Our Founder and Director

Mike and Doris Courtney founded Branches at the call of God to celebrate their own healing and restoration. Mike is a gifted writer, speaker and counselor with twenty-five years experience as a highly successful pastor. He is also a recovering addict who lives a 12-Step life, one day at a time. Now he tells his story of honesty, hope and healing to audiences across America.

James Robison says, “In my opinion, Michael Courtney has tactfully, tastefully and effectively dealt with critically important, highly sensitive issues. Failures are often difficult to acknowledge and even more difficult when they are of a moral nature and occur in the life of a professing Christian. If that believer is a leader, confession seems to be suicidal. I believe that what Michael shares will inspire, and his frankness and brokenness will help bring about legitimate healing.”

Mike has taken a story of secrecy and shame that Satan meant for destruction and allowed it to be used as a tool for redemption and restoration. He shares openly his faults and failures, but more importantly, the marvelous grace of God. His book, Failure And How I Achieved It, helps ministers and lay persons alike. He has appeared on national and international television programs and taught for the Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism.

Just as amazing is the story of Mike’s wife, Doris. As Mike says, “There are some heroes in my story. I am not one of them. My incredible wife learned to trust God and endured unimaginable pain, always believing that God would ultimately win out, she is a hero.” Doris tells her story with music and words that exude grace and sensitivity. God uses her in a powerful way when she plays or when she speaks.

Mike and his wife Doris reside in middle Tennessee where he writes and directs Branches and where they both enjoy their grandsons. Their desire is to help Christian leaders “live lives of peace, productivity and principled living” and to provide healing and hope for broken people everywhere.

Mike's Blog

Superman

superman

He came to earth as a baby, knowing that someday he would be the savior of the world. His “earthly” parents took him to a small little town where he was raised in obscurity, almost secretive, growing stronger everyday and waiting for the right time to reveal his strength and special power to the world….

A Lesson Not About Whitney

Finish Line

She was as pure a voice, and as lovely an entertainer as we have seen; at least in her early days. The unmistakable influence of her gospel mother and her soulful aunt combined into a jazz/rock vocalist that took all of the world by storm. We who were believers embraced her because of her wholesome…

The Majestic Life

majestic

There is a feel good movie from about 10 years ago called The Majestic. Jim Carrey played an amnesiac screen writer who stumbles into a small, depressed, down beaten town in Northern California. There are two prominent features of this little town, the dilapidated old, out of service theatre that once dominated the main street…

All In The Abundant Life

ocean waves

I spent my high school years in Myrtle Beach. Back then it was a sleepy, empty town about 6 months of the year that exploded into a people polluted tourist trap from March to September. The first wave of tourists were the Canadians that began trickling in about late February and arrived in earnest by…

Fridays @ 8: Shhhhh!

I am not a man of peace. I can get frantic with the best of them. Too much to do. Not enough going right. Details to oversee and outcomes to control. Life is about crisis management and I am an A-1 crisis kind of guy. (Most of the crises I manage are of my own…

Romans 8:26 and Simply Free

I have been sick for a week. Not the call in the family and get your affairs in order kind of sick but certainly get a shot in the rear, crawl in bed, and feel like I have to get better to do the first part kind of sick. The doctor said it was strep….

Fridays @ 8 Romans 8:25

This is from a guy in our Tuesday morning group that is just coming alive in Christ. It is a blast to watch. He’s out of town this week so he wrote this response. I love the simple direct wisdom: In the prior passage Paul reminds us that we are waiting for something we are…

Fridays @ 8: Free to Be Me

I meet with a group of men on Thursday morning. They are good guys, every one of them. Varied backgrounds, ages, and places in their Christ journey. They speak to me every week, teach me things, challenge me to do better, be better. They have become brothers. Some days we wax eloquent with deep, theological…