About the Pastor

By the grace of God, I was raised in a home in which both of my parents were saved, born-again, Christians. From the early days in my life, I can remember going to church with my parents, and I even remember seeing them getting baptized. Later, I witnessed my grandparents (dad's parents) getting saved, and then baptized, as well... I mention this because it is special. Not everyone had(or has) the priviledge of having a genuine, Christian family atmosphere. When I was born, Dad was a "business man", working his way up the ladder of "success" in the business world. (He worked for wealthy men like Trammell Crow & Preston Robert Tisch.) We would be transfered from City to City, always increasing in the world's eyes with a higher paying job, a bigger house, and better cars, etc. But, somewhere along the way, God began to speak to my dad about switching "careers"... God called my dad into the ministry.  When he made public his intentions to leave the "life" he had, it was not greeted with the "approval"    of other friends & family members, but, my mom was willing to follow, and so, they left it all behind. At that point, my dad, mom, sister, and myself were all headed for a big change...
 
At the time, it seemed foolish!

Soon, we went from having nice cars - house - clothes - etc., to a much more "simple" lifestyle. We went from having "professional movers" move us from place to place, to having to actually pack up & move ourselves! ...Imagine that!     (...I had no idea there was such a thing as "Ryder" & U-haul", before...)  I also didn't know you could eat an entire week on nothing but beans & potatoes, but, now I know it can be done.   Soon, I learned what a "duplex apartment " was, and I found out that you can still have a "home", even if you don't have a nice house to put it in.   And, through it all, God began to be much more REAL to all of us, including to myself. 

Since I was young I've understood the story of Jesus, and I believed it. But, when I was about 12 years old, it was then, that I realized I needed not to just "believe in my head" about Jesus, but also to TRUST Jesus for my personal salvation. I then acknowledged Him as Lord & Savior of my life, and I was saved.

So, whatever happened to my family???  Did they eventually fall apart - break up - starve to death?

...No, as a matter of fact, none of us would go back to the "life" we left behind, not even for all the money in the world!  We have seen, and experienced, a different life (the real life) that's worth the living, and we say - "no thank you" to what we've left behind.

John 10:9-10 "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

As the years went by, I realized that God wanted me to do something, too. I finished high school, and went on to a Bible College to begin studying for the ministry. While at the college, I met a young lady, by the name of Wilma Schrock, and over time, was able to convince her to marry me.  We were married shortly after our graduation, and have been in the ministry ever since. When God's in the "driver's seat" of your life, ...LIFE IS GOOD!

~ Pastor Matt Furse

Please read my wife's testimony "Amish Girl" or the "Five Facts"...                         ...and, thanks for visiting!