Making disciples who make disciples 

Baptist minister Torquil Allen on his involvement with The Rooftop, which seeks to create a global disciple-making movement

I was part of the Frampton Park Baptist Church family in Hackney East London for more than 23 years. These included eight as pastor. 

These have been important, fulfilling years, out of which much good has come. I’ve been involved in some very important church management and pastoral care related issues. But my thinking has changed in recent times, which has left me feeling challenged and convicted - and now ministering as a UK pioneer with The Rooftop. 

Why the change?

The Rooftop was founded by Baptist minister Dennis Pethers, and exists to inspire and equip the church and church leaders to become passionate about, and effective in, making disciples who make disciples ‘outside the walls’ of the church building.

When I met Dennis, he explained he is on a mission to ‘take the church to The Rooftop so that it would seek a fresh vision of God’s heart and remember Jesus’ Great Commission’. He took me on a biblical journey during our conversation, from Jesus’ manifesto in Luke 4:18-19, to Peter’s prayer and encounter with God on the rooftop in Acts 10. 

I felt challenged and convicted because I realised that my time as a Baptist minister had led me to not prioritise the Great Commission. How much time over the last 28 years of my Christian life has been dedicated to fulfilling the Great Commission? Certainly a form of discipleship had taken place. However, was it in line with what we learn about in the scriptures?

I painfully came to the conclusion that it wasn’t. There’s more to discipleship than church attendance, although church attendance is important. There’s more to discipleship than small groups, although small groups are important.

I honestly believe that if the church, powerfully described in the New Testament as the Body of Christ, was following the model of discipleship we see plainly demonstrated by Jesus in the New Testament, the statistics would reveal a positive picture not a bleak one.

In Jesus’ words, ‘he came to seek and save the lost’ (Luke 19:10), and these were not just words: Jesus spent almost all his time ‘among the people in public places’! Joining Jesus in his mission requires the church to do likewise. How much of our time, effort and resources are spent on helping the lost outside the walls of the church building to connect with, and become disciples of Jesus? Or is our primary focus on what happens ‘inside the walls’?

The Rooftop exists to inspire and equip the Church to join Jesus in his mission. We have created a ‘small community, learning-by-doing-process’. It’s a process that enables Christians and leaders to see their community from God’s perspective and then make disciples who make disciples. It’s built upon a foundation of us seeking to join God in what he is doing and then making plans that facilitate this. 

In partnership with the Church across the world, The Rooftop is seeking to make 1,000,000 disciples in 100 countries. We long for a significant number to be made in the UK! 

Please find out more here: therooftop.org


Torquil has a passion to see the kingdom of God transform the lives of God’s children, who join Jesus in his mission to advance his Kingdom 

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