The role of a church planter is multi-faceted and unique. Church planters and their teams venture out as faith entrepreneurs, experimenting with creative ministry approaches in a particular context. Then, as they find methods that prove helpful to meet the needs of people in a particular context, experimenting gives way to more predictable ministry structures. Church growth requires constant fine-tuning of leadership roles to deal with new challenges and growth pains calling for new skill sets that the original church planter may not possess. As church planters steer a path between creative vitality and routinized programming, they are faced with multiple tests to adapt their leadership to new circumstances.

This study tracks the transformation of a successful Chicago church plant (Epic Church) in its first five years from an experimental ministry laboratory to a mature and effective ministry community. The study also describes the leadership role changes of the original church planting pastor and his team.

The purpose of this study is to document the actual role changes one church planter experienced as his congregation grew from a new church plant to a mature and self-propagating church, taking into account various contextual variables. The data were gathered through interviews, observation, self-reflection, and communal reflection. The study attempts to develop a theory of Church Planting Leadership that is based on discernible role changes in the leadership of the church planter and his/her team.