About Us

Our Staff

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Dennis Jeffery leads The River Conference. He has previously served as youth pastor in Seattle, church planter in Southern California, and lead pastor in Lakewood, CO. Dennis serves on the Board of Eden Reforestation Projects and has a passion for justice, mercy, and compassion. He has had opportunity to serve in Africa multiple times, India, Mexico, China, and Europe. Dennis is the author of "Buoyancy - Hope in a Storm Filled World". He is a graduate of Central Christian College, Seattle Pacific University, and Fuller Theological Seminary. He has studied in the D.Min. program at Talbot School of Theology. Dennis is married to Coleen, they have three children, and reside in Lakewood, CO. He enjoys serving Christ and loving people. He pursues being a hope contagion by the grace of God.

Click Here to access dennisjeffery.com.

Jason Lohse has been a Christ follower for over twenty-two years and currently serves as a pastor, elder, worship leader and teacher at Journey. He is also a song writer, author and speaker. Over a twenty-year span, Jason has served in youth ministry, worship ministry, international missions and church planting. He has a great passion to help guide and encourage people towards adoption and water relief efforts in Africa as an expression of their spiritual journey with Jesus. Jason and his wife, Jenny along with their daughter, Jaida live in the south metro Denver area.

Leia and her husband Jeff Bruxvoort live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. They have 1 son who is 20 months old and a chocolate lab. She is originally from Iowa and moved to Colorado in 2006 after graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Interpersonal Communications from the University of Iowa and getting married.

Leia worked for a small company for the past 6 years as an administrative assistant and office manager until taking this position with TRC. Leia enjoys running, being outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and watching Iowa Hawkeye football.

Leia's responsibilities include that of conference secretary as well as administrative assistant to the Superintendent and Director of Operations.

Belle Bates serves The River Conference as bookkeeper. She lives in the country about two miles from the Deer Flat Free Methodist Church where she has attended since 1972. Prior to going to Deer Flat, Belle knew Jesus as Savior of the world but at Deer Flat she realized that she needed him as her personal savior. It has been her joy to walk with Him through the years. Belle's church activities include being the organist for Heritage Worship Service, accompanying the choir when needed and currently serves on the Deer Flat Board of Directors. Belle has also served as the treasurer at Deer Flat and worked as Office Manager there for five years. Belle was born and raised in Caldwell, Idaho. Belle married her high school sweetheart Virgil Bates, who passed away in 2006, and they had three daughters: Linda, Lynette and Lisa.

Alex can best be described as a creative leader with a pastor's heart. His ultimate desire is to see people come into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ. Alex currently serves as the Pastor of Teaching and Administration at The Church at Lake Travis in Austin, TX. He accepted a call to ministry at age 16 and has served the local church both professionally and as a lay-person every day since. While studying and preparing for ministry at Hardin-Simmons University, Alex met his wife Wendy and they were married in August, 1991. They have two children, Caitlin (18) and Parker (16). In addition to serving The Church at Lake Travis, Alex also serves the community as a school board trustee with the Lake Travis Independent School District.

Matthew is the co-founder of Restore Communities in Austin, Texas and one of the teaching pastors at Austin New Church. He is currently working on an M.A. in Culture and World Religions from Covenant Seminary. He loves coffee, reading, culture, and fitness. More than anything, he loves spending his time with his wife, Sarah, and their four kids.

Pastor Guillermo Flores is our new pastor at Laredo, Texas and also our Director of Hispanic Ministries. Pastor Flores is a former member of the Superintendent team in the Southern California Conference. He has extensive experience as a pastor and training pastors and has a vision for a pastor training institute in Texas to equip Hispanic pastors for effective ministry.

Additionally, his wife, Ligia is an ordained Free Methodist Elder, is a licensed counselor, and is a gifted minister of the gospel. They are an effective ministry team together who can make a great contribution to TRC Hispanic ministry.

Dan has been the Pastor of the Opportunity Christian Fellowship in Spokane Valley, WA since 2003. Dan grew up in the Dominican Republic as a missionary kid. This experience greatly influenced his passion and direction for ministry. He is married to Paula, and has two boys, Christopher and Jordan. Prior to their move to Spokane, the Bonney family lived and ministered in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Carmen was born and raised in Mexico and came to the United States at the age of 16. Being bilingual and bicultural, she considers herself a bridge and a bridge-builder between Anglos and Hispanics both in language and culture.

She is an Elder in the FM church, serves as TRC Director of Hispanic Ministries, Spanish translator and oversees the CMC’s administrative responsibilities. She also serves on the TRC MEGA and leads the Hispanic MEGA sub-committee. Her passion in ministry is to lead women to the healing presence of Christ and to be a facilitator as women seek wholeness in Him.

Carmen attends Gateway Community Church in Chino California where she serves as Director of Human Resources and teaches women’s Bible studies.

She and her husband Jon live in Southern California, have been married for 40 years and have two children and two grandchildren. She enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, writing, learning, walking, Tai Chi, and treasures being home with her family.

Fred Lynch has extensive experience ministering within a broad range of cultural settings.

At the age of 16 Fred attended Christ For The Nations Institute and received an Associates in Practical Theology. At age 18, he became a youth pastor in the Dallas Inner City area. In 1987, he founded P.I.D., otherwise known as Preachers in Disguise – a ministry blending the gifts of evangelism and discipleship with rap, rhythm and contemporary music. Since then, Fred has completed six albums, traveled internationally speaking and rapping to more than 1.5 million people, participated in founding three production companies, and seen countless souls come to know the Lord through his ministry of discipleship through the gifts of art, communication and relationship building.

Fred currently lives in the DFW Metroplex with his wife D’Ann of twenty-one years, and their two children, Asia and Jordan.

Steve has served the church as an inner city youth pastor (78-83), church planter/lead pastor (83-97), and Overseer of the So Cal Conference (97-2010). Today Steve is the President of The Eden Projects, and the Director of Creation Care for The River Conference.

Claudette and Steve have been married for 31 years (Claudette is a saint). They have 3 adult children, Danielle Gudgel (28), Josiah (23), and Caleb (21) Claudette is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a specialty in juvenile neurological disorders. "I have also earned a doctorate, but my degree never helps anyone."