Multi-site or church plants?
Check out this debate between multi-siters Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald and non-mutli-siter Mark Dever.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/26481167]
I've always been wary of multi-site churches and their ability to truly foster Christian Fellowship but after watching this video I've got to say that my opinion may be changing. That's not to say I'm a fan of all multi-site churches now, rather, I'm a fan of church done well, be it multi-site or not. And by done well I mean a church where the Word is preached, discipleship is happening, true fellowship is abounding, and the great commission is being carried out joyfully. Who am I to say all of this cannot happen at huge multi-site churches?
I also must say that I am impressed with the end-game vision that Driscoll shares in this video. It seems that it really isn't about him or even his position within the Mars Hill Church family. As he says, once he dies or retires he won't be replaced and all of the campuses and church plants will become autonomous. It would be my hope by that point that all of those churches would reproduce themselves in much the same way that Mars Hill has done. It's a long term, exponential church planting strategy, not just a race to build more campuses, and that I can dig.
What is your opinion on this debate?