Multiplication Pipeline Develops Leaders on Mission
By Steve Hopkins & Stephanie Heading
Finding people to serve and lead in ministry is difficult, but help is available through the Multiplication Pipeline.
Recently, over thirty pastors and wives gathered in the Steel Valley Association to hear SCBO Executive-Director Dr. Jeremy Westbrook and SEND Network Ohio Regional Equipper Jim Scott share how Multiplication Pipeline helps pastors train leaders and send their congregations on mission.
“Multiplication pipeline is an online learning tool to guide people from consumers to missional leaders with up to three years of material covering more than 20 areas of missional leadership,” said Westbrook. “Our future planters, missionaries, and leaders are right under our noses, and many are waiting to be given an opportunity. It’s not the seminaries who discover pastors, it’s not NAMB’s job to discover church planters, and it’s not IMB’s job to discover missionaries— it’s the local church’s job.”
There are three levels in the Multiplication Pipeline training. “Each level has various competencies (or topics) participants will cover in the modules. Each module contains the goal, a memory verse, the assignments, and more,” according to the NAMB website.
In Level One, “Living on Mission,” participants explore topics such as Spiritual Formation, Bible Fluency, Spiritual Design, Evangelism, Relationships, Understanding the Church, and Servant Leadership.
“Disciple-Making” is the focus of Level Two with competencies such as Self Awareness, Communication and Teamwork, Understanding Context, Spiritual Readiness, Making Disciples, Multiplying Leaders, Church Planting, and Making a Difference.”
Multiplication Pipeline Level Three, “Church Planting,” prepares potential church planters for being assessed for church planting. Competencies include Healthy Emotions, Confirming Your Distinct Calling to Church Planting, Family Dynamics, Church Planting Models and Strategies, Crafting and Casting Vision, Support Development, Disciple Making and Preaching.
“You can use it for church planting or to increase your skills as a servant of the Lord.”
Ray Umphrey, pastor of Briggs Road Baptist Church and SCBO president is seeing Multiplication Pipeline at work in his church. “Multiplication Pipeline was originally developed for church planters,” said Umphrey. “You can use it for church planting or to increase your skills as a servant of the Lord.”
The pipeline at Briggs Road meets monthly and of the twenty-six who originally signed up, fifteen have continued in the training. Umphrey says that participants are exploring and clarifying their calling to ministry and four have gone to seminary because of Multiplication Pipeline. “Most of the people who are in our pipeline were already serving in our church.”
Although Briggs Road is in the early stages of its Multiplication Pipeline, Umphrey is already seeing changes in the church. “I’m seeing conversations change. I’m seeing people learning. I’m seeing people grow and think. I’m seeing people building accountability into their lives.”
Umphrey encourages other pastors to start a Multiplication Pipeline in their churches. “It is work, but it’s investing in your people. Your church is only as strong as the leaders in your church.” Multiplication Pipeline training is provided by your Cooperative Program (CP) giving at no additional cost to the local church – 100% covered by CP!
“We need to change the scorecard. We have been content with addition for too long, and that’s not getting the job done,” said Westbrook. “With over 11 million people in Ohio, 76% of which do not know Jesus, we need to raise up, replicate and release, creating a culture of multiplication. Kingdom math is multiplication, not addition.”
The next Multiplication Pipeline Lunch and Learn will be Saturday, April 22, 12 pm – 2 pm, at Chillicothe Baptist Church, 14000 OH-104, Chillicothe 45601, after the SVBA annual meeting. To register, click HERE. For more information, go to namb.net/pipeline.
