Pastor Mike Swartz was born in Winston-Salem, NC. He began attending the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown, NC at eight years of age. At the age of 18, Mike received the free gift of Salvation. Three months later, he surrendered his life to full-time Christian service and began making plans to attend Bible college.
In 1996, Mike graduated from Bible College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology. He also attended Temple Baptist Seminary, Chattanooga, TN, and is a graduate of Faith Evangelical Seminary, Tacoma, WA where he earned a Master of Divinity Degree.
After graduating from Bible college, Mike served as Assistant Pastor for four years in North Carolina. In 2001, he planted the Lake Valley Baptist Church, in Moses Lake, WA where he was the lead pastor for five years. In 2006, Pastor Mike was commissioned as an active-duty Army Chaplain with Special Operations for nine years before he was injured in Iraq and was medically retired with honors as a Major. He was deployed twice into a combat zone for fifteen months in Iraq and then for twelve months in Afghanistan.
In November of 2022, Mike Swartz and his wife Lesa moved back to Moses Lake and once again, accepted the position as lead Pastor at the Lake Valley Baptist Church. Pastor Mike is a visionary leader with a dual focus on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and helping people reach their potential through discipleship.
Mike met his wife, Lesa, at Bible College and they were married in 1993. Together they have three adult children, Nathan, Grey, and River.