About Us

God has us here to make disciples who are equipped to face the challenges of life in faith. We are given a picture of this kind of life in Jeremiah 17:8 -

They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

From this, we see...

1. They LIVE ROOTED in Jesus. They don’t just believe in their head or feel faith in their heart. They embrace a new and active way of living life, taking their cues from Jesus.

2. They BRANCH OUT, growing in Jesus. Jesus meets them where they are at, but they are changed as they follow Jesus. They grow into the person God created them to be.

3. They BEAR FRUIT for Jesus. The goal of discipleship goes beyond Bible knowledge and good behavior. Disciples pursue God working through them so they can help others LIVE ROOTED in Jesus, BRANCH OUT, growing in Jesus, and BEAR FRUIT for Jesus.

This invitation (and definition) didn’t just apply to those first disciples. It extends to us as well. This is our God given mission!

Pastor Dan is our Lead Pastor and South Dakota native, hailing from Madison. He's married to his high school sweetheart, Michele. They have three children; Bethany who is married to Son-In-Law Jesse, Hannah and Benjamin. After working as an engineer for nine years, God called Pastor Dan into full-time ministry. He's so thankful that God has led them to minister here in Mitchell. He loves to help people get deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, so they can discover and live out their calling in life.

Ben and his wife Brie, along with their three daughters and mini golden-doodle, moved to Mitchell from Roseville, California. He has had diverse life experiences. He joined the Air Force at 19 and used his education benefits to get a bachelor's in pastoral ministry. He worked for Apple while helping start up two churches in North Carolina. He spent some time working with teens in mental health while running a residential treatment facility, and more recently, served as a funeral director. Additionally, as a cancer survivor, Ben brings his diverse life experiences to the table when discussing discipleship to Jesus with others. He aspires to continue to write, teach the Scriptures, preach the Gospel, and love people well.

Pastor Angie is the children’s pastor and grew up in Ethan, South Dakota. Pastor Angie is married to Jarod, and together they have five kids; Noah, Leah, Anna, Rachel, and Joshua. Pastor Angie worked as a physical therapist and stay at home mom prior to being called into vocational children’s ministry at RiverTree Church. She and Jarod farm outside of Mitchell. Pastor Angie can most often be found with her kids or in her kitchen, baking and cooking, running, sewing and other creative projects.

Joshua Klumb is the Technical Director at RiverTree Church. Josh began attending RiverTree with his family in 1993 when he was 9 years old. He has served on the technical team in various volunteer capacities for the past 22 years. He married his wife Sadie in 2018 and they currently reside in Mitchell. Josh farms with his family on the farm where he grew up in rural Mt. Vernon. He has served on the Local Board of Administration for RiverTree Church from 2011 until he took this position in 2022. He has also served in the State Legislature since 2015 and currently serves as the State Senator for District 20.

Michelle is the Finance Secretary and has attended RiverTree Church since birth. Michelle is married to Brent and together they have four daughters: Brooke who is married to son-in-law Josh, Olivia, Bridget, and Miley. She and Brent farm south of Mount Vernon. Michelle enjoys shopping, conversations, camping, exercising, and spending time with family! You will rarely find Michelle without a McDonalds Mocha Frappe or a fountain pop, and if ever her office door is open, feel free to pop in for a chat!

Bekka's life has been on the move since the beginning. She had the privilege of growing up in a missionary family and being involved in missions herself. Three years ago, she was introduced to her husband, Aaron Nash, and moved to Mitchell, SD. RiverTree Church, and especially the small group, has helped her begin to plant herself here. Aaron and Bekka love to go exploring the many parks with all of God's beautiful creation. They also enjoy finding coffee shops and small home-town diners. Bekka has had the privilege of living in many places; she am glad one of them is Mitchell, SD.