How it all got started...

Several years ago, a handful of Believers began to sense a burden to pray for God to do something fresh in Murphy, NC. They would meet for Bible study and prayer, but God’s message to them was to be faithful and wait on Him. This was the remnant God was bringing together to birth what would become MtnVu.

Meanwhile, in 2001 Pastor Jeff was in St. Lucie County, Florida as a full-time sheriff’s chaplain and part time worship leader in a church located in Stuart. Carl & Marie Speigel were members there, and lived in Murphy part of the year. Eventually they moved to NC year-round, and would host Jeff and his motorcycle buddies at their cabin. Marie began to share with Jeff how they couldn’t find a church with the kind of worship and vision there were searching for.

In Christmas 2004, Jeff, Donna and the boys came to Murphy for the holidays. On the way back to Florida, God began working on Jeff and Donna’s hearts. Jeff called Marie and asked her to pray about a new church in Murphy, and to search for others that might feel called to help. Over the next few weeks, a networking miracle began to occur. God was quietly bringing a core group together.

Jeff called and asked Marie to invite a group to The Peachtree Restaurant on a Saturday night (February 26, 2005). About 30 people were there to meet and hear Jeff, and to pray about God’s will for a new church. Jeff called Donna late that night, and they both felt God was about to make some huge changes in their lives.

Over the next month, about 15 people prayed each week at the Corner Candy Store on Wednesday nights. Donna put in her notice to leave her teaching job in Florida, making plans to find a position here. On Saturday, March 19, 2005, the first worship service took place at Brasstown Community Center. And on the following Sunday, MtnVu was officially constituted.

In April, the group decided to meet on Saturday nights at Murphy Middle School. Jeff was commuting on weekends from Florida. On Mother’s Day, we moved to Sundays. Every Sunday included setting up and tearing down. We called it “church in a box” because everything we used was stored in a trailer. In July, Jeff came full-time (Donna was already living at the Lackland’s).

In September 2005, the church relocated to the banquet hall beneath the Mtn Vista Inn in Murphy.  And in April 2007, the church relocated once again to a spacious rented facility on the highway in the heart of Murphy.  The new facility affords 7 day a week ministry and room to grow!  About 160 people and families were part of that move.

MtnVu has grown into a wonderfully varied group of people from all walks of life and faith experiences!