Most Arkansans know Matt Mosler as part of the morning team at KARK 4 Today, but that’s only his day job. Matt has a long history of service to God, others and the greater community. Whether it’s motivational speaking, mission work or managing his non-profit Beautiful Feet Ministry, Matt puts his faith into action daily.

Matt started in television in 1987, shortly after graduating from University of Alabama. He and wife Camille moved around the South until landing a job as the co-host and meteorologist for Channel 7’s Daybreak in 1996.

“It was the best job I had ever had in my career — for about 4 ½ years,” he wrote in recent email interview. “During the fall of 2000, I felt like God was trying to get my attention … I heard God speak to me in a way I’d never heard before that he wanted me to get out of television and into full-time ministry. I initially said no. After all, I was speaking and singing in different churches just about every Sunday, surely I was doing God’s will, right? Plus, how was I going to make a living? Television was the only thing I’d ever done, and we’d just now started to make a little money.

"What I’ve learned since then is that there’s a difference between God’s work and God’s will. By doing things my way, I was settling for a cheap imitation of the abundant life that He had promised.”

Following God’s Will

In 2001, KATV did not renew Matt’s contract, and he was forced to “step out of the boat” and into full-time ministry. He shortly learned there were many others who felt like God was calling them in crazy directions. Matt and a group of like-minded individuals formed Beautiful Feet Ministry to inspire, encourage and motivate others to fulfill their ministry.

The group does this primarily through speaking at revivals, Sunday services, wild game suppers, men’s retreats and wherever else they can gather an audience.

In 2006, television came calling again. This time, it was KARK 4. Matt struggled a bit with the decision to return, convinced that his ministry deserved his full attention, but in the end, he agreed to work part time as co-host of KARK 4 Today.

“I think we have something special with the current crew we now have,” said Matt. “Mallory Hardin, Wendy Suares and Greg Dee are wonderful to work with and we all get along so well. I feel like we’re in a good groove and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

Finding A Place for Peace

Over the years, Beautiful Feet Ministry launched other ministries designed to reach new and different audiences. One such project is CrossHeirs Retreat Center in Humphrey. A board member brought the property to Matt’s attention in 2010. Originally called Pintail Peninsula, the center is a 3-story, 14,000-square-foot, 16-bedroom duck lodge built in 1999 at a cost of $1.5 million.

According to Matt, in its heyday, a writer from the Wall Street Journal referred to it as the "Taj Mahal of duck hunting," but just two years after it opened, the builder went bankrupt. The beautiful building remained vacant and in disrepair for 10 years.

“When I saw it, I knew God wanted us to have it. But we had no money. That didn’t matter to God. I shared the vision with the rest of the board and three weeks later we had enough money pledged to buy the lodge along with 60 acres for just $200,000. It’s been so exciting to see how God provides.

“We still have a LOT of work to do to bring the lodge back to its former glory, but in our first year, we hosted 40 retreats. This year, we’re already booked up, with nearly 30 in just the first five months! And we’ve even started to do weddings and receptions there.”

Today, Matt balances his part-time gig at the TV station with Beautiful Feet Ministry and his responsibilities as husband to Camille and father to Travis (21), Maddi (18) and Becca (15). Here’s more about their family and ministry in his own words:

What’s your vision for CrossHeirs Retreat Center? We live in a very noisy, busy world. Taking time to get away, slow down, get quiet and listen to the Lord is not easy, but it needs to be done. God says in Psalm 46 to “Be still and know that He is God.” The purpose of the CrossHeirs Retreat Center is to provide a place for churches, ministries, businesses, and families to come for teaching, training, recreation and rest.

Why is mission work and ministry so important to your family? It’s important for us to make sure our kids know that God blesses us with “stuff” so that we can share it with others. The Bible says our mission is to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). We don’t just use our voices to do that. We use our actions and our "stuff."Our children have gone with us on several mission trips we’ve organized to the Arkansas Delta, where we’ve helped build and repair churches, nursing homes, and houses as well as clean up neighborhoods.
Watching my kids laugh, play and get dirty with kids of all races and socio-economic statuses is very gratifying. Now that they’re nearly grown and are making the choice on their own to continue and expand the mission both locally and globally makes me so proud I can hardly stand it. Travis is on the leadership team at Chi Alpha, a campus ministry at UCA. Last summer he spent a month in Zambia and South Africa and saw God do some amazing things. When she started UCA, Maddi got involved with New Life Church’s Elevation ministry, first as a volunteer and now as an intern. I know they’re not perfect by any stretch, but I still can’t wait to see what God has in store for them down the road.

On Parenting

What is your parenting strategy? Marry a good woman. Seriously, and I mean this with all love and respect, Camille was a mean mom. And thank God for that. Parenting is not for cowards. We were not our kids’ best friends. We were their parents and there were times we had to spank, say no, encourage them to take responsibility and make good choices even though it might, temporarily, cost them something they thought they couldn’t live without.
But now we’re in a transition. While we still have one in high school and it’s “as long as you’re under my roof” with her, our other two are in college and learning to spread their wings. We’re trying to make the transition from parent to mentor and friend, but it’s still a tough learning curve for both us and the kids.

What about your children do you find humbling? My kids are so much smarter than me and so much more athletic and so much better looking than I ever dreamed of being … and they are so funny! But what I find most humbling is to see their compassion for others, their desire to serve, and their quest to grow closer to the Lord.

If you could only teach your children one thing, what would it be? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul and your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.”