sincere aspiration to the office of elder (1 Timothy 3:1) and met the biblical qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Peter 5:1–4). I was then affirmed and sent out by the leadership of my local church. I could say with confidence that I was called to the ministry of church planting, and more importantly, others could also attest to my calling. Over the years, I have met and talked with a lot of people interested in starting new churches, many already serving in some form of ministry. In