With the help of Darrold Retzer, then the president of the Nevada-Utah Conference, they began a search for a new pastor who could help them become a contemporary, dedicated congregation with a burden for the unchurched community. More than a year later they found the answer to their prayers in the person of David Gemmell. Dave had most recently been with Kay Kuzma s Family Matters in Georgia. He chose Las Vegas partly because the demographics were ideal for building the kind of church which he and the congregation envisioned. Las Vegas is a city of change.
Many new people move into the area, a fact that keeps the community from becoming stagnant.
Before he arrived, Gemmell asked for the church to send him the names of the seven most influential members of the congregation, which then numbered about 430 with an attendance of 150. After he received the names, Gemmell contacted each one and asked if he or she would be willing to give one hour per week for ministry. Those seven became the pastoral advisors. For the first three years, those seven replaced the board of elders. This year, however, the church reinstated a board of elders.