I just found out that Vince Antonucci of Forefront Church has announced that he is being sent out from Forefront to plant a church on the Las Vegas strip (see the announcement here). Vince planted Forefront several years ago and was instrumental in leading Laurie and I to Arizona, even though he doesn't know us, aside from a couple of emails. He has felt God's leading to leave a church that he loves and a place that his family loves to go to a place that has to be the most hostile place in America to start a church.
Interestingly, he also mentioned that he has perhaps not gifted to lead a church plant to the next level, that he is great for starting them and now it might be better for someone else to take Forefront to the next stage. He's the second church planter I've seen this year that has thought that his baby needed someone with different gifting. In February, Ben Arment posted this blog about why he was leaving the church he had planted.
Most church planting organizations have evaluate whether you have the gifts to be a church planter. Maybe they need one that you take 7-10 years in to find out if you continue to be the pastor that your church needs. Not everyone sees their reality like Vince and Ben.
I will be following Vince's move closely. It should be fascinating.