Local Heroes

Brian Sweatt and his wife Barbara were married in June 1996 and have two children, Alexandra and Kobe. During his quarter of a century of educational experience, Brian served as an Athletic Director, Guidance Counselor, Director of Development and Head of Schools. Most recently he was the Head of Schools at Lighthouse Christian School and Preschool in Antioch TN from 2003-2020. Brian led the recovery efforts for Lighthouse during the devastating Nashville Floods of May 2010. He and his family were featured on the hit TV show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, when our incredible Nashville community came together and rebuilt Lighthouse Christian Preschool.

Brian is currently the Executive Director and Pastor of Our Church Ministries, Inc. Our Church is a ministry of hope and encouragement which focuses on finding people with needs in Middle Tennessee and meeting those needs. OC also works to empower ministries and non-profits to work together. In 2022, Brian and several partners began Mechanics on a Mission to provide vehicles to those in our Middle TN community who are battling transportation insecurity.  To date, Mechanics on  a Mission has given away over 130 vehicles and have repaired over 250 vehicles at no cost to the recipient. 

Brian has been Chairman of the Board at Rocketown (a ministry for inner-city children founded by Christian singer, Michael W. Smith).  He has previously served as the Chairman of the Educational Committee for the Crossings Nashville Action Partnership. Brian has been on the Non-Public Advisory Board for the State of Tennessee and he has also served on the local YMCA board for over a decade.

My Salvation Testimony: From Survival to Empowerment

I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was just 9 years old. Even at that young age, I sensed His calling on my life and knew I was destined to serve Him. At 18, I followed that call into Bible college, where I would later marry a man with whom I entered full-time ministry.

For years, we served together. But in 1998, my world came crashing down. My husband walked away from our marriage and ministry, leaving me a single mother - penniless, burdened with two years of unpaid taxes, and overwhelmed with bills. Despite having earned the equivalent of $175,000 a year, I was left with nothing but a rented home, a car, and our young son. There was no support, no fallback. My son continued attending private school, and there were seasons when his lunch was simply peanut butter and crackers with a refillable water bottle. Eventually, I lost the car, and there were times the electricity was turned off while we waited for my next paycheck.

Yet in the darkest, most hellacious season of my life, Jesus became more real and intimate to me than ever before. He was my anchor, my provider, and my closest friend. Through Him, I found strength I didn’t know I had.

During this journey, I was hired by a company that saw potential in me and invested in my personal development. That investment transformed me. The shy, uncertain woman I once was began to grow into someone who finally believed in herself - someone who knew she had value, purpose, and something powerful to offer the world.

I made a vow in those days of struggle: I would help women overcome, just as I had. Today, that’s my mission. I use my life experiences - of love, loss, survival, and renewal—to empower women to rise from the ashes of their circumstances. I remind them that God doesn’t want us to merely survive - He wants us to thrive.

No matter where you are right now, I am living proof that Jesus still redeems, restores, and raises up. Your story isn't over - it's just getting started.