This year’s dedicatee, Dr. Matt Olson, has led the way in acknowledging the works of God, fostering the importance of rehearsing those works “in the congregation” so that we will not forget. Saved at the age of four and surrendered to the Lord’s work at the age of eighteen, Dr. Olson’s life reads like a passage of Scripture—one that can be rehearsed to the praise of God’s glory. And though the world could not possibly contain the full account of Christ’s works if written on paper, we are privileged to bring before you one additional volume that tells of His glorious works through the vessels of clay that He has chosen to use.
Between the ages of twelve and eighteen, Matt Olson worked at Summit Lake Camp. He worked with horses, dreaming of becoming a cowboy one day; then, as a counselor, God changed his dreams. While reading 1 Corinthians 10:31 on the porch of a cabin at the camp, he surrendered his life to God’s service. Matt volunteered to stay after that summer was over and counsel during a secular bus patrol camp for sixth grade boys. After leading dozens of those boys to Christ, he wanted to spend the rest of his life in similar service, and he never turned back after that experience.
In college he started and organized an extension, which grew to over fifty young men who traveled to Georgia to preach on the streets near a mission downtown; many lives were changed as a result of that ministry. He also traveled with Neighborhood Bible Time for two summers during college; God used that experience as well as being part of a church-planting ministry team to direct Matt Olson to start a church in Colorado.
Dr. Olson graduated from Bob Jones University in 1979, completed a master’s degree in 1981, and married his long-time sweetheart, Diane, that same year. Two months after the wedding, he was ordained, and with $200 in his pocket and all of their belongings loaded in their Chevy Impala, Dr. and Mrs. Olson headed to Colorado to plant a church. The Lord worked in marvelous ways as that work, Tri-City Baptist Church, grew from two to over 750. Dr. Olson’s passion is church planting, and while at Tri-City, he was instrumental in helping start over a dozen churches. He has a heart for missions and has ministered on mission fields all over the world. He also obtained his private pilot’s license and served as a chaplain in the Civil Air Patrol while pastoring in Colorado.
After twenty-one years of ministry at Tri-City, God called Dr. and Mrs. Olson to pour their passion for church planting, missions, and discipleship into the college students of Northland International University. Because he has lived a life that demonstrates the works of God every step of the way . . . because he is a daily example of giving God glory for His marvelous works, taking no credit to himself, we dedicate the 2010 yearbook to Dr. Matt Olson.