Episode 179: On How to Plant a Church (with Eric Bancroft & Matt Smethurst)

by Eric Bancroft, Jonathan Leeman, Matt Smethurst

Eric Bancroft is the pastor of Grace Church, a new church in Miami, Florida.

Jonathan serves as the President of 9Marks, where he oversees all aspects of the ministry. He is also the author of almost twenty books and teaches at several seminaries. He earned his M.Div. from Southern Seminary and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Wales. He lives with his wife and daughters in a Maryland suburb of Washington, DC, and serves as an elder at Cheverly Baptist Church.

Matt Smethurst is lead pastor of River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, and author of Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel (Crossway, 2025), Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (Crossway, 2021), Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures for Approaching God’s Word (10Publishing, 2019), and Before You Share Your Faith: Five Ways to Be Evangelism Ready (10Publishing, 2022). He also cohosts, with Ligon Duncan, The Everyday Pastor podcast from The Gospel Coalition. Matt and his wife, Maghan, have five children. You can find him on X or Instagram.

September 14, 2021

Listen to “Episode 179: On How to Plant a Church (with Eric Bancroft & Matt Smethurst)” on Spreaker.

Is being a church planter different than being a pastor? What can the book of Acts teach us about church planting?

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman and Matt Smethurst ask Eric Bancroft questions about church planting.