ABOUT

Troy Nesbitt was hired as the freshman director of the Baptist Student Union in 1985 and became the director in 1986. Under Troy’s leadership the ministry transitioned from a para-church ministry to a local church based ministry. The Salt Company was founded in 1987.

The Salt Company outgrew the local church. After many conversations with affirmation from the church, they decided to plant Cornerstone Church of Ames; a church specifically reaching college students. Cornerstone Church started with 23 community members and 200 college students.

Cornerstone Church planted Veritas Church of Iowa City, its first plant to reach both the city and the campus. The church sent almost the entire Salt staff team. This created a need for Cornerstone to recruit leadership from outside their own church. This was the foundation for recruiting and training church planters.

Church planting became highly valued and more churches were planted in Iowa. The Salt Network began with 8 churches and was formed with the express purpose of planting churches in major university cities.