To whom it may concern,

With great rejoicing in the Lord’s leading, we commend Alan Foster to you, soon to begin serving as MNA Church Planter Recruiting Director. In this new work, Alan will fill a vital role in presenting to experienced PCA pastors opportunities for church planting, urging them to consider God’s call to advance the Gospel.

While it is only the power of God’s Spirit that builds a church, church planters are the human fuel that drives a church planting enterprise. The PCA has a vision for planting hundreds of churches across North America. There are dozens of groups of people looking for a church planter in their communities and dozens of communities proactively identified by presbyteries and church planting networks throughout the PCA.

For the past seven years, the PCA has placed a new church planter on the field in North America at the rate of about one per week. This is a wonderful level of advancement for a denomination of our size. But we long for more, when we look at the challenge and opportunity that stretches all across the United States and Canada. The words of Jesus ring true for the PCA today, right here in our homelands: “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will send laborers into the harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).

Alan comes to us from serving as church planting pastor of East Lanier Community Church (PCA). In May of 2000, Alan Foster left the staff of Perimeter Church in Duluth, Georgia (Atlanta suburbs), in order to start the East Lanier Church in the Buford/Flowery Branch area. In September of 2002, the church moved into its first full-time facility. As Alan and his wife Kim have served at East Lanier, God has blessed Alan particularly in mentoring and sending men into church planting. In his 12 years as pastor at East Lanier, seven men have gone into church planting or are preparing to do so.

As Alan begins this new work with MNA, he seeks your prayer support and your financial support. Please prayerfully consider a launching gift or a commitment of ongoing support. The harvest is indeed plentiful. As you give, you are investing in people coming to Christ through the planting of new churches. Thank you for your consideration, and may God greatly bless you in serving Him.

In Christ,

Jim Bland, MNA Coordinator
Ted Powers, MNA Church Planting Coordinator