salvation, Scripture, and the church isn’t just theoretical—it shapes your preaching, your leadership, and your daily walk with Christ.” But that theology must be embedded in structures that sustain it. The third wave is building those structures.
Implications for Every Church Leader
You might be reading this and thinking, “I’m not planting a church. Why does this matter for me?” The answer is simple: the principles driving the third wave of church planting apply to every context of leadership development.
Whether you’re leading an established church, developing elders, training small group leaders, or discipling the next generation, the lessons are the same:
Assessment matters. Don’t just promote the most enthusiastic volunteer. Evaluate character, competence, and calling. The church’s health depends on leaders who are qualified, not just willing.
Sustainability beats speed. Leadership development is a marathon, not a sprint. Invest in systems that produce leaders who can go the distance, not just make a splash.
Support structures are non-negotiable. Leaders don’t thrive in isolation. They need coaching, accountability, soul care, and community. If your leadership pipeline doesn’t include these elements, it’s incomplete.
The Harvest Is Great
The resurgence of church planting is a cause for celebration, but it’s also a call to action. Jesus’ words still ring true: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” The third wave is proving that we can raise up more workers—but only if we’re willing to invest in the hard work of sustainable leadership development.
The CRC’s upcoming 10-year plan for church planting and revitalization, the Global Methodist Church’s explosive growth past 7,000 churches, and the renewed focus on multiplication across denominations all point to the same reality: God is at work, and He’s inviting us to join Him.
But let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past. Let’s build leadership pipelines that produce not just planters and pastors, but disciples who make disciples—faithful men and women who will be able to teach others also. That’s the multiplication Paul envisioned. That’s the mission Jesus gave us. And that’s the calling that still belongs to every church leader today.