242 Network ‘gathering’ encourages, equips church planters

By Megan Young
Assocaite Editor

When Trey Clenney first felt the Lord calling him to plant a church, he had no idea where to start. 

“So I called John Allen May with 242 Network, and he walked me through the process and got us plugged in and assessed, and then they coached us on what to do,” said Clenney.

The 242 Network, operating in cooperation with the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, assists established churches in planting healthy, multiplying, life-giving, self-sustaining churches in their communities. This is done through church planter assessment, training, and coaching.

“We come alongside and we support every church planter as they go from the church planting phase into the phase where they are self-sustaining, all funding, and turning into an established church,” said May, Executive Director of the 242 Church Planting Network and pastor of Eastpoint Church in Olive Branch.

With the help of the 242 Network, Clenney stepped out in faith to plant Gospel Life Church in June 2023. The church currently meets at Lewisburg Middle School in DeSoto County.

“We are so grateful for Mississippi Baptists, so grateful for the Cooperative Program and all the funding that’s been available,” said Clenney. “And most of all, just the relationships, the coaching, the help, the encouragement, the accountability, the brotherhood, the partnership.”

Once a church is planted, the 242 Network continues to invest in its church planters through relationship building and networking opportunities. Church planters from across the state came together Nov. 7-8 at Pinelake Church, Brandon, for “The Gathering,” an event designed to encourage and equip church planters and their teams. 

There were 200 in attendance consisting of church planters, lead team members, and their spouses. H. B. Charles, Pastor-Teacher of Shiloh Metropolitan Church in Jacksonville and Orange Park, Florida, brought three powerful messages, and Redeemer Hymnal from Olive Branch led in worship. Three breakout sessions were offered focusing on a variety of topics including missions, discipleship, and family.

The church planters in attendance came from many different areas and contexts, but they all shared the common goal of reaching everyone in the state with the Gospel.

“We really are planting and trying to plant churches in every community because if you look at the landscape of Mississippi, Mississippi is unchurched and Mississippi is lost,” said May. “And our hope and our desire is to see the Gospel permeate this state as we continue to push back darkness with the hope of Jesus.”

The work of reaching Mississippi with the Gospel would not be possible without the support church planters receive from established churches all over the state.

“If you are a Cooperative Program giving church, a Margaret Lackey (State Offering) giving church, 242 exists because of your giving and because of your cooperation and seeing the Kingdom expanded through church planting,” said May. “So I want to thank you for all that you’ve done and for your continued partnership as a Mississippi Baptist Church.”