Jack served in the Marines for ten years, including a tour in Iraq, before going into the ministry. After completing his MDiv at Denver Seminary Jack and his wife Tammy moved to the Philippines where they founded Arise Children’s Home. With his heart for the suffering and forgotten, Jack walked the slums and rescued destitute children. In 2018 Jack became very ill and could hardly function. Though he sought prayer and medical help Jack did not improve, so finally, after ten years in the Philippines, Jack and Tammy and their children returned to the states. When the American doctors could not help Jack and the situation seemed hopeless, Jack decided to worship God anyway. It was during one of these personal worship times in April 2021 that God touched Jack and restored his health. A month later Jack was called to lead our church.

Tammy was a student at Columbine High School the day several of her classmates were lost in a senseless shooting. Yet God prompted Tammy to leave campus for lunch that day. Tammy listened and obeyed, which saved her life. After Tammy married Jack they served as missionaries in the Philippines for ten years where they established Arise Children’s Home. Although Tammy and Jack had to return to the states due to Jack’s health struggles, the work at Arise rescuing, caring for, and educating former street children continues. Besides being a busy mother of five children, Tammy works closely with Jack to accomplish the mission of The River Church, keeping our operations running smoothly. Tammy holds an MA in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University.

Jim became a Christian while in college and from that moment on has run hard after God. At CU Boulder, in addition to attending to his engineering studies, Jim was highly involved with the Navigators where he learned the importance of Bible study, scripture memorization and discipleship. During those years Jim also was active in a local church where he learned how to operate in the gifts of the Spirit. Jim’s work at our church centers around discipleship and promoting the deep study of God’s word which grows out of his conviction that these practices have the power to transform lives. Jim and his wife Lorie also served as cross-cultural missionaries in Kenya for three years in the 1990’s. They have four adult children and three grandchildren.

Diego comes from a rich heritage of social benevolence.  Starting in his homeland, from the tender age of 8 feeding families in the slums of Brazil with his grandparents to his adult years working with the Brazilian government led Committee Against Hunger and Misery, where he helped feed and relocate homeless and native Brazilian families. After moving to the States he came to faith in Jesus and it propelled him to serve the Church and the community in several ministerial roles within the Church body,  meeting both physical needs and the spiritual ones through the power of the Holy Spirit. He loves to lead people to encounters with Jesus and to see their hearts revived. Diego and his wife Shelley have four  amazing children.  He also holds an A.S. in Theology and a B.S. in Biblical Studies from the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. 

Shelley has a background in the hospitality industry, providing her with many years of learning how to serve in ways that help people feel honored, nourished and cared for. Her first experience leading in the Church was as Director of the Storehouse Food Pantry alongside her husband Diego, which combined her industry experience with the work of ministry that the Lord was calling her into. Her heart is to come alongside other ministry leaders and pastors to support and encourage them to find creative ways to collaborate and bring forth the vision of the Church and to serve the body well. She enjoys helping people find and form deep, meaningful connections, to find belonging and community, and discover their own gifts and callings.