“Don’t paste my name or face on anything. It doesn’t matter if anyone ever knows any of our names, or even the name of our church. The important thing is to make sure they know God’s name and see His Glory!”

I’m so thankful to be a part of MBT, a church that teaches and believes God has preserved His perfect Word and that we have access to it! A church clothed in simplicity where the blood of Jesus Christ is our foundation. Where making disciples through prayer and worship is the work.

From the very start of MBT Sam began sharing the vision God gave him, about creating a network of likeminded churches believing in the preserved Word of God, working together to make and send out disciplers! He said, “Don’t paste my name or face on anything. It doesn’t matter if anyone ever knows any of our names, or even the name of our church. The important thing is to make sure they know God’s name and see His Glory!” That principle has saturated most everything that goes on at MBT.

In writing this testimony, tears well up thinking back over the years, some from joy and some from sorrow. When we started, there was one high school student, three junior highers, no college-aged young adults, and kidtown was held in the small conference room (now Sam’s office). We were just a small, “called out” group of nobodies, desperately seeking and depending on Jesus.

We quickly became family with many special memories such as: moving main services from the basement to the sanctuary, beginning C&YA in a tiny room, starting the Student Ministry, work days, potluck Sundays, the huge garage sale, going out every Saturday to pass out invitations, parties to pray in the New Year, all-church retreats, our first Mission Focus with a handful of attendees, Community LINC outreach ministry, our first few missions trips going to El Salvador, and on and on and on....

There were also some very difficult seasons. For instance, just four months after MBT began, we suffered a horrific tragedy: the Lord took one of our precious toddlers home very suddenly and unexpectedly. But through all of it, because of a simple faith in Him and His Word, God has blessed this church and given us much fruit.

It’s also been exciting to see the vision God gave Sam coming to fruition! The Living Faith Bible Institute began about 5 years ago and is currently training hundreds of men and women all over the world! The Living Faith Fellowship came into existence around that time, and it’s been a joy to connect with so many like-minded churches! MBT has also had the privilege to start two Bible-believing churches (one in Lee’s Summit and one in Tampa) and send out several missionaries! I can’t wait to see what the Lord does over the next ten years, should He tarry.