In every sermon, book, and leadership training, one message consistently rises to the surface in Dag Heward-Mills’ ministry: plant churches. For him, church planting is not an afterthought or a side ministry—it is the main strategy for fulfilling the Great Commission and ensuring long-term church growth. His conviction is clear: wherever people are saved, churches must be established. Without churches, growth is not sustained, and discipleship is not completed.

This belief has shaped the direction of his ministry and inspired thousands to embrace the call to plant and build churches. It has turned members into missionaries, converts into pastors, and local assemblies into global networks. Church planting, in his eyes, is how the Gospel travels from soul to soul and generation to generation.

Following the Biblical Pattern

Dag Heward-Mills’ emphasis on church planting is deeply rooted in Scripture. The Book of Acts reveals that every time the apostles preached the Gospel and saw souls saved, churches were immediately established. Paul didn’t just hold crusades—he planted congregations, raised leaders, and followed up with letters and visits. This biblical pattern of church planting and follow-up is the same structure that undergirds Dag Heward-Mills’ ministry today.

He has taught that a revival without a church will die quickly. But when people are gathered into a church, they are discipled, strengthened, and positioned to grow. This is why he doesn’t stop at preaching—he follows through by planting.

A Scalable Model for Global Growth

Dag Heward-Mills believes church planting is scalable. A single pastor may not be able to reach an entire nation, but if every disciple plants a church, the reach becomes exponential. He has developed a ministry system that empowers ordinary believers to rise into leadership and take on the task of establishing churches.

These are not just churches in cities—they are in towns, villages, islands, and remote areas. He has mobilized people to go where others would not go and start churches where others saw no potential. And because each church carries the same DNA, they grow, multiply, and raise more leaders.

Church Planting Preserves Revival

Church planting doesn’t just grow the Church—it preserves revival. Dag Heward-Mills has seen firsthand that mass evangelism can lose its impact without churches to anchor the new believers. When people are saved at crusades, they need a place to grow. They need pastors, teachers, and shepherds to walk with them. Church planting ensures that revival doesn’t evaporate—it matures.

This is why his Healing Jesus Campaigns are always followed by local church involvement. New churches are either established or existing ones are strengthened to receive the harvest. Through this approach, revival is not seasonal—it is sustained.

Building Leaders Through Church Planting

One of the hidden benefits of church planting, according to Dag Heward-Mills, is leadership development. When someone is sent to plant a church, they are forced to grow. They must pray, preach, evangelize, solve problems, and lead people. This practical experience builds strong, mature leaders.

Many of the bishops, pastors, and missionaries in his network today were once ordinary members who took the step of planting a church. As they served and stayed faithful, they were raised to lead at higher levels. Church planting not only grows churches—it grows leaders.

Conclusion

Dag Heward-Mills believes church planting is the key to church growth because it aligns with Scripture, preserves revival, develops leaders, and fulfills the Great Commission. It is not just a strategy—it is a spiritual mandate. Through relentless church planting, he has built one of the most expansive church networks in the world.

His life and ministry are a call to action for believers everywhere. The harvest is plentiful, the laborers are few, and the fields are wide open. And the best way to meet the need, according to Dag Heward-Mills, is simple and powerful: plant a church. Then plant another. And then teach others to do the same.