Our History

In 1970, Wayman and Nelda Mitchell moved to Prescott to take over a small, struggling congregation. Shortly after arriving, God saved a number of young hippies who were very different than anyone in the church. But as they were welcomed, God began to pour out His Spirit on the congregation.  As Pastor Mitchell sought to reach young people, they saw the possibilities of the “coffee-house” concert ministry. At the first concert they ever tried as an evangelistic tool, more than 200 young people attended, with many conversions. Out of that, a regular concert ministry was birthed; 2 nights a week, bands played, testimonies of salvation were given and the Gospel was preached, with many being giving their lives to Jesus each night.

From the beginning, Pastor Mitchell understood that concert ministry was to be a training ground for ministry development; It was run by young people, who were committed to Jesus and the church.  People whom were radically converted sought to share with others what God had done in them. Personal evangelism began to be one of the basic foundations of the church.  

Then came impact teams: Groups of people that would travel to other nearby cities to help people experience what God locally. Over time, God began to reveal His plan of discipleship: Training young couples for ministry within a local church.  In 1973 the first couple was launched directly into the ministry – and God blessed them!  Churches then began to be planted throughout the South West of the United States, and then further across America, as converts prayed for the Gospel to be preached in their hometowns.

In 1978, the first couple was planted into another nation – Australia; and the good news of Gospel started to spread and changed many lives.  After that, churches were planted in Mexico, Holland and Germany, then as we came to understand God’s global mission more and more, churches began to be planted throughout the world. To date, there are over 2800 churches within 130 nations of the world.