- Ryan Bandy -

Church PLanting Resident

In the Fall of 2019, the Bandys were first exposed to the idea of church planting. Ryan, a native of the Mountain State, had already been a pastor for nearly a decade, serving primarily in family ministries and in teaching and preaching. He’d been involved in international missions as well, but never church planting specifically.

Tabling the planting idea for a season, Ryan accepted an offer from Bible Center Church in Charleston, WV in early 2020. He would go on to lead student ministry out of covid and into a season of deep growth spiritually, and wide growth numerically. The ministry is now marked by deep discipleship, a passion for the Scriptures, a deep devotion to prayer, and a commitment to international missions.

That exposure to church planting talked about earlier? Well, it grew into something more. It grew into a deep, burning passion as the Bandys regularly spend time in many parts of WV, opening their eyes to the need for healthy, biblical churches, devoted to the Scriptures and the sacraments, and committed to biblical doctrine and theology.

Pastor Ryan and Steph wholeheartedly believe that Jesus loves churches who think beyond themselves. Because of this deeply held belief, they’re committed to fostering an environment of gospel centered love, mercy, hospitality, and sending, foregoing a more traditional model of collecting as many people as possible in one place. They hope to plant a church that will serve, train, and send more workers into the harvest field, both in the form of more church plants and international missions (Matt. 9:38).