a place to Belong. Believe. Become.

The River is a church in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo with a passion to reach the least, the lost, and the lonely with the transformational gospel of Jesus. We strive to a place where people can sit under the waterfall of grace and find healing through the incredible love and grace of God. You don’t have to have your life put together to be a part of our family; in fact we believe no one has it all figured out. At The River we walk through life together striving to Belong, Believe, and Become. 

Belong to a community of imperfect people focused on loving one another with authentic relationships. 

Believe in the life-saving power of grace through Jesus. 

Become more like Jesus by training to live life in a way that honors and brings Him glory.

Our Philosophy

The River has a centered set philosophy of ministry. You don’t have to check a bunch of boxes, follow a set of rules, or look/act a certain way to be a part of our community. Rather, we believe that everyone, in their brokenness, receives grace to walk the way of Jesus. We believe Jesus loves you right where and how you are, but also loves you too much to leave you there. Learn more about centered set philosophy of ministry here.

The River was founded as part of the Reformed Church of America and maintains a Reformed outlook towards ministry and theology. In 2025 the River joined the Kingdom Network, a community of like-minded reformed churches that works together through pastoral relationships, leadership development and education, and accountability to one another. Learn more about the Kingdom Network here.

Our Beliefs

The River community consists of people with a wide range of varying beliefs on various topics. We have a simple way of looking at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of theology.

 

Our Primary beliefs are core to who we are and how we operate

 

I: The Trinity – We believe in one God in three distinct persons – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. They are all equally God, undivided in nature, yet have distinct roles (Father as Creator, Son as Savior, and Holy Spirit as our active, guiding presence)

II: We are Jesus people. We believe Jesus:

    1. Was fully God and fully human
    2. Was incarnated thru Mary, died on the cross, was buried, resurrected 3 days later, and then ascended into Heaven
    3. Is the only source of salvation. We are saved through Him alone, by grace through faith.

III: We are Bible people. We believe the Bible is the Word of God, is truthful in all it intends to be, and is authoritative.

Our Staff

Smiling man with beard and tattoos wearing a dark t-shirt.

Brad Landrum

Pastor

admin@theriver.info

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Mallory Lyman

Children's Pastor

mlyman@theriver.info

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Kevin Green

Tech Director

kgreen@theriver.info

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Liz Heystek

Office Manager

lheystek@theriver.info
admin@theriver.info

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Racheal Landrum

Nursery Coordinator

rlandrum@theriver.info

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Elisha Penning

Small Group Pastor

epenning@theriver.info

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Nate Scott

Worship & Connections Pastor

nscott@theriver.info

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Kurt Schmitt

Ministry Coordinator

kschmitt@theriver.info

Our Leadership

Elders

Elders are primarily and particularly responsible for the spiritual oversight of the congregation. This includes attending to sound teaching within the church; ensuring that members are nurtured through Scripture, the sacraments, worship, and prayer; and guiding the congregation through government and discipline. Elders assist the staff with their good counsel, and serve all Christians with advice, consolation, and encouragement.

The position of an elder is meant to be a position of servanthood and service, representing Christ through the Holy Spirit’s workings.  Those chosen to elders must be men and women who possess spirits of charity and are deeply grounded in the wisdom of God’s Word.  They must be spiritually discerning, they must have high moral character.

Deacons

Deacons are set apart to serve those in need. They shall minister to the sick, the poor, the hurt, and the helpless. They shall aid the victims of the world’s abuse, and express the social concerns of the church. They shall oversee and carry out their work as those concerned with the redemption of humankind. Their focus is turned toward service and ministry both to the world and in the church. Deacons oversee and support areas of ministry, including Missions, Hospitality, Benevolence, Outreach, and Facilities. They act as liaisons between ministry leaders, the congregation, and the greater community.

The position of a deacon is meant to be a position of servanthood and service, representing Christ through the Holy Spirit’s workings.  Those chosen to be deacons must show a high commitment to the Lord.  They are to be men and women with compassionate spirits, sound judgment, and high character.  We want to see our deacons acting as people who have been set apart for ministry, for service, and for outreach.