CHURCH PLANTING

If you are feeling called to plant a church in the Chesapeake District, the first step is to talk to your lead pastor.

The allowable types of church plants in the Chesapeake District are a local church campus or a developing church of a parent church LBA. There is an approval process for a developing church. We hope the information below will be helpful.

Clarifying Question

What is the difference between a campus church and a developing church?

A campus church is a campus under a developing or established church in the Chesapeake District. Currently, a campus is not listed in the online directory with The Wesleyan Church and, subsequently, not listed with the IRS. You do not need your own EIN. Your governing body is your parent church. Everyday operations are between you and them. Your first point of contact is your parent church, not the district. The district will always refer back to the parent church. 

A developing church is listed in the online directory with The Wesleyan Church and, subsequently, is listed with the IRS. You do need your own EIN. Your governing body is the Local Board of Administration (LBA) of your parent church, an established church in the district. Your representative with district leadership and DBA will be your ACE group leader. The parent church must also be consulted on all business matters.

FAQs
Campus of a Local Church

 

  • No. However, it is helpful if the district is aware of all new campus churches. We update our district directory yearly before District Conference. You will be added as a campus under your parent church in the directory. Please complete the Church Plant Application: bit.ly/ChurchPlantApp.

  • As a campus church, you do not need an EIN. You can (and probably will) use your parent church’s EIN. This is a discussion you will need to have with your parent church. Most likely, payroll will run through your parent church; therefore, their EIN will be used.

  • No. Only developing and established churches in the district receive a 501c3 certification from HQ. Instead, the campus church will use their parent church’s 501c3 certification. By virtue of being a campus of the parent church, the campus is also exempt from federal taxes.

  • In order to open a bank account in just your church name, you will need your own EIN. Instead, you can use the EIN of your parent church and open the account using your parent church name and your church name. Example: New Life Kneeling Point. New Life is the parent church and Kneeling Point is the campus. You will need to work out such matters with your parent church.

    You may need a formal resolution from your parent church that includes the name of the parent church and the campus church and who the signers will be for that account.

    Note: You or your parent church do NOT need to be incorporated; therefore, you have no articles of incorporation. You are a church. The bank cannot require you to become incorporated in order to open an account.

    All other business matters and decisions need to be made with your parent church.

  • USF stands for United Stewardship Fund and is a unified budget for the financial support of the General Church and the general educational institutions. Every developing and established church in the Chesapeake District has a USF obligation. This is based on previous year income and is assessed at a percentage. As a campus, your obligation falls under your parent church. Whether or not the parent church chooses to bill the campus church for their portion is up to them. You do not pay anything directly to the district.

  • No. All paperwork or reporting is done by your parent church.

 FAQs
Developing Church in the Chesapeake District

 

  • Yes. The DBA approves the addition of a new church in the Chesapeake District. Your ACE Group Leader will be your representative with district leadership and DBA. This formal approval must happen before moving forward and doing business as a developing church. Make sure you have completed the Church Plant Application: bit.ly/ChurchPlantApp.

  • Yes. Before you can be added as a new church to The Wesleyan Church’s online directory, you must obtain an EIN first.

  • Yes. Once DBA approves, the district office will create a new church record in The Wesleyan Church's online directory with the church's EIN. HQ is notified of the new church and a 501c3 certification, proof of federal tax exemption status, is created by HQ and sent electronically to the pastor of the church and copied to the district office. A hard copy is sent to the church as well.

  • Documentation of the church's EIN is needed. The church will need to ask the bank if other documentation is required, such as a letter, resolution, or 501c3 certification. If other documentation is needed, then it will have to wait until after DBA approval.

    Note: You do NOT need to be incorporated; therefore, you have no articles of incorporation. You are a church. The bank cannot require you to become incorporated in order to open an account.

  • USF stands for United Stewardship Fund. Every developing and established church in the Chesapeake District has a USF obligation. This is based on previous year income and is assessed at a percentage. Per Discipline (2005:2d), the USF obligation for a new church is phased in as follows: For the first year of operation, there will be no obligation; for the second year, the assessment will be set at 25% of the regular assessment; for the third year at 50%; for the fourth year at 75%; and for the fifth year at 100%.

  • You will receive annual communication regarding the Local Church Statistical Report, the Compliance Form, and Workers’ Compensation.

    Note: For more information regarding developing churches, see Developing Church below.

Developing Church

Are you a church plant starting out as a developing church in the district? Are you a campus of a local church transitioning to a developing church? Learn more about becoming a developing church.