Church Planting America

About Us...

Our President

Charles Shoemaker was born and reared in the Chicago area, where he was converted to Christ at the early age of eight. God used the bus and AWANA ministries as a means to reach Brother Shoemaker with the gospel.

At the age of sixteen, Bro. Shoemaker was called to preach. After completing high school, he attended and graduated from the Institute of Biblical Studies of Liberty University, earning a diploma in Bible. He also has earned a Bachelor�s degree (B.R.E.) in Pastoral Theology, a Master�s degree (M.A.) in Biblical Studies, and a Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) from Nova Southeastern University. He has received honorary doctorates, including the D.D. degree from Midwestern Baptist College, the L.H.D. degree from Liberty University, and the Litt.D. from Temple Baptist College.

Dr. Shoemaker has been in full-time ministry since 1975 having served as a church planter and senior pastor. In July of 1995, he joined the staff of Trinity Ministries, serving as Administrative Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church and President/CEO of Trinity Baptist College. He served at Trinity for 15 years. Dr. Shoemaker travels extensively speaking in churches and pastors' conferences, and his travels have taken him to all fifty states and several foreign countries.

Dr. Shoemaker currently serves as a church planting missionary and President of Church Planting Ameica--a missions agency promoting church planting in the United States and throughout the world. God has used his conferences and writings to minister to pastors all across the country, and his articles have appeared in numerous publications.

He and his wife, Sharon, have been married for 37 years and reside in Jacksonville, Florida. They have two daughters, Amy and Emily; two sons-in-law, Dennis and Michael (all in full-time ministry); two grandsons, Charles and Daniel, and two granddaughters, Michaela and Sophia. In addition to spending time with his family, Dr. Shoemaker enjoys reading, writing, and politics.

History of CPA

Church Planting America was birthed in the heart and mind of Dr. Charles Shoemaker in 1983 while serving as a Senior Pastor in Minnesota. Due to his experience in church planting--prior to this time he had personally planted three independent Baptist churches--the Lord used him as a featured speaker in church planting conferences throughout the United States and Canada.

Dr. Shoemaker's original vision for Church Planting America involved the following five objectives:

To assist Bible colleges in training young men to plant new independent Baptist churches. The need is both to share the burden of church planting and to help prepare men, while in school, for future church planting endeavors.
To assist church planters as they arrive on the field. The needs are in the areas of selecting a meeting place, finances, organization, marketing, legal matters, and visitation.
To assist local churches that are in need of training and motivation. Special seminars have been designed to minister to specific ministry needs within the local church. Along with revival meetings and missions conferences are seminars dealing with stewardship, leadership, discipleship, men�s retreats, Sunday school clinics, marriage enrichment, deacon training, and staff training.
To assist American missionaries and foreign national pastors with church planting and church growth needs. One or more annual missionary trips will be taken to provide this type of assistance.
To assist pastors in the United States with ministry materials and lay training programs designed to promote healthy, growing churches. On average, two monthly seminars are conducted, in various locations, working with pastors, staff, and lay leadership.