Which begs the question: just how many Baptist churches are there around Franklin, County Maine? Well…About this many.

At least he was honest that Tustin, CA doesn’t lack for churches. It doesn’t exactly lack for Baptist churches either. Here’s a quick Google Maps snapshot of just Baptist churches in the area (never mind Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Non-Denominational, etc. etc.)

Apparently these “missionaries” have started this church since this video was shot.

From the outside it may appear that the main cause of new Independent Baptist churches being planted in the United Stats is church splits — amicable or otherwise. While this is a cause of new churches being started, the other main means of propagating fundamentalism in America is through home missions.

Raising support for home missions is no small task. It’s difficult enough to raise money to reach some exotic people group in the Amazon Basin, but what about auto workers in Detroit or retirees in central California? It’s just not too exciting.

To combat that natural lack of excitement, fundamentalist home missionaries have hit upon a tactic which overcomes the natural reluctance of people to give money to a pastor who is planting churches within their own borders. The magic phrase is “a city of [insert number here] with no Bible-believing, gospel preaching church.”

It does not matter that there may be 4,976 Baptist churches in that town and another 9,324 Methodist, Presbyterian, Nondenominational, and Evangelical churches that still preach an orthodox gospel. No, sir. If there is not an Independent Baptist church that has graduates from our school, who use our version of the Bible and our edition of the hymn book then THERE IS NO BIBLE-BELIEVING CHURCH! Amen?

It’s not a bad gig being a fully supported missionary to someplace like Orlando Florida. It’s certainly not bad work if you can get it.