What are the Three-Self principles, and how do they impact church planting?

• A. Self-governing, Self-supporting, Self-propagating; they guide indigenous church growth with local leadership and resources.
• B. Self-denying, Self-sacrificing, Self-advancing; they focus on individual spiritual disciplines.
• C. Self-contained, Self-disciplined, Self-appointed; they define mission agency structure.
• D. Self-producing, Self-exporting, Self-reliant; they describe economic model.

Answer: (A)

The Three-Self principles stress that a church movement should be self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating. In practice, this means local churches lead themselves through their own leadership and governance structures (self-governing), fund their ministries and facilities through local resources and giving (self-supporting), and multiply by planting new churches within the culture and community rather than depending on foreign personnel or funding (self-propagating).

For church planting, this translates to empowering local leaders, building local financial capacity, and prioritizing indigenous growth and multiplication. Churches become sustainable and contextually relevant because they are rooted in local ownership and resources. It also means expansion is driven by the local church, not external support, which can be a strength for lasting impact, even though it may involve navigating political or institutional complexities in some contexts.