Meet our staff

Pastors

Andy Wright

Pastor / Elder / Men's Team Leader

I grew up in a Christian family on a…

Team Members

Andy Wright

Pastor / Elder / Men's Team Leader

I grew up in a Christian family on a small farm outside Wentworth, SD and placed my faith in Christ at an early age. During most of my formative years, I participated in a gospel-loving church called West Center Baptist in Madison, SD. After graduating from Rutland High School, I attended South Dakota State University for a year and then moved on to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, where I graduated with a Bible/Theology degree. After graduation, I moved to Hartford, SD and served as a student pastor while I attended North American Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls. In 2006, shortly after graduating from seminary, my wife Megan and I moved to Dell Rapids to help plant River Community Church.

I love sharing Christ, helping people grow in their relationship to Christ, planting churches and raising up, training and sending out pastors and missionaries into the mission field regionally and globally.

My wife and I live in Dell Rapids and have 5 children: Margaret, Judah, Gabby, Josie and Abraham. For fun, I enjoy spending time with my family, hunting, fishing, playing sports and reading. If you’d like to contact me, feel free to call the office or send me a message to andywright214@gmail.com

Ryan Franchuk

Pastor / Elder / Outreach Team Leader

I trusted Christ for salvation at a young age…

Team Members

Ryan Franchuk

Pastor / Elder / Outreach Team Leader

I trusted Christ for salvation at a young age and was baptized by my father when I was eight. I am blessed with an incredible mom and dad who taught me the Bible and have modeled discipleship to Jesus for my whole life. The local church has been massive in my life, pouring love and grace and support into me and providing a place to grow. I’m grateful to God for the churches of my childhood (Calvary Baptist, Carrington, ND), college (Metropolitan Baptist, Fargo, ND), and seminary years (First Baptist, Emery, SD). I’m grateful for the faithful men and women of those churches whom God used and keeps using to form me.

I am married to Sallie and we have 3 children, Adoniram, Ezra, and Evangeline. We live in Baltic, SD and love that community. I love getting to preach and teach at River Community Church. I also serve as a director for the Timothy Pastoral Apprenticeship, a radically church-centered theological training program. I like reading, backpacking, fishing, roasting coffee, and trying to make stuff on a lathe.

Jackson Geraets

Student Pastor / Youth Team Lead

Jackson and his family came to RCC when he…

Team Members

Jackson Geraets

Student Pastor / Youth Team Lead

Jackson and his family came to RCC when he was in middle school. Jackson also gave his life to Christ around that time. Jackson grew really quickly and started taking our TPA (Timothy Pastoral Apprenticeship) classes while still in high school. As of July 2024, the last thing Jackson needs to do to complete the TPA is finish his ordination process. At RCC, Jackson has a heavy load of teaching, preaching, and ministering to our youth and young adults.

Jackson loves playing board games and spending time with friends and family.

Elders

Matthew Larson

Elder / Sound & Media

I grew up in a Christian home in Mellette,…

Team Members

Matthew Larson

Elder / Sound & Media

I grew up in a Christian home in Mellette, SD. I attended church and Sunday School on a regular basis which led to attending Youth Groups though middle school and high school years, and teaching Sunday School as well. While I grew up in a church-setting, I had a misconception of the Christian life much of my childhood and early adolescent years. I had the thought that I attended church, I believed in God, and because of that nothing bad was going to happen to me and I was going to “live the good life”. It wasn’t until almost hitting rock bottom between the ages of 16-20 that I truly began to see what being a Christian was all about. I can’t tell you an exact date/time that I was converted. I don’t have one of those 180-degree life-changing conversion stories, but what I can say is that from around the age of 20-21 through now I’ve been growing in my Christian walk and having a stronger relationship with the Lord by His grace and mercy.

I’ve been blessed beyond what I deserve with three healthy and active boys and a beautiful bride that encourages me and makes me want to be a stronger Christian man each and every day. We have been attending River Community Church almost since the church began, and I undoubtedly have grown as a Christian because of the church…either through sermons, Bible Studies, or just every day conversations with the church family. I love being a part of RCC and this group of believers who encourage and love one another…and show me through examples of their lives of what a Christian is, so that I can learn and grow even more. I’m a firm believer that no matter how long we’ve been a Christian, we can always learn to be stronger all of our lives.

Outside of being an elder at RCC, I work full time as a computer programmer/analyst for Citibank. In my free time I own and operate Big Sioux Media, Commissioner of the MinnDak Youth Baseball League, follow my boys around to all of their activities (they love the sports!), and God-willing am creating an example for my boys of what it is to be a Christian man.