Is This Success?

Consider the story of this hypothetical Christian leader:

At a fairly young age he begins to serve an immensely large congregation.  When he accepts leadership of this congregation, he knows that there is a specific goal that God desires him to lead the people to accomplish and that the accomplishment of this goal will take much time.  His decades of leadership are marked equally by the faithfulness of God proving Himself to the leader and the congregation as well as the repeated failure of the congregation to faithfully follow God.  The stubbornness of the congregation results in a decades long delay in the reaching of the God given goal for the people.  As the leader ages he appoints a Godly man whom he has mentored as his successor.  As the last days of his time leading arrive, he turns the ministry over to his successor knowing that this young man will lead the congregation to the completion of the goal that they have pursued for so long.  Once the now former leader is gone, the people reach their goal under the guidance of their new leader.  Almost immediately upon reaching this goal, they turn from God and begin to follow the teachings of  false religions and cults.

Now answer this question:  Was this hypothetical leader successful?