Mitch Ribera — Lead Pastor
The “story” of Mitch Ribera illustrates the amazing things God can do through a person who possesses a spirit willing to be directed by his subtle promptings. Our lead pastor originated from a family whose parents divorced when he was young, and after his mother remarried, the new blended family totaled nine members! Mitch grew up living and breathing sports, so it seems perfectly fitting that his “spiritual birth” took place at a basketball camp! In the summer of 1973 while Mitch was attending the hoops camp, a speaker came, and using nothing more than silverware was able to convey the Good News with such impact, that Mitch and his brothers accepted Jesus Christ. And, like all things in life, Mitch approached his budding relationship with God with fiery passion!
Mitch has been blessed with a life rich in academic, athletic and personal rewards, but it is his introduction to his future wife, Jami, that Mitch considers to be one of his greatest gifts from God. Both attended Fresno State, she was pursuing a degree in child development, he an avid soccer player working on a business degree. And what began as a great friendship soon turned into an enduring desire to spend the rest of their lives together.
While Mitch’s academic focus illustrated a talent and a drive to succeed in the business world, he had an unrelenting feeling that his professional life was meant to be more directly related to serving God. And so it is a testament to God’s wisdom that he would allow Mitch to find his calling to ministry through a business project! Completed during his junior year of college, the assignment was to research an industry and a company that he was interested in and assess how his gifts, talents, ability could benefit this potential employer. Mitch researched the Baptist General Conference and his home church-Northwest. Additionally, Mitch sought wise counsel from trusted advisors, including his pastor Bufe Karraker, his parents, and Jami. Mitch relates that it was through his efforts and experiences for this project that he realized that God was speaking to him, and calling him to become a pastor! No bright lights, no fireworks… just a firm and unchanging realization that his career and his heart should belong to God.
After graduating from Fresno State in December 1983, Mitch married his wonderful bride, Jami, on January 7th, 1984. Wasting no time, the day after his honeymoon, Mitch started as a college intern at Northwest Church. Yet after 17 wonderful years of ministry at Northwest, 17 fantastic years of marriage, and 4 awesome kids (Jenna, Jordan, Jonah, and Jaycee), God led Mitch to a surprising mid-course directional change.
Mitch was called to uproot from his comfortable staff position at a large church and launch a new church! Sponsored by the Baptist General Conference, in September of 2000, Jami and Mitch attended a church planters assessment center in Cheyenne, and officially established their church plant on January 1, 2001!
Since launching the very first service at New Harvest Church, on Palm Sunday, 2001, Mitch’s life mission continues to be "to lead and shepherd my family and God's family in becoming healthy, Christ-centered teams." His passion to cultivate healthy families, both at home and in church, continues today. More importantly to Mitch, he gets to “do life” and church with an extraordinary team of people who have experienced the fullness of God's unwavering grace!
Pat Evans, Pastor at Large
Pat’s faith walk has had its fair share of peaks and valleys. Growing up on his grandparents’ farm in the Pacific Northwest, Pat boldly accepted Jesus into his heart at the tender age of eight. Five years later at a Youth for Christ rally, he made his public statement of faith, later that year was baptized. Yet Pat recalls that in high school his attitude and beliefs began to change. He likes to refer to the years accompanying this lapse in faith his own personal foray into the prodigal son’s proverbial “pig pen.” And even though he attended a Christian College, and was required to complete four years of Bible Study, Pat feels that he continually turned away from God. It wasn’t until twenty-three years later on the advice from a co-worker that he stumbled upon Northwest Church. And it was then, as Pat recollects, when he walked through those doors that “I knew I had come home, and by God’s grace would never wander away again.”
He recommitted his life to Jesus three weeks later, and hasn’t looked back since. Now serving as the executive pastor at New Harvest, Pat uses these experiences, and these mistakes, as evidence of the overwhelming power of God’s grace. Of this he relates, “God has demonstrated his grace to me three major times. Once, when Jesus died for my sins, once when by his grace I realized what Jesus did for me, and once more when He drew me back to Himself in 1978. I regret it took three.”
Kelly Rosenthal, Community Life Pastor
Greg Zuffelato, Family Life Director
Paul Mannino, Student Ministries Director
Jan Coon, Business Administrator
Ron Arbino, Manager of Facilities and Grounds
Kathy Rudolph, Administrative Assistant
Jeremy Anderson, Administrative Assistant
Melissa Pernsteiner, Accounts Assistant
Alice Waterman, Childcare Center Director
Linda Stephens, Children's Minsitry Director
Rosi Borsch, Preschool Coordinator
Rosi Borsch, Nursery Coordinator
Pennie Console, Production Coordinator
Craig Von Berg, Instrumental Director
Mark Ribera, Music Director