Welcome
Welcome to EPC Church Planting. We equip individuals with the resources and community to plant healthy, life giving churches that bring the message of Jesus to the communities where they've been called.
Our
Story
EPC Church Planting was born out of a deep conviction that the most effective way to plant healthy, gospel-centered churches is by focusing efforts regionally. After years of serving on the EPC’s national church planting team and over three decades of planting churches in Mississippi, Colorado, and Memphis, Tennessee, Richard Rieves recognized the need for a dedicated structure to recruit, train, and support church planters. He also saw the importance of equipping presbyteries, churches, and individuals to embrace a shared vision for church planting.
In partnership with Tom Ricks, the EPC’s national director of church planting, and after much prayer and discernment, Richard helped establish EPC Church Planting, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2023. The mission of this new entity is to drive a church-planting movement within the EPC, with a special focus on the South and Southeast, while maintaining a heart for gospel transformation across all regions.
At the core of EPC Church Planting’s work is a commitment to “planting in community.”
We recruit and assesses church planters, providing critical support through counseling, coaching, cohorts, and biannual in-person training. Beyond equipping planters, EPC Church Planting fosters a thriving community of gospel relationships, ensuring planters are encouraged and supported throughout their ministry.
EPC Church Planting also collaborates closely with presbyteries and church leaders to develop strategic church planting plans tailored to their unique regional needs. The focus is on building churches that are healthy, kingdom-minded, and reproducing—bringing real gospel change to communities across the EPC.
The creation of EPC Church Planting reflects Richard’s lifelong passion for church planting and his belief that the EPC has a significant opportunity to establish thriving churches that will bring the hope of the gospel to generations to come. Through this ministry, the EPC family is empowered to continue expanding God’s Kingdom and making a lasting impact in their communities.