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PASTOR

The Forts came to Wellington in June 2020 after Leah served eleven years as Worship Pastor at Amarillo’s First Nazarene, with Mike as band leader.

Raised in a ministry family, Leah came to Christ at age six and three years later, she experienced the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit at the altars of church camp. Later that same year Leah heard the clarion call of the Lord to ministry.

Through the years, Leah taught small groups and Sunday school of all ages, led youth, and served as women’s ministries director. Leah and Mike continue to serve in music ministry as they have their entire marriage.

In the corporate sector Leah’s work led her through many leadership growth opportunities enhancing her formal and practical education. She is a graduate of Leadership Amarillo & Canyon, Texas Realtors Leadership Program, Leadership Training/Dale Carnegie Course, and served on the board of directors for the Amarillo Association of Realtors, Amarillo Education Foundation, and as board president of Worth the Wait (an abstinence education program).

Leah is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian Studies Biblical Counseling. She currently serves as the West Texas District Church of the Nazarene Women’s Ministries Director.

Her call includes the written word and as a writer and author, Leah has been published in three anthologies and is a regular contributor to a regional periodical, The Upbeat Reporter. Leah’s book Your Royal Rendezvous (AAE 2020) shares a portion of her testimony and offers a five-step process for overcoming obstacles that prohibit one from fulfilling God’s purpose in life. Your Royal Rendezvous was nominated for the prestigious Author Academy Elite global award in religious non-fiction.

Leah’s greatest desire is to live holy, worship completely, serve diligently, love extravagantly, witness boldly. 

Mike grew up in a Christian home with his parents and two older sisters. He began his musical pursuits at the age of five when he picked up a guitar and his father taught him his first chords. Mike understood music at this early age and by the age of seven was performing. This was the same year Mike entrusted his life to Jesus Christ.

Throughout his growing up years, Mike performed gospel music with his parents during church and for special events, as well as on local television. During his teen years Mike played sports successfully, but music was always his first interest. He began playing in garage bands with his close friends and eventually they took their playing into the semi-professional arena of weekend gigs at just about anywhere that would hire their band. During those years, he met Leah and they started dating two years later. Within six months of their first date, they married.

Mike experienced that moment of sanctification as a young adult when he fully consecrated his life, his music, his career, and everything of himself to the Lord, and to whatever God had purposed for him.

The Forts have two children. Their daughter Sydney is married to Chase Clark, and son Lane is married to Neeley. The Forts have seven beautiful grandchildren.