The Lord stirred in the hearts of Mike and Sandy Schadt back in March of 2000 to birth the mission of SOS. They swiftly invited a handful of spirit-filled and God-fearing men to come alongside them to spearhead the new ministry as directors (Gene Weaver, Michael Gordon, Scott DeBoer, Joseph Smith, and Dan Walsh).
SOS was entirely founded on the ambition to be used by God as His messengers to “snatch people out of the fire” (Jude 23) by going and preaching His gospel message of salvation, hope, and eternal life to those who have never heard it, leading us to plant and establish churches through indigenous men where no church had previously existed. The principal and the biblical mindset behind this calling that the Lord poured into our hearts was Romans 15:20 — “It has always been my ambition to preach Jesus where he is not known, so as not to build on another man’s foundation.“
Pioneer church planting through preaching Christ to those who have never heard or believed in the name of Jesus Christ… That is what we are about!
We quickly began to realize that this mission was unique, not done by many, but rather a small remnant of zealous believers. We asked the question, “Is not Romans 15:20 the whole idea and foundation of what we call the ‘Great Commission?’” Surely it is. Some of the last words spoken by Jesus on earth before He ascended into heaven in Acts 1:8, that after we had received the calling of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be His “witnesses in Jerusalem…and to the end of the earth.”
We began ministering to foreigners, international students, and small pockets of different religions that were colonizing in our own Jerusalem (that is central Florida). So when some of these international students and foreigners who were living in the US came to faith in Christ and returned to their homeland, they invited us to help them bring the Gospel and plant churches, starting where they lived.
By the grace of God, the Lord found us faithful with little, so more was granted to us. And we found ourselves 25 years later, pioneer church planting in some of the darkest, hardest, remotest areas in the world from West Africa, to Latin America, and the Middle East. It’s been quite a ride!
