Johnathan and Heather Bislew serve as the senior pastors of Maranatha Campus Church at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Johnathan encountered the Lord Jesus Christ at the University of Wisconsin Stout where he attended college and was gloriously saved out of a life of alcoholism in 1986. In 1989, Johnathan joined the staff of Maranatha Christian Church at the University of Minnesota where he faithfully served as a campus evangelist for 19 years and an associate pastor for 16 years.
Johnathan met his wonderful wife Heather while he was pastoring at Maranatha Christian Church in Minneapolis and Heather was teaching at the University of Minnesota in the College of Pharmacy. They have seven amazing children whom they home-school and strive to raise with a biblical worldview.
In 2006, the Lord told Johnathan that He was going to send him and his family to Minnesota State University to pioneer a campus church. Two years later, He said, “Go!” The campus church at Minnesota State University is currently 75 percent international students and continues to experience growth. Johnathan and Heather truly believe that the university is the open door God has given them to bring the gospel of our Lord Jesus to the nations. They believe Matthew 28:18-20 (Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…) is being fulfilled through their ministry by the grace of God.
Johnathan and Heather have a passion to make Christ known by raising up a generation of servant leaders to reach the plentiful harvest at MSU and the nations. Luke 10:2 says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”