Michael J. Davis (Mike) was born in Marietta, OH, the eldest son of the late Claude S. and Stella Lou (Van Fossen) Davis. He was educated in the Marietta City School system, graduating from Marietta Senior High School in 1971. Mike's additional education includes only college classes that he felt would benefit him in preaching. He attended Marietta College and Parkersburg Community College (now a part of W.Va. University). Several years later, Mike obtained additional credit hours from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln in the study of the Philosophy of Religion.
His first preaching experience came in August of 1967 at the age of fourteen. This began some eight years of regular appointments in rural churches of Christ within southeastern Ohio. In August 1975, elders from the Waverly, West Virginia church of Christ asked him to consider working with them as a "located preacher." After discussing this opportunity with several of his mentors (all elderly brethren who made their living preaching the gospel) and an abundance of fervent prayer, Mike and his wife Nancy determined this was the work he should do. Since that early beginning, he has worked with Waverly, W.Va. (1975 - 1978); Summerfield, OH (1978 - 1988); Pinhook church of Christ near Bedford, IN (1988 - 1996). From the fall of 1996 through June 2014, Mike worked with the West Second Street Church of Christ, Bloomington IN. His work began with the Orleans church of Christ in July 2014.
Through the years, Mike has preached gospel meetings in West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and Oklahoma. He loves to write and publishes a weekly teaching bulletin called THOUGHTS WORTH THINKING. This paper includes a weekly article called MIKE'S MUSINGS; an article Mike has made a weekly feature for nearly fifty years. He has also written several religious study materials including PROVING THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE, DARE TO BE LIKE DANIEL, WHERE ARE THE DEAD, and ANGELS ARE MESSENGERS. He also edited a book of articles written by the late J.C. Roady and had this work published under the title TO SUM THE WHOLE THING UP.
Mike married the former Nancy Calendine on June 16, 1973. To this union were born two boys: Jeremy and Joshua. With both boys grown and married, Mike and Nancy are blessed with three wonderful grandchildren: Parker Jay, Cale Riley, and Rylan Hope. He is an avid reader of the Bible. He loves to teach and study God's Word with any interested soul. He also enjoys history and is a life member of two county historical societies in Ohio. His "specialty" is Abraham Lincoln and local Morgan and Washington County, Ohio history.