Viola asserts that there are four ways to plant churches in the first century. Each resulted in a visible community of God’s kingdom being established. They are the Jerusalem model where a group spends years raising up one large church. The Antioch model is where one church sends workers to plant other churches, who are left on their own with periodic help and encouragement. The third is the Ephesian model where an older worker resides in a city to plant a new church and train young workers who are sent to plant new churches. The last is the Roman model where Christians from many different churches transplant to establish one new church.
I would suggest that these are not models of church planting but various life situations that demonstrate the interaction among brethren. The gospel was promised to start in Jerusalem, where apostles were the primary instructors and guides. The persecution spread them outside the city where the gospel spread and where Gentiles were being added unto them. While Antioch appears to be Paul’s home base, no city had fellowship with him in the matter of financial aid, except Philippi. They sent “once and again” to help him. The Ephesian model was not designed to train disciples but to evangelize so that “all Asia heard the word.” No doubt, saints were with Paul during that time. However, there is no indication that Paul was training these brethren or that Paul’s work in the school of Tyrannus was designed to train them. These were all different opportunities that Christians could explore the use for the furtherance of the gospel. Churches, as institutions, were never planted. When souls heard and submitted to Jesus as Lord, they were added to the “being saved ones,” and such fellowship among saints was the natural result of the relationship.