A church too far

Lifestyle | It's easy to publish success stories, but we also learn through 'failure' | Susan Olasky

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For more than 20 years the Presbyterian Church in America had wanted to plant a church in the Detroit area, the largest U.S. metro area without a PCA church. Brian Sleeth, a successful church planter in Maryland, took up the challenge after much prayer and counsel. In 2005 he headed to Michigan with his wife and three children (a fourth would be born there).

The Sleeths decided the best recipe for success was to plant the church in a still-growing northwest suburb that was strategically located near highways. It had a brand new high school and plans for more schools and housing developments. Not long after they bought their house in one of the new developments, the "housing market took a tumble." The planned developments stalled.