1. June 28, 2016
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I am the Chairman of the board of deacons at Calvary Baptist Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan,
where I have served as a deacon for over twenty years. The purpose of this letter is to provide a
reference for Reverend Matthew Mickelson, whom I have known for the past sixteen years. I am
pleased to provide this reference on his behalf.
He has faithfully served as an associate pastor in our local church ministry these many years. In
late 2015, he and his wife decided to move to Idaho where she had a wonderful opportunity to
pursue her career and where he could explore other opportunities after his long tenure with our
local church ministry.
It has been my privilege to work side-by-side with him in ministry since 2000. When our senior
pastor died in January 2016, Pastor Matt essentially became our interim senior pastor and
consulted in such a value-added way with me and the other deacons who were now serving as the
senior pastor search committee. He continuously provided wise guidance to the deacons
throughout the process, which ultimately led to us finding the man God had chosen for us.
Pastor Mickelson is a very humble, loyal, and committed servant of Christ. He was always held
in very high regard by the two senior pastors whom he served with at Calvary, as well as the
deacons within this ministry. He consistently demonstrates a heart for God, a love for souls, and
a desire to disciple young people and adults. I especially appreciate the way he ministered to my
two children in youth ministry at Calvary, as well as the pre-marital counseling he provided to
them and their mates. He continually encouraged me and supported me in my role as chairman of
the deacons. I especially enjoyed times of fellowship with him when we were ministering
together in various areas of ministry.
I admire Pastor Mickelson for a number of reasons. He is a Godly man with high integrity, and
he is an excellent husband and father. He is an avid reader, and he is very theologically sound.
He exhibits passion in all that he does with an enthusiastic and positive attitude. With the highest
level of confidence, I recommend him to anyone who is considering him for any type of pastoral,
teaching, or discipling and mentoring ministry, including as a senior pastor or in another
significant ministry position.
Please contact me if I can provide any additional information concerning this outstanding servant
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sincerely,
David Dietz
Calvary Baptist Church
Ypsilanti, Michigan
(734) 576-0120 (cell)