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dominantly Mormon state of Utah, one potential church planter came to mind: Seth Tarver. Despite some initial hesitations, within a few years, Seth and his wife, Beth, were “boots on the ground” in Logan, Utah, planting the first-ever Christian church in the area. Jay Gross (’80, ’86), senior pastor of West Conroe Baptist Church, which continues to support the Tarvers, says, “I have absolute confidence in Seth’s integrity, his heart for the Lord, and he has got a blazing passion now for planting a church in Utah.” The couple’s preparation for the field included Seth’s serving on staff at West
Conroe for a year while going through the North American Mission Board’s vetting and equipping process. Seth also continued his Master of Divinity studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reflecting on his ongoing seminary studies, Seth says, “Probably the biggest treasure cove from Southwestern was talking to the men and women who serve and who are in the roles of leadership there at the seminary, … and just learning from them the balance of a healthy work, family, and life of study.” The Tarvers were deployed to Logan, Utah, with partners Brian and Leslie Swin-
Southwestern News
ey and Stephen and Emily Eenigenburg in the summer of 2018, and together, they planted Riverwoods Fellowship, with Seth serving as the lead pastor. Within two years of arriving on the field, the team had begun hosting a Bible study, a men’s group, a women’s Bible study, a church prayer night, and a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) ministry at nearby Utah State University. Seth also began working at Utah