Fruitful churches, like fruitful trees, don't usually spring up on their own. Someone-whether a Johnny (Appleseed) Chapman or a church pioneer-has to sow the seed.

What are the secrets of starting churches? LEADERSHIP brought four experienced church planters together in Minneapolis to talk with editors Dean Merrill and Marshall Shelley. The participants:

-Arthur Fretheim recently retired after planting six Evangelical Covenant churches in Minnesota, New Mexico, and Illinois.

-Victor Fry planted Missouri Synod Lutheran churches in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Maple Grove, Minnesota, before accepting a denominational position, where he has overseen the development of six new congregations.

-Kaye Pattison, who supports himself as a businessman, has planted four Conservative Baptist churches in the Denver area and is currently leading a Bible study he hopes will develop into number five.

-Robert Ross planted two churches-in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Austin, Minnesota-before going to his present congregation, ...