In The Salt Company’s early days as a ministry called “Baptist Student Union,”  it struggled to gather more than 70 students at a service. Now, hundreds of students make the drive out to Cornerstone Church to gather for worship each Thursday night.

On Saturday, The Salt Company will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. In addition to the 5K walk/run on campus for students and a free family carnival at Cornerstone, the day will also include a directors’ dinner for alumni and previous directors, including Jack Owens, the founder of The Salt Company.

 

The past

Owens started class at the University of Oklahoma already a follower of Christ.

“I knew about God,” Owens said. “I’d gone to Sunday school; I knew the stories, but it didn’t have any impact on the way I lived.”

When Owens asked a girl out on a date, she agreed — on the terms that he accompanied her to a church meeting. It was then that Owens realized there was something lacking in what he believed.

“I went there expecting a service like what I had grown up with, but instead, I met students who had something different about their lives,” Owens said.

After that night, Owens hoped to discover peace and purpose resembling what he saw that night. During a two-and-a-half-hour car ride home, Owens confessed all of his sins. Owens called this night  the “turning point in my life.”

While Owens is considered the founder of The Salt Company, its origins can be traced further back to Max Barnett, the leader of the ministry Owens had joined while in college.

“He focused on three things: obedience to God, prayer, and to make disciples and help people become followers of God,” Owens said.

Owens decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life living out the third option and spread the good news that he learned under Barnett’s leadership. 

After graduation, Owens and two of his friends approached Barnett and asked what they should do. At the time, Oklahoma State was a part of the Big 8 Conference, so it was decided the men would go out to the schools where college ministries were needed. The three schools chosen were Nebraska, Kansas State and Iowa State. On Aug. 1, 1972, Owens moved to Ames.

The ministry started with humble beginnings. A small group of students would meet and Owens would teach what he learned under Barnett’s leadership: how to pray, share the gospel and meet in small groups.

“It was risky,” Owens said. “We just had this handful of students and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but God provided.”

After 12 years, Owens stepped down and Troy Nesbitt became the director. It was in 1986 that the ministry officially changed its name to The Salt Company. It was around this time when the ministry really started to take off.

“One time, I gave the students a challenge that if we broke over 100 students, I would get my head shaved,” Nesbitt said. “The next service we had 102.”

After repeatedly growing out of venues, from churches to an abandoned Jacko’s Auto Parts, the need for a building of their own became apparent. In 1994, Cornerstone Church was built.

 

Now

Nathan Kirkwood, sophomore in pre-business, did not quite know what to expect when he first came to The Salt Company.

“I was a little cynical of student ministries because the high school ministry I went to back home was much more of a social gathering with a side of spirituality; but when I came to Salt Company I really noticed things were different,” Kirkwood said. “I absolutely love how genuine most everyone is in their worship.”

The Salt Company is now one of the biggest Christian organizations at Iowa State.

While he was in college, the size almost overwhelmed Jordan Adams, he said.

“I was nervous about the size of the ministry and thought I would fall through the cracks,” Adams said.

Adams now serves as a leader of Freshman Group, a sub-ministry of The Salt Company geared specifically toward helping freshmen transition to Iowa State.

“Salt Company is by far the biggest ministry I have been part of,” Adams said, “but at the heart of what is important to the ministry is the small groups, and they become your family.”

Cody Cline, current director of The Salt Company, said that not much has changed over the years.

“Every time I go out and spend time with alumni, they always ask the same three questions,” Cline said. “They ask if we still teach the Bible; still value getting people connected into authentic, life-giving connection groups; and still have a passion for challenging students to go overseas with their faith and share the gospel. The answer is yes.”

Nesbitt, who now serves as lead pastor and staff director, led 25 students on one of The Salt Company’s to Albania first mission trips in 1994. This past summer, The Salt Company sent its 1,000th student overseas.

Sara Wodka, sophomore in music, joined a connection group and said she was so

inspired by her experience that she decided to be a leader this year.

“We simply live life together and spur each other on to grow in Christ,” Wodka said. “It makes our ministry much more intimate and personal.”

Kirkwood credits the relationships formed in The Salt Company for shaping who he is.

“Salt Company played an enormous role in keeping me from harmful behaviors,” Kirkwood said. “Having a group of people I can talk to and who hold me accountable is a wonderful thing.”

 

Looking ahead

While the first 40 years were focused on refining and shaping the ministry at Iowa State, the next 40 are planned to have more of an outreach, Cline said.

“I think the next 40 years will be about expanding God’s ministry beyond Ames,” Cline said.

In September 2010, Veritas Church in Iowa City began with the intention of starting up a branch of The

Salt Company for students at the University of Iowa. Drew Stevenson, former Freshman Group leader for Iowa State, was selected to be the director for the group at the U

of I branch.

“Every time I’m able to look alongside someone who is extremely gifted, most of the time I’m going to decide that it’s best that we spread out,” Cline said. “It was a bummer to lose Drew, but I knew that Iowa City was going to get a great example of how to follow Christ.”

The Salt Company is looking to expand to Northern Iowa and Kirkwood Community College, with further plans to plant a ministry in Utah, the first one outside of Iowa. With each branch of The Salt Company that gets started, there will also be a local church.

“Cornerstone was really born out of the heart of student ministry,” Nesbitt said. “The church is to be a family of families, so students who get exposure to a loving, caring church leave Iowa State with a heart for the local church.”

Owens is continuing his  involvement in The Salt Company. He currently serves as the international ministry associate and attends Thursday services.

“It’s just awesome to see the energy students have,” Owens said. “They’re making life-changing decisions here.”