Abstract
The role of a church planting pastor is different from that of other professions including other clergy. The church planter is one who not only feels led to pastor but start a church. The leadership skills and tools needed to successfully start and lead a church are the subject of this study. Fourteen church planting pastors affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas were part of a qualitative study researching the characteristics of a church planting pastor. The data attained offers a glimpse into the needs of pastors who have taken on the role of starting a new church though they themselves might not have the experience or background of how to do so or what model of leadership they should use in leading people.|Keywords: Church planting, leadership, pastors