8
Steps to Launch
<30 days
to 501(c)(3) with AEGA
$0
IRS Filing Fee (Group Exemption)
49 yrs
AEGA Standing
Before You Start
Three things to settle before the legal work begins.
Most church-planting failures are not legal or financial. They are foundational. Before you incorporate, draft bylaws, or apply for tax-exempt status, settle these three things on paper. Everything downstream depends on them.
Confirm the call. Church planting is a five to ten year obedience commitment. Confirm the call with your covering pastor, your spouse, and a small circle of mature believers who know you. Document the confirmation. You will need it during hard months.
Draft the statement of faith. Trinitarian Christianity is the floor; beyond that, your statement of faith determines who joins, who leaves, and what you preach in year five. AEGA's evangelical statement of faith is a good starting template if you are aligned.
Decide on governance. Single pastor with a board, multi-elder, or congregational vote. Decide before you draft bylaws. AEGA's bylaws template supports all three patterns.
What You Need Legally
The documents every chartered church carries.
Every 501(c)(3) church needs the same set of foundational documents. The AEGA charter package includes all of these, drafted, customized, and ready to adopt.
Articles of incorporation.
Filed with your state's Secretary of State. Establishes the church as a nonprofit religious corporation under state law.
Governance rules: how elders are selected, how decisions are made, how the pastor is hired or fired, how the church can amend itself. AEGA's bylaws template is included and customized.
Bylaws.
Doctrinal foundation. Typically attached as a schedule to bylaws so doctrinal change requires the same supermajority as bylaws amendment.
Statement of faith.
Required by the IRS for 501(c)(3) status. Prevents self-dealing by board members. AEGA-drafted template included.
Conflict of interest policy.
Defines how long the church keeps financial records, board minutes, baptism records. Best practice; many states require it.
Document retention policy.
The IRS letter confirming your federal Employer Identification Number. Banks require it to open accounts.
EIN confirmation letter (CP 575).
Why Charter Under AEGA
Four reasons church planters choose group exemption.
AEGA is not a denomination. It is a Spirit-filled fellowship. Your church keeps its own governance, finances, and ministry direction. AEGA provides the IRS umbrella and ecclesiastical covering for ordained leadership, and nothing more.
Donors fund you from day one.
The six to nine month Form 1023 wait is a six to nine month donor-deductibility wait. Group-exemption churches issue tax-deductible contribution statements the day the charter is approved. Foundations and donor-advised funds will fund you immediately.
The bylaws are already drafted.
Bylaws are the single biggest legal expense for an independent church plant: $1,500 to $5,000 if done by an attorney. AEGA's charter package includes bylaws drafted by counsel, customized to your governance, reviewed by your team before adoption.
Ecclesiastical covering, not control.
AEGA is a Spirit-filled fellowship. Your church keeps its own governance, finances, and ministry direction. AEGA provides the IRS umbrella and ecclesiastical covering for ordained leadership.
Credentialing for your pastoral team.
Lead pastor, planting team members, future associate pastors. AEGA credentials them through the same fellowship that charters the church. One application set, one record of standing.
From Our Fellowship
“AEGA chartered our church plant in under 30 days. The bylaws were drafted, the articles filed, and our first deductible offering came the same week. Six months later, we are on the ground with the people, not stuck in IRS paperwork.”
AEGA chartered pastor · Placeholder testimonial pending real attribution
The Pathway
Eight steps from formation to launch.
01
Form the core team
Three to seven mature believers committed to the launch. Identify your future elders, deacons, or board members. This is the body that will sign incorporation documents.
02
Incorporate with your state
File articles of incorporation as a nonprofit religious corporation with your state. AEGA drafts and files this for you as part of the charter package. State filing fee is typically $50 to $150.
03
Get 501(c)(3) status
Charter under AEGA's group exemption (less than 30 days, no IRS fee, bylaws included), or file Form 1023 yourself (six to nine months, $600 IRS fee, plus $1,500 to $5,000 in attorney bylaws).
04
Build the launch team and launch publicly
Pre-launch services for three to six months. Aim for 25 to 50 committed core members before public launch. Document attendance, conversions, baptisms from day one. Renew AEGA charter annually.
Frequently Asked
Starting a church, answered.
How much does it cost to start a church?
Filing independently runs $4,000 to $10,000 before the first service: $600 IRS Form 1023 fee, plus $50 to $150 state incorporation fee, plus $1,500 to $5,000 attorney bylaws, plus general liability insurance, plus initial operating expenses. Through AEGA's group exemption, the cost is a fraction of the independent path. Specific charter pricing is on the application page.
How long does it take to start a church?
The legal track takes six to nine months if you file Form 1023 independently, or less than 30 days through AEGA's group exemption. The ministry track (core team, launch team meetings, pre-launch preparation) typically takes six to twelve months regardless of the legal path. Most new churches go from “we feel called” to “first public service” in nine to eighteen months.
Do I have to be ordained to start a church?
Most fellowships (AEGA included) expect the senior pastor of a church plant to hold ordained ministerial credentials. State law generally does not require ordination for the legal act of incorporating a church, but you cannot officiate weddings, serve Communion, or function pastorally without recognized ministerial credentials. Apply for Licensed or Ordained Minister credentials as you start the plant.
Can I start a church without 501(c)(3) status?
Legally yes. Churches are automatically considered tax-exempt under IRS rules even without formal 501(c)(3) recognition (IRC §508(c)(1)(A)). Practically, no. Without a determination letter or group-exemption status, donors cannot deduct contributions, banks will not open accounts under 501(c)(3) terms, and grantmakers will not fund you. Pursue formal status from the start.
What's the difference between starting a church and starting a ministry?
A church is a gathered congregation of believers with regular worship, sacraments, and pastoral leadership. A ministry is a parachurch organization (missions agency, training center, counseling organization) that serves the church without functioning as one. Both can be 501(c)(3). AEGA charters churches under the group exemption; ministries can also affiliate.
Start your church under AEGA's charter.
501(c)(3) in less than 30 days. Bylaws and articles of incorporation included. Ecclesiastical covering for your pastoral team. One application.