There are a few different paths to consider when you want to start a new church in the United States. The majority of citizens in this country might immediately think about establishing a Christian Church in a community that isn't served by a particular congregation.

For example, if a Methodist or Baptist organization wants to build a new congregation in New Town, there are specific steps that the group can take based on the fact that there is a solid group of churches in other communities that work together through a conference, synod, or other formal network.

This would fit under the activity commonly known as "church planting." We will examine this process in detail, focusing on the overall concept of planting a new church and on the business side of the issue.

Churches of all denominations have expanded across the United States consistently over a period of more than 200 years. In that time, church leaders have learned which methods of church planting work best and which don't work so well.

However, there are several other viewpoints on the subject of starting a church in the U.S. We have to look at the subject in detail to understand why this is true. It's important to know just what a "church" is, so we need to go back a few centuries to find the basic idea behind this formal method of worship.

As we dig into history to help us understand just what a church really is and what it takes to start a new church, we will find that there are many denominations under the Christian banner that will have some specific guidelines and rules for maintaining a congregation, as well as guidelines for establishing a new church.

We also need to understand that there are many different "churches," ranging from Native American spiritual worship through Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. In trying to get a good overall view of religion in the United States, as a foundation for starting a new church, we don't intentionally leave out any denomination, sect, or church congregation.

We may touch on some issues that are not comfortable for everyone in the religious community. However, the intention is to give a broad view of religion and the church in the U.S. so that anyone who wants to start a new church will understand the religious landscape.