Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City is a major metropolitan area and Home to a growing population with a diverse range of beliefs.

The Crossroads of the West

Dubbed the “Crossroads of the West” due to its historical connections to the mining booms and first transcontinental railroad, Salt Lake City has long played a significant role in the western landscape. This city is the largest in the state as well as the world headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More than two million people call the metro area home, and tens of thousands flock here each year for outdoor adventure—especially skiing—and festivals that celebrate everything from Dark Arts to Italian food. Despite its reputation as a religious city, there is only one Southern Baptist Church for every 40,460 people. The North American Mission Board has identified the greater Salt Lake City area as a focus area for missions and church planting.

we’re planting in the town of VINEYARD NEAR PROVO

Vineyard is South of Salt Lake City and part of the Wasatch Front.

Quick Facts

Utah County is home to over 600,000 people and 70,000 college students.
Provo is the home of Brigham Young University and the LDS’s largest Missionary Training Center.
The city is a focus area for technology development and home to multiple billion dollar startups.
In 2015 there were 3 Southern Baptist Churches in Utah County. Today there are 9!
One of these original 3 churches shut down, and 7 new churches were started. Three of the new churches are connected to FBC Provo (1 of the original 3).
Utah County has the lowest percentage of Evangelical Christians in the United States.

Mike, Sharon, and Wei Cunningham

Dr. Mike Cunningham has been in the ministry for over two decades. He has served in a variety of capacities in five different states. Raised in the Rocky Mountains, Mike feels a call to the Provo / Salt Lake Metro area to bring the Gospel to an under served North American missions context.

Mike holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Liberty University and is currently finishing a Ph.D. from Dallas Baptist University. He has also earned masters degrees in Christian Education and Missiology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a graduate certificate in Apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary and a Bachelor of Church Music Degree from Baylor University.

He and his wife, Sharon, have been married over twenty years and they have a nine-year-old son named, Wei. They plan to plant Grace Church in Vineyard, Utah. They are completing their residency at Redemption Hill Church in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

Our Timeline

Fundraising Phase

+ September 2019 - December 2019

During this phase, we will transition out of our current roles and responsibilities at First Baptist Church of North Augusta and shift our focus primarily on fundraising. We will also work to sell our house, finalize logistical details, and work out the final details of our residency.

Residency Phase

+ January 2020 - January 2022

Our first year in Vineyard (near Provo) we will acclimate to our new city, make sure that Wei gets settled, and begin to experience life in Utah. We will be spending a year learning from a Utah church that has planted several other churches. At the end of this year, we will be sent out to plant a new work in Vineyard. Our residency phase was extended due to COVID 19.

Planting Phase

+ January 2022 -

At the end of our residency, we will shift our attention towards equipping our Launch Team, continuing to serve the community and share the the gospel, and laying the groundwork for a new church. This will begin through starting community groups. After we have started 4-5 groups (about 25 people), we plan to begin weekly worship services.