Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Tollett.
Hi Sam, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Crossville, Tennessee may not appear on many ministry maps, but for me, it’s the epicenter of a disciple-making movement that’s redefining what church can be.
When I look back over the last several years, I see a trail of moments, some painful, some powerful, all woven together by God’s faithfulness. My journey hasn’t been easy, but I can say with confidence that every trial, every disappointment, and every breakthrough has been part of God shaping me into a leader who believes deeply in one thing: the Church must return to making disciples.
Maybe the greatest defining moments of my life happened on, March 23, 2021—the day I found out I had cancer.
That night, I wrestled with the weight of that news. But on March 25, while praying, I heard God speak clearly to my heart:
“Your healing is already complete. Trust Me and walk out the journey. Be a student of the struggle, Sam.”
I remember my response vividly:
“You can trust me with the struggle, What an honor it is to be trusted with the struggle, and use it for your glory..”
That moment changed me. Why not me? I thought. If God could use this for His glory, then I wanted to be faithful in the middle of the pain. I knew there was a purpose to my pain.
I had surgery on April 30, 2021. A few weeks later, I sat at my mother-in-law’s kitchen table reading through old journal entries. One from February 2021 stood out. I had written, “God, I feel stuck in my faith. I want to know You deeper.”
In that quiet moment, I felt the Lord whisper, “I answered your prayer, Sam.”
It wrecked me. For the first time, I truly understood how God works. I wanted a deeper faith, and He allowed a season where my faith had to grow in weakness. I realized that sometimes, the only way to go deeper is through struggle.
That revelation set me on fire. I realize I had one shot at this life and I didn’t want to fall short by not dreaming big enough. I wanted to chase after big dreams that were destined to fail unless God made them happen.
I came back to ministry that summer after my cancer journey, inspired but frustrated. Inspired by what God had done in me, but frustrated with the comfort and complacency that can so easily grips the Church. I knew my cancer journey had a greater purpose, to grow my faith to a level where I could step boldly into God’s future for my life and ministry.
That same year, we launched our second campus, stepping into a new season of multiplication.
I entered a sabbatical that completely reshaped my understanding of leadership and ministry.
During that sabbatical, God gave me four guiding truths:
Don’t feed the monster.
Prioritize leading people to Holiness over happiness.
Redefine the metrics of success. Church success isn’t about the numbers in the building on a Sunday, but about how many are multiplying their faith in others as Christ commanded.
Lean and mean. If we wanted to be world changers then we had to shed useless ministry weight.
Those lessons changed everything. By May 2023, we made one of the most difficult and defining decisions of our ministry. We stopped all programs that competed with discipleship—men’s, women’s, and senior ministries—and focused entirely on small groups. We communicated a new vision: discipleship wouldn’t be one of our ministries; it would be our ministry.
Later that year, we launched our third campus, and a year later our fourth.
Our church planting strategy is called “Marketplace Church.” It’s my belief that the future movement of God’s people isn’t in the traditional church building but also in the workplace. Our desire is always to partner with Christians business owners who recognize God’s blessings and want to use their building space to host a worship service. We partner with the business owners who leases us the space for free so there is not building overhead. This allows us to be lean and mean with our ministry strategy and how we invest into the needs of our community with irrational generosity.
A pastor friend of mine asked, “Do you believe God can change the world from Crossville, TN? That question ignited something in me, and from that conversation, the vision for The Fellowship Network was born.
The Network has since grown to include international partners, Currently we have 9 international partners in 5 countries that account for over 2,000 churches world wide. Our goal is to lead, equip, and multiply disciple-making leaders and church planters around the world.
I’ve learned that faith isn’t forged in comfort; it’s proven in struggle. And when you’re trusted with the struggle, you’re also trusted with the story that will point others to God’s glory. So when I look back now, I can say with full conviction:
“God, thank You for trusting me with the struggle. Thank You for using it to build something far greater than I could have imagined.”
A movement that was birthed in Nazareth changed the nations, and I can’t help but to believe, why not from Crossville, Tennessee—I believe the world can be changed through small communities and small beginnings.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No it hasn’t been. I have been betrayed by mentors, I have had to fire people I love, cancer, children’s sickness, critiques of your leadership, Learning to elevate God’s vision over people’s voices is always a learning curve for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My greatest desire as a pastor is to teach. I love helping the Bible come alive for people, especially for those who’ve only ever looked at God’s Word on the surface. There’s nothing more fulfilling to me than watching someone’s eyes light up when they realize, “I can understand this. I can see what God is saying for myself.”
I think one of the shortcomings in ministry today is that pastors sometimes create an unintentional dependency on our own knowledge. People hear us preach and assume we’ve got some secret access to truth they don’t. But my role isn’t to make people dependent on my knowledge, it’s to equip them to be independent in theirs. I want people to feel empowered to open God’s Word, study it, and discover truth on their own.
I also have a deep passion for inspiring and encouraging leaders. There’s something powerful about helping a leader rediscover the gifts and abilities God placed inside them. Too many leaders give up just short of their breakthrough. They lose hope right before the moment God is ready to do something new. I love being part of reigniting that flame, helping them dream big again and reminding them that God isn’t finished with their story.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always on the move. If I wasn’t on a basketball court or a baseball field, you could find me in the woods camping, fishing, or exploring somewhere along the river I grew up on. That river is really where my love for the outdoors was born — the peace of the water, the sound of creation all around me — it became one of the ways I felt closest to God even before I knew how to say it that way.
Sports were a huge part of my life, but so was connection. I’ve always loved people — talking, laughing, and making sure everyone feels included. Even as a kid, it was always more the merrier. I also love being the guy making the playlist for every road trip. I still love being the “DJ” on the way to wherever we’re going, keeping the energy up and the car singing.
That part of me never changed. I love to host, to greet people with a smile, a handshake, or a hug. There’s just something powerful about helping people feel seen, valued, and appreciated. Whether it’s a Sunday morning at church or a cookout in the backyard, I want everyone to leave feeling better than when they arrived.
Now as an adult, I still love all those same things my body just complains a little more after a game of baseball! But one of the ways that passion for the outdoors has carried into adulthood is through landscaping. I love working with my hands, shaping something beautiful out of the ground. There’s something deeply satisfying about creating order and beauty from raw earth maybe it’s that same part of me that loves to help people grow and flourish.
At my core, I’ve always been about people, purpose, and the outdoors, faith, and fun. That’s still who I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Cumberlandfellowship.com
- Instagram: samtollett28
- Facebook: Sam Tollett
- Youtube: Breaking Fake Podcast
- Other: Spotify @ Breaking Fake Podcast
