Mike was born into a Navy family in Providence, Rhode Island, and later attended the Naval Academy. He has a degree from Old Dominion University in Political Science. While traveling with a friend through Europe in 1970, Mike trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior through this friend’s consistent witness.
This short book is an imaginary meeting with me and atheist Bill Maher sitting in his comfortable living room. In an effort to defend my position, I attempt to take Bill into a world he knows nothing about. It’s a bit of a deep dive into what I have learned over my eighty years in this troubled world. I intend to flip the script and invite the unbeliever into a thought process they perhaps have never engaged in. Welcome aboard to a very bumpy ride for both sides.
Pastoral ministry is hard. There is a reason an increasing number of pastors are depressed, burned out, leaving the ministry, or—worst of all—imploding their lives through moral failures. Mike Minter planted a church in 1975, and after a long and faithful career in pastoral ministry, he is burdened to see so many struggling pastors. This book is born from both his experience and his concern. His heart is to help younger pastors make it through the ministry intact, and Stay the Course will do just that.
Pastor Mike gathers timeless reflections from over fifty years of ministry and life experience. With honesty, warmth, and biblical depth, he explores faith, grace, human nature, and the everyday struggles of walking with God. Each short entry offers insight, encouragement, and challenges, inviting readers to think deeply and live faithfully. Whether you are a seeker, new believer, or lifelong follower of Christ, these distilled thoughts will renew your mind, strengthen your spirit, and remind you that truth and grace are never far apart, they meet perfectly in the heart of God.
