Utah County Project

Ryan and Bethany Straarup are believing for a church in Utah that glorifies God, equips the saints, and reaches the lost through faithful Bible teaching, authentic community, and a life centered on Jesus.

Their desire is to build a church that helps people encounter the presence of God, grow deeply in their understanding of Scripture, and live missionally in their everyday lives. Holy Church is being planted with a vision to serve families, disciples, skeptics, new believers, and those searching for a biblically grounded Christian community in one of the most religiously unique regions in the United States.

Ryan and Bethany have been married for 12 years and are parents to two children, Aslan and Arlie. They each have been in ministry for more than 16 years, with experience in multisite expansion, leadership development, discipleship, outreach, kids ministry, volunteer systems, and service programming. Throughout their ministry journey, they have had the privilege of serving healthy churches and helping launch ministries in a variety of contexts.

In 2024, God began making it increasingly clear that Utah would become both their home and their mission field. After much prayer and discernment, the Straarup family relocated to Utah County in 2025 to begin building relationships and laying the foundation for Holy Church.

Utah Valley is deeply religious, rapidly growing, and home to hundreds of thousands of people, yet there remains a comparatively small evangelical Protestant presence throughout the region. Ryan and Bethany believe God is calling them to faithfully establish a healthy, Scripture-centered church that helps people come to know Jesus personally and equips believers to actively live out their faith.

Together, they lead with a heart for discipleship, hospitality, and long-term church health, praying that Holy Church would become a faithful gospel presence in Utah Valley for generations to come.