For Pastor Aaron Burke, the growth of Radiant Church isn’t just about planting campuses—it’s about honoring legacies and stewarding opportunity. Since launching Radiant in 2013 with the support of the Association of Related Churches (ARC), Aaron and his wife, Katie, have seen God build something powerful in Tampa Bay. What began with a small team in a run-down theater has grown into a multisite church with over 8,000 people gathering across ten campuses.
But half of those campuses didn’t start from scratch. They were the result of something often overlooked in the church-planting world: mergers.
Aaron believes the next wave of church growth will come through collaboration with existing congregations. “If we can approach struggling churches with grace, vision, and the leading of the Holy Spirit,” he says, “then we are truly better together.”
Radiant has merged with five churches—three Assemblies of God, one Southern Baptist, and one independent. In some cases, the pastors retired. In others, they stayed on as staff. All were given a renewed sense of purpose as their facilities became a home for growing ministry again.
With rising real estate costs and limited facility options, Aaron sees this model as both strategic and spiritual. “Many of these buildings would have been sold to developers,” he says. “Instead, they’re now full of life again—used for worship, outreach, and kingdom impact.”
The Association of Related Churches has played a foundational role in Radiant’s journey. ARC supported the original launch financially and provided coaching and relationships that shaped Aaron’s vision for ministry. “ARC gave us the tools and language we didn’t even know we needed,” he reflects.
Mergers have also accelerated Radiant’s ability to stay close to the community. Rather than building a large central campus, the church is decentralized—placing smaller campuses near neighborhoods they’re called to reach. It’s a scalable model that honors the legacy of existing churches while empowering a new generation of believers.
One of the most moving stories came from a Southern Baptist church of just eight elderly members. Radiant agreed to preserve their traditional worship in a chapel while bringing in new life. That location now sees 800 attendees weekly and has celebrated over 150 baptisms in one year.
Aaron sees this not as taking over but as carrying forward a story God already began. “It’s like organ donation,” he explains. “One life ends, but it gives life to another.”
For churches connected to the Association of Related Churches, Radiant’s story offers more than inspiration—it provides a roadmap for sustainable, missional expansion. In a rapidly changing culture, honoring the past while building the future may be the key to seeing a thriving church in every community.
About the Association of Related Churches (ARC):
The Association of Related Churches (ARC) represents a collaborative network comprising independent congregations from various denominations, networks, and backgrounds. Its primary mission is to provide essential support and resources to church planters and pastors, enabling them to effectively share the teachings of Jesus Christ. ARC’s operational approach revolves around empowering and equipping church leaders, thus helping them foster the widespread dissemination of Christ’s life-changing message. Established in 2000, the Association of Related Churches has evolved into a worldwide entity and has played a pivotal role in facilitating the establishment of over 1,160 new churches globally.
