A Brief Background of Olivet
Olivet has been in the Muskegon community since the church was established in 1887. We are part of the Evangelical Free Church of America, which is an affiliation of churches with common beliefs. Our church family is made up of those who have a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The “Free” in our name refers to that fact that we are free from state control and, also that we are led by the local congregation.
Our Beliefs:
“In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, charity. In all things, Jesus Christ.”
- We believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and seek to live by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- We believe Jesus is the Son of God who paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, rose again and is reigning with the Father.
- We believe by trusting in Him alone for salvation, we can enter a personal relationship with God where we can grow and become more and more like Jesus.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit enables us to grow and serve God and share Him with others.
Our Statement of Faith:
We have adopted the Statement of Faith of the Evangelical Free Church of America. Click here for more details.
Our Mission:
Our mission is directly tied to Jesus’ great commission in Mt 28:18-20. As followers of Christ, we see the need to be involved in reaching out to the community and the world to meet the needs of those around us. And every believer needs to be challenged to grow and be transformed in their walk with the Lord in order to make disciples who make more disciples.
Our Vision:
Olivet will stand as a vital lighthouse by cultivating a strong disciple-making culture and motivating God’s people to personally engage in meeting the needs of our community and the world.
We will be intentional about investing in children and young people to accomplish our Mission and our Vision.
Our Staff:
Randy Jenkins
Interim Sr Pastor
Randy is with Interim Pastor Ministries (IPM), attended Moody Bible Institute and is a graduate of Tri-State Bible College and Grace Theological Seminary. He served as Sr Pastor at various churches for 33 ears and has served as interim at 3 churches for a total of 9 years to date. Randy and his wife, LaFon, have 2 adult children and 7 grandchildren and their home base is Caro, MI.
Debbie Randall
Office Administrator
Debbie is the face and voice of Olivet, including our previous Marquette campus for over 20 years. She and her husband, Warren, have been married for 40 years and has four adult children and 12 grandchildren.
Mary Sutherland
Children’s Ministry Director
Mary graduated from Baptist Bible College with a degree in Christian Education and also holds a Bachelor of Business degree from Baker College and has been in her position since 2013. Mary and her husband Ben have a shared passion for children. They have eight adult children and multiple grandchildren.
Matt Kooi
Student Ministries Pastor
Matt is the full-time Discipleship Pastor at the Muskegon Rescue Mission and serves part-time as our Pastor of Student Ministries. Matt grew up at Olivet and met his wife, Becky, as a student at Trinity University. He served as Youth Pastor for 9 years in Coldwater, MI. He then served as director of Spectrum Ministries for nine years, leading a team that ministered to the poor and needy in Tijuana, Mexico. Matt and Becky have 4 adult children and 1 grandchild.
April Mead
Mercy Ministries Coordinator
April and her husband, Brandon, have been part of the Olivet family for over 13 years. She was a youth leader for 10 years and has served in other various ways including Tech Team, Meal Makers, and Children’s Ministries. She finds joy in helping others and loves to see people find their gifts and use them for God’s glory. April and Brandon have 3 children.
Matt Long
Staff Administrator
Matt and his wife Elaine have been part of the Olivet Family for over 40 years where Matt has served on the Leadership Board, Life Groups and the Worship Ministry. Matt has an Engineering degree and is retired from Herman Miller where he led the continuous improvement team. Matt and Elaine have 2 adult children and 6 grandchildren.