Wayman Mitchell - Discipleship Program

Discipleship Program

After pastoring several churches in Foursquare, Wayman Mitchell was given the pastorate of the Prescott, Arizona Foursquare church in December 1970. The church had approximately 35 people attending. Mitchell picked up some ideas from other church groups on how to evangalize young people, including the "hippie" generation. One of these ideas included "Music Scenes," or "Coffee Houses." As Mitchell began to see a lot of young people coming into his church, he started up these music services on Friday and Saturday nights. Some of those who joined his church were talented musicians who even had professional experience related to playing in rock bands. This enabled Mitchell to see even more young people come into his church as "new converts."

The Foursquare leadership agreed to allow Wayman Mitchell to plant Foursquare churches within Mitchell's Foursquare District, the Southwest District. The Southwest District, at the time, was under the leadership of Dr. John Holland. Mitchell and Holland had no real friction over Mitchell's sending out of men, whom Wayman had personally trained, to start churches.

Pastor Mitchell's plan of discipleship also included having the men who were sent out also disciple the male converts in their churches. Mitchell envisioned a geometric mulitiplication of churches that would "reach the world," and this was emphasized as being urgent as Jesus was coming back very, very soon.